A Most Insignificant Office: A History of the US Vice Presidency

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

I misstated the year of Warren G. Harding's death, which came in 1923. I apologize for the error. Of course I expected that this topic would spark discussion of current politics. Obviously I stopped at 1967 because I don't prefer to engage in current politics. For those of you who choose to, your comments are appreciated, but please keep the discussion civil.

[@mojomba]

Anything after 1967 is current politics? 🙂

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

@@mojomba anything after 1967 is the office after the 25th Amendment. That was a good dividing line, as the office was much transformed. As I mentioned in the conclusion, there is a lot to the history of the Vice Presidency after 1967. Some of that will likely be covered in further episodes.

[@mikey-wl2jt]

​@@mojombain many, many ways, yes

[@lukevaxhacker7762]

@@TheHistoryGuyChannel An episode on the implementation of the 25th might be a more clear episode.

[@tygrkhat4087]

As the role of the US in world affairs increased over the decades; Presidents began to include their VPs in the running of the nation; it kept them in the loop in case of the worst; the VP is an envoy to other nations; and is now given responsibilities making it another person in the cabinet. The first President I remember doing that was Carter with Mondale.

[@JesseOaks-ef9xn]

I remember a joke about the vice presidency, "Two brothers, one went to sea and the other became vice president, neither of them were heard from after that."

[@michaelshort7472]

I heard that that story was told by Vice President Alben Barkley, he himself being the answer to a trivia question.

[@jonesjack6088]

That was one of 4 jokes my grandfather knew and he got it from his father. Been around awhile

[@kingjmes987]

Oh

[@michaelsergejhelgesson1637]

Didn't Hubert Humphrey tell that joke?!

[@Official.Prez.Graves]

@@michaelshort7472it was actually Thomas R. Marshall

[@orbyfan]

Those of us of a certain age will remember that August 9--two days after the posting of this video--will mark 50 years since Gerald Ford succeeded Richard Nixon--a former V.P.--as President, becoming the first, and so far, only person to hold both offices without being elected to either. Concerns about the importance of the vice presidency increased when President Eisenhower suffered a heart attack in 1955, and Nixon became more visible during the President's recovery.

[@airstreamer]

Yes! Crazy stuff!

[@StevenDietrich-k2w]

Technically didn't Gerald Ford succeed Spiro Agnew (who succeeded Nixon). Agnew wasn't as big a crook as LBJ, but was a lot dumber, and got caught, leading to his resignation.

[@orbyfan]

@@StevenDietrich-k2w Ford succeeded Agnew as Vice President and then succeeded Nixon as President.

[@markloveless1001]

1962 - "you don't have Nixon to kick around any more, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference." Or not.

[@goodun2974]

@@StevenDietrich-k2w , what, pray tell, makes LBJ a "big crook"? He did get us more deeply involved in the Vietnam War (JFK likely would have done same), and there were rumors that he cheated in an election in Texas , but I don't know of any financial malfeasance on his part, so what definition of "crook" are we referring to? Anyway, his civil rights legislation was a big bright spot in the checkered political history of America.

[@davidk7324]

It is remarkable that Truman was in office just 82 days upon FDR's death. He gained full knowledge of the Manhattan Project on April 25 and learned that Trinity was planned for July. He moved up the scheduled detonation by several days so it would occur just before Potsdam.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

He had not been in the loop at all. It is really rather impressive how quickly he rose to the occasion.

[@mikenixon2401]

Agreed. Truman proved how rapidly on the job training can work even in the most difficult of circumstances.

[@StevenDietrich-k2w]

Truman was grossly underrated when discussing greatest US Presidents. The man came into an unsettled situation and had difficult choices during his presidency.

[@davidk7324]

@@StevenDietrich-k2w I concur. Decisions about the bombs, surrender/rebuilding of Japan, signed the Marshall Plan legislation, proposed a universal national healthcare plan, issued Executive Order 9981 (desegregating the US military), dealt with a post war recession, and then there's that little matter of Korea. All within the context of Cold War intrigues and frequent popularity challenges.

[@MightyMezzo]

Prior to his nomination for Vice President, Truman chaired a Senate committee investigating allegations of waste and fraud in defense industries. He came across a reference to the project in a document and started investigating. Secretary of War Henry Stimson called Truman into his office and gave his personal assurance that it was a legitimate expenditure. And that was it until Truman became President.

[@donaldreynolds6857]

I think the Vice Presidency would be the best job ever! "Just call me if there's a tie in the Senate or the President dies. I'll just sit at home in my underwear playing video games and collecting my check."

[@jimmym3352]

So like most government workers now days.

[@Valpo2004]

I'm imagining you or me or someone like that being called up to be president and being asked by the press how prepared we are to lead the country and responding that we just got finished playing Civilization so we should be prepared. . . Then asking if there are any units of archers in the army still left that need to be upgraded to mechanized infantry.

[@ryancarter2959]

About sums it up

[@BillFlitcraft-fy6om]

To reinforce how little thought was given to a VP before the Cold War era, David McCollough in his book “Truman” notes that during those 82 days Truman was the VP he only met with him twice and discussed nothing of substance. Truman also had no knowledge of the Atomic bomb until shortly after he assumed the office of the President.

[@orbyfan]

In 2023, I tried to find records of visits by U.S. Vice Presidents to Canada, and was informed by a State Department historian that the department doesn't keep records of foreign travels by vice presidents. I don't know if Chester Arthur went across the border to visit relatives in Quebec during his brief time as V.P. in 1881-if he did, any such visits weren't recorded--but as far as I can tell, the first V.P. to visit Canada was Garret Hobart, who visited the Thousand Islands and Montreal on a pleasure trip in 1898. The first Vice President to make a state visit to Canada was Charles W. Fairbanks, who met the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) in Quebec City in 1908. I think the only V.P. to travel across Canada was Calvin Coolidge, who concluded a Pacific Coast trip in August 1922 with a brief stop in Victoria before taking the ferry to Vancouver, spending a day there, and then travelling by train across the country. They spent a day or two in Banff and Lake Louise, followed by brief train stops in Calgary and Winnipeg before finally arriving in Montreal.

[@thomasrengel5577]

It used to be thought that a POTUS could not leave the country during his term in office and perhaps Veeps were under the same. I read an amusing note how a 19th century Executive waited patiently on the NY side of the Niagara while the rest of his group dined at a hotel on the Canadian side. TR was the first POTUS to go outside the US in office but he was en route to a US possession.

[@dr.plutonus1496]

I think you might mean the future George V; Edward VII was already King in 1908. The future Edward VIII was 14 in 1908 & didn't become Prince of Wales until 1910, when his father relinquished the title on becoming King after Edward VII's death.

[@orbyfan]

@@dr.plutonus1496 You are correct; that's a sloppy mistake on my part.

[@jliller]

The Vice President should be (and should have always been) part of the President's cabinet. In other words, to serve in a significant advisory role, when not needed as president of the senate. In fact, by serving as president of the senate, the vice president might be in an especially good positive to advise the president on legislative matters. I can't help but think of all those times on Star Trek when Picard and Riker talked strategy and diplomacy. That kind of 'first officer' relationship is what the president and vice president SHOULD have. Treating the vice presidency like a political patronage office, as was so common in the 19th century and early 20th century, was a serious mistake.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

It is clear that there was little vision aa to what to do with the position when the Constitution was written. Mostly the position has involved campaigning, which was not even considered in 1789.

[@oldsguy354]

I think a great example of Vice Presidential politicking on behalf of The President is Richard Nixon during the Eisenhower administration. He was instrumental in securing nearly 100% Republican support for Eisenhower's Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960, both of which went up against his extreme Democrat resistance and were subsequently gutted by Democrats lead by Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson. Nixon (as President of The Senate) proclaimed the passage of the toothless version of Eisenhower's (the actual author) legislation) as "the saddest day in Senate history. The enforcement provisions of those Acts were not reinstated and codified until Johnson (as President) finally came around and chose to battle fellow Democrats and get the legislation passed in 1964 and 1968. All of the Civil rights acts enjoyed overwhelming Republican support thanks to (in no small part) the efforts of Eisenhower and Nixon.

[@YoYo-gt5iq]

This was what happened with Charles curtis. He'd been Senate majority leader before vice president and Herbert Hoover saw that he was of too much value not to use.

[@calvinhobbes6118]

It still is a patronage office. Just look at the last 3 of them weve had.

[@callanadamwilliams8200]

The Phillipines has an interesting variation of the Vice Presidency. The Vice President is elected seprately from the President and is a cabinet member. In fact they are the only member of Cabinet that does not need to be confirmed so they are normally given an important cabinet post like Secretary of State, Agriculture or education. It makes more sense to me, actually giving them a signicant cabinet post. Or you just use the French system where there is no Vice President and the President of the Senate becomes acting president until another election

[@RetiredSailor60]

Happy Hump Day History Guy and everyone watching...

[@robertbenson9797]

Very interesting episode about a subject that no one thinks about until there is a crises. I was in 6th grade when JFK was killed. My 7th grade American History teacher , the next year, was quick to point out that we were living in a very unusual time period of history-no Vice-President. He also was quick to point out the order of succession. John McCormack was Speaker of the House and next in the line of succession during the remaining years of Kennedy’s term. As a 13 year old student, I thought John McCormack was OLD. It bothered me that such an old person could be President. Having lived through two periods of American history without a Vice-President, makes my generation somewhat unusual. That situation will never happen again. Thanks again for a very interesting episode.

[@YoYo-gt5iq]

Charles Curtis was the first vice president to be formally invited to attend cabinet meetings. He frequently acted as Herbert Hoover's social proxy, such as at the US Olympics in Los Angeles in 1932

[@troyvanwingen6283]

I was surprised to see no mention of Calhoun. He was the only sitting vice president to run as the vp nominee for the challenger. Then he was the first vp to resign and the only one to resign and then take different position in Washington. Maybe he’s worth a video of his own? When he his remembered his abhorrent views on slavery is often the main focus, but I think his political career is bananas.

[@DR-id9gs]

Fascinating history and great commentary. Thank you

[@notahotshot]

The fact that anyone ever thought that an individual not constitutionally qualified for the office of the presidency was acceptable for the office of the vice presidency is absolutely astonishing to me.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

I don’t know that anyone actually considered that. With the original process, you would have had to coordinate to give a person not meeting the qualifications the Vice Presidency, and I think the founders didn’t think that anyone would do that. It is clear that by the passage of the twelfth amendment that their assessment of what a politician might do had become more jaded.

[@greggweber9967]

It becomes an incentive to permanently dispose of the President of the other party so that your VPOTUS will become POTUS. IMHO, not good.

[@notahotshot]

​@@TheHistoryGuyChannelI have no doubt the founders did not consider that possibility, otherwise they would have made it clear. Although it' seems they did not really give much thought to the role of the vice president,.

[@nomadmarauder-dw9re]

Lots of veeps seem to be selected via the notion of if I'm killed, you get THIS guy. 😂

[@alexsis1778]

@@notahotshot Agreed. It really just seemed like they were more concerned with succession if something should happen to the President. What said successor was supposed to do while waiting wasn't considered at all.

[@airstreamer]

Wow. This was fascinating! I learned a lot in this video. Thank you for all the research and time you put into these presentations. - Michelle

[@MightyMezzo]

I recall that obituaries for Walter Mondale said that he marked the transition of the office of Vice President from “placeholder” to “trusted senior advisor”.

[@ericveneto1593]

Yup, I’ve heard him credited as the 1st “modern” VP.

[@bruni2711]

Outstanding as always. Well done!

[@aarondemiri486]

Poor John Adams to get saddled with such a at the time restrictive and powerless office.

[@johnmonkey1874]

Awww. RIP Tony Horwitz. Nice that History Guy mentions Tony. I Loved his books. I've always felt guilt about Tony. He passed away from a heart attack about 3 or 4 years ago. His most notable book is Confederates in the Attic, which is a fantastic read. I had tweeted to him about a week before he died and he replied to me. I've always felt a lot of guilt because I mentioned how I loved reading about one of his friends, who was heavily featured in the book. In his reply, Tony mentioned that his friend had died; he sounded bitter in that reply and I was never able to respond before Tony also and ironically passed away himself.

[@jeremy28135]

“His Rotundity” 😂

[@EcclesiastesLiker-py5ts]

O

[@ANDREWWILKINSON-kl4um]

At least Charles Dawes can claim that he co-wrote a number one hit: "It's All in the Game" used his "Melody in A Major" and top the charts for Tommy Edwards in1958.

[@j10001]

Outstanding video! Thank you

[@frankgulla2335]

What a great summary of the status of vice president in the USA. Th ank you, THG

[@billstieh3193]

Should we have age Limits on the Presidency?

[@jliller]

Yes. If you can collect Social Security you're too old to hold any elected office.

[@LarcR]

The President has to be at least 35. Twice that age should be the oldest for anybody to be sworn in for a full term.

[@jimmym3352]

I'd rather some sort of competency test. Bernie Sanders is the reason why age limits are not a one size fits all thing. Some men can still be quite sharp into their 80's. Others cannot.

[@jliller]

@@jimmym3352 Older people who are healthy and mentally sharp can still serve through appointed positions or other non-elected roles.

[@bonghunezhou5051]

Maybe a competency test..... Certainly a criminal record disqualifier, i.e. no person...convicted of 1 or more FELONIES ~

[@angusmcmahan5437]

I'm liking the 'cuff link conclusions' in recent videos!

[@orbyfan]

Thomas Marshall was famous for saying, "What this country needs is a really good five-cent cigar." He survived an assassination attempt in 1915 when a bomb placed near his office by a German-American professor and spy named Eric Muenter exploded at midnight, when no one was around. The story goes that when Lyndon Johnson was mulling over whether to accept the Democratic Party's vice presidential nomination in 1960, his Republican opposition leader, William Knowland of California, told him about another Sen. Johnson--Hiram, from California--who had unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination in 1920. Hiram Johnson declined the vice presidential nomination, a decision he ended up regretting when Warren G. Harding died less than 2½ years into his presidency. That conversation may have influenced LBJ's decision to accept John F. Kennedy's offer. Theo Aronsen, in his book "Spiro Agnew's America" (1972), said that Agnew ran for Governor of Maryland in 1966 because he didn't believe he would be re-elected Baltimore County Executive, and accepted the Republican vice presidential nomination in 1968 because he didn't believe he would be re-elected Governor.

[@orbyfan]

When "Sunny Jim" Sherman died of Bright's disease on October 30, 1912, six days before the election, Columbia University President Nicholas Murray Butler was designated to receive Sherman's electoral votes--all 8 of them, as it turned out. Sherman was the first Vice President to fly in a plane and the first to throw out the first ball at a baseball game--presumably not at the same time.

[@shawnr771]

Thank you for the lesson.

[@ricksaint2000]

Thank you History Guy

[@jec1ny]

It is generally agreed that there was no constitutional provision for filling a vacancy in the office of vice-president prior to the 25th amendment. Hence all the "no replacements." When Spiro Agnew resigned, it was the first time a sitting president could nominate a replacement when the vice-presidency had become vacant. Nixon chose Gerald Ford. When Ford became president, the first, and to date only man never elected as either president or vice-president, he nominated Nelson Rockefeller as his Veep. The issue has not come up since. However there has been a line of succession beyond the vice-presidency established since the first Presidential Succession Act of 1792.

[@guyh.4553]

One of your better videos HG. I learned a lot from this one! 😊😊😊

[@CheshireTomcat68]

Putting the word Vice anywhere near a politician is never going to end well.

[@BasicDrumming]

I appreciate you and thank you for making content.

[@mikeks8181]

WOW !!! So many Questions an such a short time to ask. I'll keep This Quick And Hopefully The Al- Gore Rhythm will pick This Up! VERY INFORMATIVE!

[@jonqualey2204]

Interesting video. I never knew any of this about the vice-presidents of the past. I guess it is true that no one pays much attention to them.

[@thomasmacdiarmid8251]

Since you mentioned VP, later President, John Tyler, I thought I would bring up one of my favorite bits of trivia. John Tyler has a living grandchild, Harrison Ruffin Tyler. No 'greats' needed her. John Tyler, president for part of the 1840s, had a very late marriage - not uncommon then, especially for a wealthy man - who bore him a son. That son also had children born rather late in his life, including Harrison, born in 1928. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Ruffin_Tyler

[@devjaxvid]

Excellent episode!

[@markloveless1001]

Tee hee. Hearing about Daniel D. Thomkins' character makes his mention by Kris Kringle in ''Miracle on 34th Street' all the funnier.

[@martinbaumgardner4432]

I'm a Kentuckian and had never occurred to me that Monroe County in South Central Ky, has a County seat of Tompkinsville thought you might find that interesting

[@markloveless1001]

@@martinbaumgardner4432 Wow. That is seriously cool.

[@michaelbatson1879]

Mark Hanna, William Mckinley's close friend and campaign manager said of Teddy: "I told Bill (McKinley) it was a mistake to nominate that wild man in Philadelphia. Now that damn Cowboy is President of the United States."

[@PhilipDeLong]

Tom Platt, boss of the New York machine, needed to kick a reformist governor upstairs. It made sense at the time...

[@GunnH74]

Probably about time to get an upper age limit for the presidency as well..

[@blackbuttecruizr]

That will take a constitutional amendment, which will require 3/4 of the states to confirm. Likelihood of 3/4 of the states agreeing on anything is slim to none.

[@mattt233]

Good luck getting that or any Amendment passed.

[@michaelbread5906]

Create a standardized cognitive test for all people running for office.

[@coyotehater]

The age limit is 65 for airline pilots, it’s 64 for officers in the military. Most contracts with CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies have an age limit of mid 60’s written in. Political offices & judgeships should definitely have the same restrictions. But as said, good luck with that!

[@charlesdudek7713]

Add in background checks , drug testing and an IQ test. And if they don't uphold the Constitution they should be impeached.

[@kellybasham3113]

Love your videos

[@edschermerhorn5415]

The politics inside the Republican Party leading to Theodore Roosevelt’s nomination, I think is one of the most ironic moments in party politics. One of our greatest Presidents (IMHO), occurred because party activists wanted to isolate a “rising star” where he could do nothing.

[@virginiacentral]

Once upon a time there were two brothers. One went off to war; the other became Vice-president of the United States. Neither of them was ever heard from again.

[@donalddodson7365]

Excellent & timely topic this week! Maybe my defining quote in my Obituary will be, "Vice Presidential Candidates DO matter." Thank you THG Team.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Thank you!

[@John-g6x1h]

I would think that given the fragility and unpredictability of life, choice of the Vice President would be of paramount importance, and anyone in that position would want to stay as close to what was going on as possible, so as not to be unfamiliar with a job that could be suddenly dumped on you at any minute.

[@EmpressMermaid]

The Vice President is insignificant.....until the become EXTREMELY important, which has happened 15 times.

[@aeverl0]

I am so glad you did this. I’m not in either political camp. But when I hear people say the VP has been in office for years and has done nothing. It annoy me. The VP literally does nothing. Unless needed to replace the president or vote to break a tie .

[@patmancrowley8509]

Fascinating!

[@stephencummings2975]

A tie in the Senate is plausible and a very Important tie to break..

[@TM-ev2tc]

You should think about doing a video some time on Julia Chinn. Vice president Richard Johnson's wife maybe even one on Sally Hemings.

[@dr.plutonus1496]

I always learn something from your videos. I now know that Shuyler is pronounced 'Skyler' - I've been saying it wrong all these years! What I've still never fathomed is how the idea of a Vice President came to the Founding Fathers in the first place. It didn't exist anywhere in Europe at the time - hardly surprising, since the continent was monarchical. To this day France (which also has a directly-elected president) has no office of Vice President. So whose idea was it in Philadelphia in 1787, & why? 🤔

[@t.d.c.channel]

Interesting note about Johnson as Van Buren’s VP: he is the only person decided by the Senate voting on Vice President in the 1837 contingent election.

[@carldamacion3740]

Great episode, is there going to be a part two?

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

@@carldamacion3740 possibly.

[@DoctorEw220]

What happens if there is a tie in the senate, and the vice-presidency is vacant?

[@JeffreyGlover65]

They hold a raffle...😎

[@njpaddler]

Pro-temp is decider, isn't it ?

[@DoctorEw220]

While they can choose someone from outside the Senate, it has never been done, and they can not cast a tie-breaking vote.

[@kimsmoke17]

Table the motion?

[@ragsdalerandy]

@@DoctorEw220 Ties in the Senate result in the defeat of the measure.

[@paramounttechnicalconsulti5219]

One of the great nicknames - Taylor was called "His Accidentcy"

[@jliller]

Tyler's accidency crippled the Whig party. A reminder that the enemy of your enemy is not necessarily your friend. See also Andrew Johnson.

[@RayTheomo]

"Shes been there for 3 years. Why hasnt she done anything yet?" 😂

[@howtubeable]

Every citizen with critical thinking skills has been asking the same question. She has allegedly worked closely with Biden for over 3 years, yet there's nothing to show for it.

[@RayTheomo]

@@howtubeable every citizen who passed 10 grade history knows what the vp is actually capable of doing. writing laws is not one of them.

[@jenniferhorton6965]

I liked your cuff links.

[@greatsilentwatcher]

I find it interesting how many men serving as the Vice President of the Untied States are generally not know by the general public. That it appears to be true even into our modern era.

[@ragsdalerandy]

Legally, until the 25th amendment, there wasn't a mechanism to replace the Vice President when the office fell vacant

[@ragsdalerandy]

I might add that the Tyler precedent was established when, at the suggestion of Chief judge William Cranch of the DC Circuit, he took the presidential oath instead of relying on his oath as Vice President.

[@jliller]

Our brilliant Founding Fathers, whose wisdom exceeds all in the two centuries after them, created a position with no legal mechanism to fill a vacancy in said office? Inconceivable! /s

[@goodun2974]

​@@jliller, " Even the wisest cannot see all ends". Gandalf, Lord of the Rings. The founding fathers were educated men, but like all human beings they had blind spots ---- And they were also limited to those things that everyone could agree on sufficiently to draft the document and sign it. They did leave us a mechanism by which the Constitution could be amended and changed but it's such a heavy political lift that it's virtually impossible nowadays, with a closely divided government and voting populace. The Electoral College has become the world's worst "consolation prize", but as long as one party finds itself winning elections only by "virtue" of it we will never have sufficient Congressional and State legislature votes to remove it from the Constitution. The best hope might be the national popular vote interstate compact, aka the NPVIC, which currently is comprised of states totaling 206 electoral college votes. Should more states sign on to it once they reach 270 votes never again will a presidential candidate become President without winning the popular vote. It's done on a state-by-state level which means it should be able to do survive court challenges.

[@omarrp14]

I think Truman not having a vice president for so long is the biggest surprise. You’d think he’d just risk the legal consequences and at the same time playing it safe by selecting someone like a governor who already has a LT Gov as a back up. A more risky choice would be a sitting congressman or even someone who recently lost a race.

[@leggonarm9835]

John Nance Garner was from Uvalde too, so am I. Weird its so know for such a small place.

[@tizfrreecharm]

Never disappoints

[@rogergoodman8665]

When I was around 8 or 9 I asked my dad what the Vice President did.....he said nothing other than emptying the trash cans, sweeping up and turning off the lights!!!!!

[@BogeyTheBear]

Aboard a warship in the heat of battle, the executive officer manages the ship while the commanding officer runs the battle. The captain's priority is the big picture at the plotting board while the first officer does everything they can to give the captain a ship to fight with.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

@@BogeyTheBear the Constitution doesn’t define the VP as anything like an executive officer.

[@sesapup]

Ah yes, William King, namesake for King County (Seattle and environs) in Washington. Don't worry, it's been renamed King County, after MLK, Jr. Pierce County (Tacoma) was named after the President because the RR terminus was slated for there and everyone thought it would be the most prominent city in the territory.

[@markloveless1001]

Minor pedantic note: Gerry pronounced his name with a hard 'g'. It should be Garymandering, but that doesn't flow off the tongue so well.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

That is an arcane argument, but there is a clearly accepted common pronunciation.

[@markloveless1001]

@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Hey Lance, I said 'pedantic' :)

[@markloveless1001]

@@TheHistoryGuyChannel As penance for my unintended offense, I am now a Patron. Please accept my apologies. You're the best.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

@@markloveless1001 I took no offense- you presented the argument without being insulting. But I do thank you for your Patronage.

[@andrewmattson3299]

well done as always,really the whole office should be essentially per diem.The security and the expenses involved are a waste.Also,the Naval observatory should be reinstated as the quarters for the CNO.The situation now is :where is the President?

[@jimbob3332]

And here I thought Regan was the only acting president. (Trump too if you count a cameo in Home Alone 2)

[@michaelshort7472]

I know it's nitpicky, but Henry Wallace was Secretary of Agriculture before he was Vice President. He was Secretary of Commerce AFTER he left the Vice Presidential office. He's buried in Des Moines just a few miles from where I live.

[@michaelshort7472]

Excellent episode, as nearly all of them are. Thanks!

[@RamblinRick_]

Thanks to the office of Vice President, a person can serve more than two terms as President, regardless of the 22nd Amendment. How so, you ask? Assume a person has served two terms as President. He runs as Vice President with a Presidential running mate. On 20 January, after the President is sworn in, the President immediately resigns, and the Vice President becomes President for a third term. Repeat this as often as necessary for multiple terms.

[@ifindmetal]

Take every single History teacher I had throughout school combined and they fail miserably compared to what I learn from you ,

[@n8hsu255]

Spiro T. Agnew was the first and only Vice-President to resign half a century ago. He's long since dead, so, hardly current politics. Why wasn't that history worth remembering? The young people may not know about it since it had nothing to do with Watergate.

[@glencrandall7051]

Most interesting.🙂🙂

[@fatviscount6562]

I think you skipped George Clinton and John C Calhoun, who served as VP of multiple presidents.

[@kevinobrien2311]

"Harding died in 1929!??" -- OOPS!

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Good catch. I apologized for the error.

[@nrkgalt]

There was a cartoon about the Clinton Administration’s plan to streamline government. It showed the head of the effort, Vice President Al Gore, presenting Clinton a list of nonessential government positions that could be eliminated. Clinton then said, “Thanks a lot, Al. We’re gonna miss you.”

[@jamesdavis5096]

When are you going to do an episode about Tartaria? How about that art museum tartarian building in forest park.

[@MrLesonfireforGod]

Interesting, I was always had the understanding that the VP was in the Senate daily and reported its activities to the President, thus forming a position similar in a way to the Prime Minister reporting to the Monarch in the British Parliamentary system. The monarch of course is represented in the countries like Canada by the Governor General.

[@ragsdalerandy]

Vice presidents or even presidents pro tem only preside over the Senate when a tie is likely or for swearing in senators. The pro tem appoints junior senators to preside to learn the rules. Ted Kennedy was presiding when his brother was killed. When presidents are on trial the chief justice presides

[@georgesouthwick7000]

A family had 2 sons. One ran away and joined the circus, one became Vice President of the United States and neither one was heard from again.

[@flkoolguy]

Once the current political theater of 2024 elections are over, you should make a part 2 of this video.

[@paulc7590]

I won't mention names, but some of our recent vice presidents have done so little they should be paying rent to inhabit the vice president's residence.

[@markpclark1]

The office of the Vice President seems like the least substantial and most unsexy issue the framers faced. But I think it’s been an incredibly stabilizing institution in our republican (little-r) system. And extremely underrated. When you read about ancient republics (even some medieval societies) you can see the succession problem is paramount. Rome fought a dozen (probably more) civil wars because of competing claims on power. There just simply wasn’t an agreed-upon answer to “if something happens to the big guy, who’s in charge?” The constitutionally defined answer of “Oh, there’s a guy for that, but he’s gonna be really bored most of the time” is a massive advancement for everyone. Not the perfect answer, but less bad than many others.

[@flotsamike]

Kind of wish this would have continued so that we would have heard the story about Gerald R Ford. The vice president that replaced the vice president and then became president. Our only appointed president.

[@TVandManga]

Interesting!

[@JohnBerry-q1h]

I sometimes think that the only novel invention that came from the United States, across the entire 19th century, was the continual refinement and evolution of our American form of government. Across the entire 19th century, the USA was producing primarily lawyers, soldiers, and politicians. Meanwhile, over in Europe, serious mathematics was being developed, along with the elucidation of Thermodynamics and the simultaneous evolution of the Steam Engine. Indeed, across the entire 19th century, America had only one invention (a constitution-based, representative democracy), while Europe cranked out important mathematical methods and novel electrical circuits. About the only exception, across that time period in the USA, would be Colt's various firearms and the related ammunition/patents. Can anyone think of any noteworthy exceptions that occurred during the 19th century, here in the USA?

[@mr.petesstorytime]

Wow! I hardly know where to begin. 😉 Let me help you. Off the top of my head: Steam-powered boat Ocean-going steamship. McCormick reaper Early refrigerator Telegraph Telephone Phonograph Light Bulb Motion picture camera and projector Vulcanized rubber Sewing machine Safety Pin Paper clip Pullman sleeping car Westinghouse air brake Traffic light Barbed wire Roll format camera film Coca-Cola Alternating current electric motor Escalator Zipper Vacuum cleaner (portable) And note that almost every one of these inventions is still in widespread use in the 21st century, so they have had lasting impact on the world.

[@JohnBerry-q1h]

@@mr.petesstorytime I can come up with counter claims regarding many of your offered examples. Many of your cited examples are actually innovations (as opposed to inventions) that employ a combination of inventions that originated over in Europe. Regarding your cited electrical inventions, many of those were either simultaneously or already invented over in Europe. I will definitely give you credit for the Westinghouse Air Brake, however, the discovery of the underlying principle of the brake goes all the way back to the ancient Greeks. The invention of the early refrigerator, in fact, is credited to William Cullen, a Scottish physician, in the year 1748, who was teaching over in Scotland, at the time.

[@kali3665]

My High School history teacher told us all (jokingly?) that the Vice President has only TWO duties under the Constitution: 1) Break a tie in the Senate (but the Senate can take a majority vote to remove him from the Chamber); and 2) Ask the President every morning, "How are you feeling today, Mr President?" 🤣🤣 What always amazed me was that it took so long in American history to actually FIND something for the Vice President to do. But during Quayle's Vice Presidency, Congress gave the Vice Presidency a raise higher in percentage than the Presidency ever received! How fascinating to get an incredible raise for virtually doing nothing! Of course, times have changed, and the Vice President is now a valuable part of the Executive Branch. But they still can't figure out what the President of the Senate should actually do.... /snerk

[@SER540x]

Correction @ 15:41...Harding died in 1923...not 1929

[@leightonolsson4846]

The vagueness/unpreparedness/lack of specification in certain parts of the constitution is exactly what makes (amongst other things....) groups like The Heritage Foundation so dangerously naïve and frankly not in the spirit of the constitution which was produced in the enlightenment.

[@rjust2297]

I kind of looked it up and I didn't find any answer. I heard one time that the postmaster general. How much forgot the general part? is like fourth in line for the presidency in an emergency situation 🤨 is that true?

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

The Postmaster General was a member of the cabinet until 1970, and so was in the line of succession behind the Attorney general. When the post office was made an independent agency in 1970, the position was no longer a part of the cabinet and the postmaster general is no longer in the line of succession for the president.

[@buildinganewworld2682]

I feel like theres more to talk about after. Part two??

[@jimmyyu2184]

(Hi)story have it, that Teddy got the VP nod on the ticket, because people in the party wanted to get rid of him and shove him into the (most) obscure place... Little did they know.

[@ScottMyersOfTheEarth]

I have the impression that the president, himself, wasn't quite as important as we think of him today, either. Reading biographies of older presidents, they spent a lot of time being sick, busy, lost in the woods, and otherwise not really working hard every day. I'm amazed at how much time Andrew Jackson spent, seemingly wallowing in bed! Of course the modern age has put a lot more pressure on the president. The 24-hour news cycle, the Cold War, the concept of super-power nations, all these have made the president's actions more important. So, if the president was ill fFor a couple weeks, it didn't really matter whether the vice-president was able to take up the job: the president will be back, no big deal.

[@shanekilpatrick3378]

Even now. To many issues are not resolved. Who commands the military in the President’s absence. Clear line of succession as far as I understand is; Vice President, House Speaker, President pro tem of the Senate, then Cabinet members, starting with Secretary of State.

[@DavidKutzler]

Two brothers set out to seek their fortune. One was elected Vice President and the other went to sea. Neither man was ever heard from again.

[@TCizauskas]

8:26 The word "gerrymandering" may be pronounced with a soft 'g' (like "giraffe") but Elbridge Gerry -the man whose name gave us the word- pronounced his name with a hard 'g' (like "gear"). Accuracy in history, no matter how inconsequential, matters!

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Quibbles over pronunciation have nothing to do with historical accuracy.

[@TCizauskas]

@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Uhh, I watch and appreciate your channel but your comment is unbecoming of a historian. If you are cavalier about something so simple as researching a historical person's name, what other inaccuracies might you glibly gloss over? Frankly, I'm shocked that you would claim that.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

@@TCizauskas I am truly sorry if you took offense. But your comment is not about historical accuracy, it is about an arcane quibble that is inconsistent with the commonly used pronunciation of the word. And yes, it offends me that you impugn my research with such a complaint.

[@TCizauskas]

@@TheHistoryGuyChannel I am truly sorry that you took offense to such an inconsequential measure. And, yes, it offends me that you would double down on comments about me while refusing to correct a simple error.

[@notahotshot]

​@@TCizauskas "Accuracy in history, no matter how inconsequential, matters!" By definition, if something is inconsequential, it does not matter. adjective in·con·se·quen·tial | \ (ˌ)in-ˌkän(t)-sə-ˈkwen(t)-shəl \ Definition 1: of no significance : unimportant 2a: irrelevant b: illogical

[@greggweber9967]

"One shall not be": Does that mean that the other can be, or neither can be?

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Yes, electors may vote for one, but not two, people from their home state,

[@mikesands4681]

Why didnt you cover Ford taking the presidency?

[@johnmichaelcule8423]

You say several times that a President didn't replace his deceased VP. But there was no law permitting this until the 25th Amendment.

[@dknapp64]

I love your videos, but for the early vice presidents, you should have been more explicit in saying that there was no process by which to replace a vice president if it became vacant.

[@theidahotraveler]

Good morning Lance