H.R. No. 1119
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, In 1995, Texas marks the 150th anniversary of its
    1-2  achievement of statehood, and the citizens of Tyler will hold town
    1-3  square celebrations commemorating the sesquicentennial and honoring
    1-4  former President John Tyler, who was instrumental in securing
    1-5  Texas' entry into the Union; and
    1-6        WHEREAS, Born on March 29, 1790, at Greenway in Charles City
    1-7  County, Virginia, President Tyler graduated from the College of
    1-8  William and Mary and studied law in the office of his father, who
    1-9  served three years as governor of Virginia and later as a United
   1-10  States district judge; and
   1-11        WHEREAS, The young Tyler began his career in public office in
   1-12  1811 as a member of the Virginia General Assembly and served
   1-13  several intermittent terms in that body over the next 30 years,
   1-14  punctuated by intervals as United States representative from 1817
   1-15  to 1821, as governor of Virginia from 1825 to 1827, and as United
   1-16  States senator from 1827 to 1836; and
   1-17        WHEREAS, Nominated by the Whig Party in 1836 as a vice
   1-18  presidential candidate on one of its sectional tickets, President
   1-19  Tyler gained lasting fame in 1840 as the running mate of Whig
   1-20  presidential candidate William Henry Harrison, producing the famous
   1-21  campaign slogan, "Tippecanoe and Tyler too"; and
   1-22        WHEREAS, Following President Harrison's death, one month into
   1-23  his administration, Vice President Tyler assumed the presidency and
   1-24  compiled an impressive record by ending the Seminole war in
    2-1  Florida, settling the Maine boundary dispute, extending the Monroe
    2-2  Doctrine to Hawaii, and opening the first American trade mission to
    2-3  China; and
    2-4        WHEREAS, President Tyler vigorously pursued the annexation of
    2-5  Texas, leading to congressional adoption of a joint resolution
    2-6  offering Texas statehood according to specified conditions on
    2-7  February 28, 1845; and
    2-8        WHEREAS, Adoption of the joint resolution by the United
    2-9  States Congress led to approval by the Texas Congress and by a
   2-10  convention called by the president of the republic; adoption of a
   2-11  state constitution followed and was accepted by the United States
   2-12  Congress on December 29, 1845, the date on which Texas legally
   2-13  achieved statehood; and
   2-14        WHEREAS, Although Tyler left the presidency before the formal
   2-15  culmination of his annexation efforts, Texans have always
   2-16  recognized his critically important role in that process, a memory
   2-17  attested to by the East Texas city that proudly bears his name;
   2-18  now, therefore, be it
   2-19        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   2-20  Legislature hereby honor the life of President John Tyler and his
   2-21  efforts and influence in behalf of Texas statehood; and, be it
   2-22  further
   2-23        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   2-24  prepared for the City of Tyler for its use in celebrating the 1995
   2-25  Texas statehood sesquicentennial.