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

The history, prior to the 1967 ratification of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, of what John Adams, the first man to hold the office, described as “the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived” deserves to be remembered.

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Script by THG

#history #thehistoryguy #Vicepresidents

[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.

[JesseOaks-efxn]

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."

[donaldreynolds]

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."

[davidk]

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.

[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.

[BillFlitcraft-fyom]

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.

[robertbenson]

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.

[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.

[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.

[RetiredSailor]

Happy Hump Day History Guy and everyone watching...

[YoYo-gtiq]

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

[troyvanwingen]

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.

[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”.

[DR-idgs]

Fascinating history and great commentary. Thank you

[aarondemiri]

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

[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

[billstieh]

Should we have age Limits on the Presidency?

[ANDREWWILKINSON-klum]

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.

[CheshireTomcat]

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