1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:02,599 Speaker 1: All right, So this may knock you for a loop, 2 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:05,520 Speaker 1: but did you know that one guy who just died 3 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: in the past month or so had a direct link 4 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:11,960 Speaker 1: to the entire history of the United States. Harrison Ruffin 5 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: Tyler was ninety six years old, and he was the 6 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:19,759 Speaker 1: last surviving grandson of John Tyler, the tenth President of 7 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:24,079 Speaker 1: the United States. Huh, how's that possible. I'm Patty Steele 8 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: alive in twenty twenty five, with sort of two degrees 9 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: of separation from George Washington. That's next on the backstory. 10 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: We're back with the backstory. Harrison ruff And Tyler died 11 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:43,239 Speaker 1: on May twenty fifth this year, and with him went 12 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 1: the last grandchild of President John Tyler, the tenth president 13 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 1: of the United States from eighteen forty one to eighteen 14 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: forty five. Now it seems a little bit of a 15 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: stretch to think your grandpa was in the White House 16 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: almost two hundred years ago. I mean, we all know 17 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: our pause, right, but it's actually not quite as strange 18 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: as it seems. Harrison and his older brother, Lyon Gardner 19 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:10,559 Speaker 1: Tyler Junior, that's quite a name, who died five years 20 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: ago at the age of ninety five, were sons of 21 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 1: Lyon Gardner Tyler Senior, the first I guess who was 22 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: born in eighteen fifty three. He was their dad eighteen 23 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: fifty three, but he had the boys when he was 24 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:27,119 Speaker 1: in his seventies. Lyon Senior died in nineteen thirty five 25 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: at the age of eighty two, when the two boys 26 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: were seven and ten. 27 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 2: Starting to get the picture. 28 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: Lyon Senior was born eight years after his own father, 29 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: John Tyler, was already out of the White House, and 30 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:44,559 Speaker 1: their great grandfather, John Tyler Senior, was born in seventeen 31 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: forty five. It turns out he was a roommate in 32 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: College of Thomas Jefferson. 33 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 2: That'd be a crazy dorm room, right. 34 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: He went on to serve in the Continental Army during 35 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: the Revolution, then became Governor of Virginia, all while having 36 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: eight children, including the future President. Ten years ago, Lyon 37 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: Junior gave a speech in which he said, I heard 38 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: too much about presidents growing up. There were family stories 39 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: about paling around with Patrick Henry, Andrew Jackson, Daniel Webster, 40 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 1: fighting in the Revolution and the Civil War, and of 41 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: course a ton of stories about my grandfather, President John Tyler. 42 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: So what we're seeing here in this crazy close connection 43 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: is a succession of Tyler men who married late in life. 44 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: You see, that wasn't creepy or unusual. It was often 45 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: because women so frequently died in childbirth in those days, 46 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: so men would quickly remarry somebody young and full of 47 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: enough energy to take care of the children, love behind 48 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 1: her husband and the house, as well as adding more 49 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: offspring to the household. So the Tyler family up until 50 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: Harrison's death, was three generations of people that tied together 51 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: almost the entire history of the United States. President Tyler 52 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: was born two hundred and thirty five years ago in 53 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: seventeen ninety, just months after George Washington was inaugurated as 54 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 1: our first president. He was a governor, a congressman, a senator, 55 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: and then the vice president under William Henry Harrison. But 56 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: Harrison caught a cold during his inaugural speech, which turned 57 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: into pneumonia, killing him within a month of becoming president. 58 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: Thus John Tyler became president. While in office, his wife, 59 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: Letitia died las of deaths in those days. Two years later, 60 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: just before leaving the White House, he married Julia Gardner, 61 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 1: a twenty four. 62 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 2: Year old debutante. 63 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: When he was fifty four, after leaving office, he got 64 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: out of politics and went home to his Virginia plantation 65 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: called Sherwood Forest to enjoy the good life with his 66 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: young wife. Before he died in eighteen sixty two, he 67 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: had fathered fifteen children, the most of any American president. 68 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: President Tyler. Thirteenth child was Lyon Tyler Senior. Lyon had 69 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 1: three children with his first wife, Anne, who died in 70 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: nineteen twenty one, and in nineteen twenty three, when he 71 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: was seventy years old, he married thirty five year old 72 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,799 Speaker 1: Sue Ruffin. They had three more children, including Lyon Junior 73 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:20,359 Speaker 1: and the recently deceased Harrison. That kind of pulls the 74 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 1: story together now, I mean, it wasn't unusual for a 75 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 1: man to immediately remarry somebody much younger when his wife 76 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 1: had died again, mostly because she would have had the 77 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: energy to care for him and any remaining children, as 78 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 1: well as have more children for him. Those kids to 79 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,919 Speaker 1: be counted on to care for the family property, whether 80 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: it was a farm or a business, and also the 81 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: parents as they aged. Plus, for her part, the young 82 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 1: wife was making a choice that probably allowed her a 83 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 1: better financial situation. Women didn't have a lot of options 84 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:57,040 Speaker 1: to improve their financial lives. That didn't involve marrying a 85 00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: guy who'd already been successful money wise, So the Tyler 86 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: family just happened to have a run of several long 87 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: living men who had first wives who died young. They 88 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: went on to create new families with much younger second wives. 89 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 1: Now the only stain on the Tyler family legacy was 90 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 1: President Tyler's support for the South during the Civil War 91 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: and Lion Tyler Senior's academic and public attacks on Abraham 92 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 1: Lincoln over his opposition to state's rights during the war. 93 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 2: They were tried in True Confederates. 94 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: As for Harrison's thoughts on modern politics, while back in 95 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: twenty twelve, he said, I've sort of lost interest in politics. 96 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: They're killing each other on both sides. The campaigns are 97 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: just horrible. It has nothing to do. 98 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 2: With what we really need. 99 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: You're here hope you're enjoying the Backstory with Patty Steele. 100 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,039 Speaker 1: Please leave a review and follow or subscribe for free 101 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: to get new episodes delivered automatically. Also, feel free to 102 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: DM me if you have a story you'd like me 103 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 1: to cover. On Facebook, It's Patty Steele and on Instagram 104 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: Real Patty Steele. I'm Patty Steele. The Backstories a production 105 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 1: of iHeartMedia, Premiere Networks, the Elvis Durand Group, and Steel 106 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: Trap Productions. Our producer is Doug Fraser. Our writer Jay Kushner. 107 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,720 Speaker 1: We have new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Feel free 108 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: to reach out to me with comments and even story 109 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 1: suggestions on Instagram at Real Patty Steele and on Facebook 110 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening to the Backstory with 111 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 1: Patty Steele, the pieces of history you didn't know you 112 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 1: needed to know.