After his wife, Letitia, died in September of 1842, President John Tyler became a depressed, lonely man. Just a few months after Letitia's passing, John met Julia Gardiner, a beautiful, vivacious, wealthy, and much-younger New York socialite. Julia would transform John's life. The couple's courtship and marriage would be very different from Tyler's first.
Another Day in an American Paradise
Julia Gardiner was born into opulence on May 4, 1820, on Gardiner's Island, New York. Her father, David Gardiner, was a descendant of seven generations of enterprising settlers, including Lion Gardiner, who purchased a three-thousand-acre island off the north shore of Long Island, which became the family's private estate. (Several generations of the family still live on Gardiner's Island.) Her mother, the former Juliana McLachlan, was an heiress to an unusually large fortune. Thus, Julia and younger sister Margaret enjoyed an "atmosphere of bottomless wealth and privilege."
Something Lacking
Despite being given everything she could ever want and more, Julia felt stifled. During her years as a student at New York's prestigious Madame N.D. Chagary's Institute for Young Ladies, pretty, fun-loving Julia studied French, arithmetic, literature, history , and composition. She also minored in partying. Even the most well-rounded education could not stimulate Julia. Accordingly, she actively sought excitement elsewhere. In her quest to rise above the status quo, Julia inadvertantly scandalized her family by posing for a newspaper advertisement for Bogert and McCamby's, a local dry-goods store. The caption under her portrait read: "I'll purchase at Bogert and McCamby's. Their goods are Beautiful and Asonishingly Cheap." Julia and Margaret were promptly whisked away to Europe.
"Queen Fever"
While in Europe, the Gardiner Sisters had many marvelous experiences. One such experience was meeting Great Britain's Queen Victoria. Upon the sisters' return to the States, observers could not help but notice that this meeting had strongly influenced 19-year-old Julia. It was said she had developed a case of "queen fever;" this would prove to be an incurable disease. Of course, the one thing this "queen" needed was a king. None of the men in Julia's age group interested her, and she remained single for the next couple years. Then, while attending a party at the Tyler White House, the recently widowed president approached Julia. No stranger to controversy, Julia, now 22, began dating Tyler, who was 30 years her senior.
Family Tragedy Leads May-December Romance to Culminate in Marriage
Tyler asked Julia to marry him many times, and she always refused. It would take a terrible event to make her change her mind about becoming the second Mrs. John Tyler. One day, President Tyler invited David Gardiner, his two daughters, and the omnipresent Dolley Madison aboard a ship called The Princeton for an excursion on the Potomac River. One of the ship's cannons, the "peacemaker," accidentally misfired, killing Mr. Gardiner. Following this tragedy, the president and his girlfriend became inseparable. They wed on June 26, 1844, in New York City. The bride was 24, and the groom was 54. Unlike his restrained first marriage, Tyler and his youthful second wife enjoyed a tremendously passionate union. This passion led to the births of seven children-- five sons and two daughters: David Gardiner (1846-1927); John Alexander (1848-83); Julia (1849-71); Lachlan (1851-1902); Lyon Gardiner (1853-1935); Robert Fitzwalter (1856-1927); Pearl (1860-1947).
Life as First Lady and After
Julia only served as First Lady for eight months, but she made the most them. For example, she dressed flamboyantly in order to accentuate her exotic beauty. She also entertained lavishly. The presidential couple retired to Sherwood Forest, their Virginia estate. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Julia, who had become an honorary Southern belle, once again caused a stir when she openly defended the institution of slavery. When her home was seized by the Union Army, she returned to New York, but her pro-South views made her a pariah there. John Tyler died in 1862, when Julia was 41. Julia's mother died in 1864, leaving her with enough money to live comfortably. After the war, Julia returned to Virginia. Her remaining years were somewhat sad; for instance, daughter Julia died in childbirth in 1871. Mrs. Ex-President Tyler herself died in Richmond on July 10, 1889, at age 69.
Sources:
1) Barzman, Sol. The First Ladies. p. 92-100. New York: Cowles Book Company, Inc., 1970.
2) Harris, Bill. The First Ladies Fact Book. p. 163-71. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc., 2005.
