Letitia Christian Tyler | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 1842 | |
| 12th First Lady of the United States | |
| In role April 4, 1841 – September 10, 1842 | |
| President | John Tyler |
| Preceded by |
|
| Succeeded by | Priscilla Tyler (acting) |
| Second Lady of the United States | |
| In role March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841 | |
| Vice President | John Tyler |
| Preceded by | Floride Calhoun |
| Succeeded by | Sophia Dallas |
| First Lady of Virginia | |
| In role December 10, 1825 – March 4, 1827 | |
| Governor | John Tyler |
| Preceded by | Susanna Lawson Pleasants |
| Succeeded by | Frances Ann Gwynn Giles |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Letitia Christian November 12, 1790 Providence Forge, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | September 10, 1842 (aged 51) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Cedar Grove Plantation Cemetery, New Kent County, Virginia |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 9, including Robert and Letitia |
Letitia Christian Tyler (née Christian; November 12, 1790 – September 10, 1842) was the twelfth first lady of the United States from 1841 to 1842 as the first wife of President John Tyler. After meeting in 1808, the two married in 1813. She managed their plantation in Virginia while her husband progressed his political career at the state capital and in Washington, D.C., accompanying him only while he was governor of Virginia. She had a stroke in 1839 that left her permanently disabled.
Tyler became the second lady of the United States when her husband became vice president of the United States in 1841, and she became the first lady when President William Henry Harrison died the following month and her husband ascended to the presidency. Tyler was unable to perform the duties of first lady due to her health, delegating them to her daughter-in-law Priscilla Cooper Tyler. She died of a second stroke in 1842, becoming the first person to die while serving as first lady of the United States. Tyler played virtually no role in her husband's presidency, but maintained a positive reputation among the American people.