15. John Tyler – IQ score: 136.2
John Tyler, America’s 10th president (1841–1845), began as a successful lawyer whose clients propelled him into politics. He made history as the first vice president to assume the presidency without election after William Henry Harrison’s death. Nicknamed “His Accidency,” Tyler clashed with his own Whig Party, vetoing their bills and prompting most of his Cabinet to resign. He was eventually expelled from the party.
A firm believer in manifest destiny, Tyler championed America’s westward expansion. However, his legacy is tarnished by the use of slave labor to push the nation’s boundaries. Over time, both Tyler and the darker aspects of manifest destiny faded from public memory, leaving a complicated chapter in U.S. history.
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