...from Tenth Amendment Center Today in 1790, future president of the United States John Tyler was born. Mockingly called “His Accidency” by his political rivals, Tyler’s strict devotion to the Constitution made him made enemies, including his own party. Former Mayor of New York Philip Hone wrote in 1842 that Tyler’s administration had consisted of “one year of the rule of imbecility, arrogance, and prejudice.” Time and time again, Tyler obstructed Whig efforts to recharter a national bank, raise tariffs to radical heights, and implement various other unconstitutional measures. He made himself the primary foe of Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, both of whom sought to undermine him at every possible opportunity. He nominated five different individuals to the Supreme Court, only one of which was confirmed. Despite being kicked out of the Whig Party, he and his brilliant Secretary of Defense, Abel Upshur, laid the groundwork for Texas annexation through an arrangement with the Texas