xiv, 329 pages ; 24 cm

"Wearied by the hotly contested "Log Cabin and Hard Cider" campaign that unseated the Democratic incumbent, Martin Van Buren, Harrison succumbed to pneumonia after only one month in office, the first chief executive to die in the White House. His death precipitated a governmental crisis, which Vice President John Tyler promptly resolved--to the consternation of his Whig Party--by claiming the office and title of president, thus setting a precedent that only later was codified in the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution. Instead of the pliable Harrison, the Whigs confronted in Tyler a tenacious defender of presidential prerogative and a formidable foe of their plan to establish congressional supremacy over the executive branch. Threatened with impeachment, repeatedly exhorted to resign, banished from the Whig Party, abandoned by his cabinet, and burned in effigy, Tyler stood firm and maintained the integrity of the presidential office. Peterson argues that the Tyler administration deserves more credit than it has received for what was accomplished--and preserved--under difficult circumstances."--Publisher

Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-319) and index

The gropings of a growing nation -- "This discordant combination" -- The short month of Harrison's presidency -- The succession -- The special session -- The Whigs expel a president -- The trying summer of 1842 -- The peacemakers -- Pacific-mindedness -- The president, the cabinet, and the White House -- Moderation gone awry -- Texas: misinformation, rumors, and secrecy -- "Mr. Tyler's abominable treaty" -- "The apoplexy of the Constitution" -- A flawed presidency

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