Just by looking at the function: $$y(t) = \tan(t)+t$$ I can immediately see that there is a root at $t=0$, though after graphing it I can see many more roots and I can calculate them using computer aided programs; i.e. the next root is at $t=2.0288$.
What I want to know is: what methods I can use to solve this second, third.... $n$th root with only a scientific calculator.
Newton's method will usually converge more quickly, but the following is conceptually simpler and converges reasonably quickly, too.
If $\tan(t)+t=0$, then $t=-\tan^{-1}(t)$. However, $\tan^{-1}(t)$ does not give all the angles whose tangent is $t$; we also have $t=k\pi-\tan^{-1}(t)$.
Since $\left|\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t}\left(k\pi-\tan^{-1}(t)\right)\right|=\left|-\frac1{1+t^2}\right|\lt1$, for $t\ne0$, iterating $$ t_{n+1}=k\pi-\tan^{-1}(t_n) $$ will converge to a $t$ so that $t=k\pi-\tan^{-1}(t)$. Different values of $k$ will result in different roots.
Ironically, since $\frac1{1+t^2}=1$ at $t=0$, the convergence is horribly slow for $k=0$. However, for all other $k\ne0$, the convergence is fast.
Example: $k=1$
$ 0\\ 3.1415926535897932385\\ 1.8789653979108815550\\ 2.0598769463967624418\\ 2.0227491907172732544\\ 2.0299351569119332764\\ 2.0285278142735938783\\ 2.0288028051139481365\\ 2.0287490485391734838\\ 2.0287595562193554631\\ 2.0287575022708491895\\ 2.0287579037572144421\\ 2.0287578252784178117\\ 2.0287578406187164237\\ $
The error decreases by a factor of about $5$ each time since $\frac1{1+t^2}\approx\frac15$; therefore, we are getting about $0.7$ digits per iteration. for larger $k$, the convergence will be faster.
Example: $k=10$
$ 0\\ 31.415926535897932385\\ 29.876950453740738200\\ 29.878588336796730238\\ 29.878586504059023443\\ 29.878586506109684979\\ 29.878586506107390481\\ 29.878586506107393048\\ 29.878586506107393045\\ 29.878586506107393045\\ $
Since $\frac1{1+t^2}\approx\frac1{900}$, we get almost $3$ digits per iteration.