John Tyler had a long career serving in both the state and federal legislatures. Two years after being admitted to the bar, he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates and served in that capacity from 1811 to 1816. He then moved into the U.S. House of Representatives where he served for six years, espousing states' rights and fighting against federal incursions on the Constitution.

Tyler disagreed wholeheartedly with the Missouri Compromise, which prohibited slavery north of 36 degrees 30 minutes latitude, excluding the Missouri Territory. Tyler believed that any restriction of slavery by the federal government was illegal. He resigned in 1821 when he did not see that he was making a difference and in 1823 went back to the Virginia House of Delegates.

Tyler served as the governor of Virginia from 1825 to 1827 before being elected as a U.S. senator for Virginia. He served two terms before resigning in 1836. He was elected president pro tempore of the Senate for a brief time. While the vice president is officially the head of the Senate, the president pro tempore takes over when he is not present.