David Rice Atchison

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David Rice Atchison Atchison's signature

David Rice Atchison (born August 11, 1807 in Frogtown , Kentucky , † January 26, 1886 in Gower , Missouri ) was an American politician ( Democratic Party ) who represented the state of Missouri in the US Senate . He is sometimes referred to as the "eleven and a half" President of the United States .

Early years and political advancement

David Atchison attended Transylvania University in Lexington and then trained as a lawyer. After joining the bar, he began practicing in Liberty . He also worked as a farmer. His political career began in 1834 when he became a member of the Missouri House of Representatives , which he rejoined in 1838. He also served as a judge in the Platte County District Court in 1841 .

As the successor to the late Lewis F. Linn , he was appointed US Senator for Missouri and then elected for a separate term. He performed his mandate in Washington, DC from October 14, 1843 and held it until March 4, 1855. From 1846 to 1849 and from 1852 to 1854 he was President pro tempore of the Senate several times, and in this capacity he represented the Vice President when the latter did not chair the Senate.

President for a day?

Origin of the legend

David Rice Atchison's tombstone

It is alleged that Atchison was technically President of the United States for one day - Sunday, March 4, 1849. On that day, James K. Polk's tenure as president ended, but his successor Zachary Taylor was not yet installed because he refused to take the oath of office on a holy Sunday. Therefore, his Vice President Millard Fillmore has not yet been able to take office. Since the office must not be orphaned, Atchison bridged the gap of one day as acting president due to his function as President pro tempore of the Senate .

The facts

In fact, according to the rules governing the succession of the president at the time, the president took the place of the head of state pro tempore if the president and his vice-president were both absent. Not only did James K. Polk and Vice President George M. Dallas' terms expire at noon on March 4th, so did Atchison's term.

In addition, neither illness nor death prevented Taylor and Fillmore from assuming their offices. They were the chosen successors, so there was no power vacuum. And if Taylor wasn't president because he hadn't taken the oath of office , Atchison wasn't, for the same reason.

It could also be noted that Atchison took his oath of office ten minutes before Fillmore and Taylor and was theoretically president for that short time. But the Vice President has always sworn his oath of office before the President, which would also make him President for a few minutes.

Atchison's opinion

When Atchison was asked what he was doing on March 4, 1849, he allegedly replied, “I was in bed. The previous two or three days had been very exhausting with Senate theses, and I slept most of the time that Sunday. ”He laughed, claiming that his presidency was the most honest the country has ever had.

Web links

Commons : David Rice Atchison  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Complete List of Presidents Pro Tempore on senate.gov, accessed August 7, 2020
  2. ↑ a b c President For A Day on senate.gov, accessed August 7, 2020
  3. ↑ Presidential Succession on senate.gov retrieved August 7, 2020
  4. ↑ Grave of David Rice Atchison on Atlas Obscura, accessed August 7, 2020
personal data
SURNAME Atchison, David Rice
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH August 11, 1807
PLACE OF BIRTH Frogtown , Kentucky
DATE OF DEATH January 26, 1886
Place of death near Gower , Missouri