The President You Never Heard Of

President (?) Atchison’s Grave Marker, Plattsburg, Missouri

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President David Rice Atchison.

“David Rice who?”David Rice Atchison.

Well, maybe.

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It all started with the Presidential election of 1848.

President James K. Polk, had decided not to seek re-election.

His term was due to expire on March 4, 1849.

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The leading candidates in the 1848 election to replace Pres. Polk were:

Gen. Zachery Taylor, of the Whig party…

and…

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The leading candidates in the 1848 election to replace Pres. Polk were:

Lewis B. Cass, Democrat and

former governor of Michigan

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Gen Taylor won, and was scheduled to be sworn in as president on March 4, 1849.

Yay! I

won!Just one little problem…

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Gen Taylor won, and was scheduled to be sworn in as president on March 4, 1849.

Not on Sunda

y!Taylor was a very religious man, and refused to be sworn in on a Sunday.

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March 4, 1849, was a Sunday.

At midnight on Saturday, March 3rd, President Polk’s term expired.

President Taylor was sworn in at noon on Monday, March 5th.

So who was President on Sun, Mar 4th?

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Pres Polk’s term ended on Sat, Mar 3rd.Normally, when the office of President is vacant, the Vice Pres serves as President.President

Polk

The President You Never Heard Of

So who was President on Sun, Mar 4th?

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Vice Pres.Dallas

Polk’s vice president was a man named George Dallas.But his term expired on Sat, Mar 3rd, just like Polk’s did.Since he wasn’t Vice Pres on Sunday the 4th, he wasn’t President that day either.

The President You Never Heard Of

So who was President on Sun, Mar 4th?

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So who was President on Sun, Mar 4th?

President-Elect Taylor

Okay, how about the new incoming President?No, the Constitution requires the President to take a Oath of Office, and Taylor refused to do that until Mon, Mar 5th.

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So who was President on Sun, Mar 4th?

Next in line for the presidency after the Vice Pres (under the rules at the time) was President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

Guess who that was.

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So who was President on Sun, Mar 4th?

David Rice Atchison

That’s right:David Rice

Atchison.The Constitution does not require the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to take an Oath; he just becomes President.

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So it seems that for one day—Sunday, March 4, 1849—David Rice Atchison was President of the United States.Nothing much happened that day—President Atchison said he took a nap.

David Rice Atchison

Yawn.

The President You Never Heard Of

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The President You Never Heard Of

President (?) Atchison’s Grave Marker, Plattsburg, Missouri

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