Not a great deal is known about the childhood of John Tyler. He grew up on a plantation in Virginia where his mother, Mary Armistead, died when he was only seven years old. His father, John Sr., was a huge supporter of not only the American Revolution but also of Thomas Jefferson. He also believed strongly in states' rights and did not support the ratification of the Constitution because he felt that it gave the federal government too much power.

When John Tyler was twelve, he entered the College of William and Mary Preparatory School. He continued his studies there and graduated from the upper college in 1807. He was a good student, especially in economics. After graduation, he studied law under his father and later under Edmund Randolph, the first U.S. attorney general. In 1809, he was admitted to the Virginia bar.