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List of vice presidents of the United States facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
1OC2003
Number One Observatory Circle, the official residence of the vice president of the United States, pictured in July 2001

There have been 49 vice presidents of the United States since the office was created in 1789. Originally, the vice president was the person who received the second-most votes for president in the Electoral College. But after the election of 1800 produced a tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, requiring the House of Representatives to choose between them, lawmakers acted to prevent such a situation from recurring. The Twelfth Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1804, creating the current system where electors cast a separate ballot for the vice presidency.

The vice president is the first person in the presidential line of succession—that is, they assume the presidency if the president dies, resigns, or is impeached and removed from office. Nine vice presidents have ascended to the presidency in this way: eight (John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester A. Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Harry S. Truman, and Lyndon B. Johnson) through the president's death and one (Gerald Ford) through the president's resignation. The vice president also serves as the president of the Senate and may choose to cast a tie-breaking vote on decisions made by the Senate. Vice presidents have exercised this latter power to varying extents over the years.

Before adoption of the Twenty-fifth Amendment in 1967, an intra-term vacancy in the office of the vice president could not be filled until the next post-election inauguration. Several such vacancies occurred: seven vice presidents died, one resigned and eight succeeded to the presidency. This amendment allowed for a vacancy to be filled through appointment by the president and confirmation by both chambers of the Congress. Since its ratification, the vice presidency has been vacant twice (both in the context of scandals surrounding the Nixon administration) and was filled both times through this process, namely in 1973 following Spiro Agnew's resignation, and again in 1974 after Gerald Ford succeeded to the presidency. The amendment also established a procedure whereby a vice president may, if the president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office, temporarily assume the powers and duties of the office as acting president. Three vice presidents have briefly acted as president under the 25th Amendment: George H. W. Bush on July 13, 1985; Dick Cheney on June 29, 2002, and on July 21, 2007; and Kamala Harris on November 19, 2021.

The persons who have served as vice president were born in or primarily affiliated with 27 states plus the District of Columbia. New York has produced the most of any state as eight have been born there and three others considered it their home state. Most vice presidents have been in their 50s or 60s and had political experience before assuming the office. Two vice presidents—George Clinton and John C. Calhoun—served under more than one president. Ill with tuberculosis and recovering in Cuba on Inauguration Day in 1853, William R. King, by an Act of Congress, was allowed to take the oath outside the United States. He is the only vice president to take his oath of office in a foreign country.

Vice presidents

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term Party Election President
1 Official Presidential portrait of John Adams (by John Trumbull, circa 1792).jpg John Adams
(1735–1826)
April 21, 1789

March 4, 1797
Pro-Administration 1788–89 George Washington
Federalist 1792
2 Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale, 1800.jpg Thomas Jefferson
(1743–1826)
March 4, 1797

March 4, 1801
Democratic-Republican 1796 John Adams
3 Vanderlyn Burr.jpg Aaron Burr
(1756–1836)
March 4, 1801

March 4, 1805
Democratic-Republican 1800 Thomas Jefferson
4 George Clinton by Ezra Ames.jpg George Clinton
(1739–1812)
March 4, 1805

April 20, 1812
Democratic-Republican 1804
1808 James Madison
Office vacant April 20, 1812 – March 4, 1813
5 Nathaniel Jocelyn - Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814) - 1943.1816 - Harvard Art Museums.jpg Elbridge Gerry
(1744–1814)
March 4, 1813

November 23, 1814
Democratic-Republican 1812
Office vacant November 23, 1814 – March 4, 1817
6 Daniel D Tompins by John Wesley Jarvis.jpg Daniel D. Tompkins
(1774–1825)
March 4, 1817

March 4, 1825
Democratic-Republican 1816 James Monroe
1820
7 JohnCalhoun.png John C. Calhoun
(1782–1850)
March 4, 1825

December 28, 1832
Democratic-Republican 1824 John Q. Adams
Nullifier 1828 Andrew Jackson
Office vacant December 28, 1832 – March 4, 1833
8 Martin Van Buren by Mathew Brady c1855-58.jpg Martin Van Buren
(1782–1862)
March 4, 1833

March 4, 1837
Democratic 1832
9 John Neagle, Richard Mentor Johnson, 1843, NGA 166465.jpg Richard Mentor Johnson
(1780–1850)
March 4, 1837

March 4, 1841
Democratic 1836 Martin Van Buren
10 John Tyler.jpg John Tyler
(1790–1862)
March 4, 1841

April 4, 1841
Whig 1840 William H. Harrison
Office vacant April 4, 1841 – March 4, 1845 John Tyler
11 George Mifflin Dallas 1848 crop.png George M. Dallas
(1792–1864)
March 4, 1845

March 4, 1849
Democratic 1844 James K. Polk
12 Millard Fillmore -13th president of the United States.jpg Millard Fillmore
(1800–1874)
March 4, 1849

July 9, 1850
Whig 1848 Zachary Taylor
Office vacant July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853 Millard Fillmore
13 William R. D. King Vice President.jpg William R. King
(1786–1853)
March 4, 1853

April 18, 1853
Democratic 1852 Franklin Pierce
Office vacant April 18, 1853 – March 4, 1857
14 John C Breckinridge-04775-restored.jpg John C. Breckinridge
(1821–1875)
March 4, 1857

March 4, 1861
Democratic 1856 James Buchanan
15 Hannibal Hamlin, photo portrait seated, c1860-65-retouched-crop.jpg Hannibal Hamlin
(1809–1891)
March 4, 1861

March 4, 1865
Republican 1860 Abraham Lincoln
16 President Andrew Johnson.jpg Andrew Johnson
(1808–1875)
March 4, 1865

April 15, 1865
National Union 1864
Office vacant April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869 Andrew Johnson
17 Schuyler Colfax portrait.jpg Schuyler Colfax
(1823–1885)
March 4, 1869

March 4, 1873
Republican 1868 Ulysses S. Grant
18 Henry Wilson, VP of the United States.jpg Henry Wilson
(1812–1875)
March 4, 1873

November 22, 1875
Republican 1872
Office vacant November 22, 1875 – March 4, 1877
19 VicePresident-WmAlWheeler.jpg William A. Wheeler
(1819–1887)
March 4, 1877

March 4, 1881
Republican 1876 Rutherford B. Hayes
20 Chester Alan Arthur.jpg Chester A. Arthur
(1829–1886)
March 4, 1881

September 19, 1881
Republican 1880 James A. Garfield
Office vacant September 19, 1881 – March 4, 1885 Chester A. Arthur
21 Thomas Andrews Hendricks.jpg Thomas A. Hendricks
(1819–1885)
March 4, 1885

November 25, 1885
Democratic 1884 Grover Cleveland
Office vacant November 25, 1885 – March 4, 1889
22 Levi P. Morton (US vice president, NY governor) (cropped).jpg Levi P. Morton
(1824–1920)
March 4, 1889

March 4, 1893
Republican 1888 Benjamin Harrison
23 23 Adlai E. Stevenson 3x4.jpg Adlai Stevenson I
(1835–1914)
March 4, 1893

March 4, 1897
Democratic 1892 Grover Cleveland
24 Garret Augustus Hobart.jpg Garret Hobart
(1844–1899)
March 4, 1897

November 21, 1899
Republican 1896 William McKinley
Office vacant November 21, 1899 – March 4, 1901
25 Theodore Roosevelt by the Pach Bros.jpg Theodore Roosevelt
(1858–1919)
March 4, 1901

September 14, 1901
Republican 1900
Office vacant September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1905 Theodore Roosevelt
26 CharlesWFairbanks.jpg Charles W. Fairbanks
(1852–1918)
March 4, 1905

March 4, 1909
Republican 1904
27 James Sherman, Bain bw photo portrait facing left.jpg James S. Sherman
(1855–1912)
March 4, 1909

October 30, 1912
Republican 1908 William H. Taft
Office vacant October 30, 1912 – March 4, 1913
28 Thomas Riley Marshall headshot.jpg Thomas R. Marshall
(1854–1925)
March 4, 1913

March 4, 1921
Democratic 1912 Woodrow Wilson
1916
29 Calvin Coolidge cph.3g10777 (cropped).jpg Calvin Coolidge
(1872–1933)
March 4, 1921

August 2, 1923
Republican 1920 Warren G. Harding
Office vacant August 2, 1923 – March 4, 1925 Calvin Coolidge
30 Chas G Dawes-H&E.jpg Charles G. Dawes
(1865–1951)
March 4, 1925

March 4, 1929
Republican 1924
31 Charles Curtis-portrait.jpg Charles Curtis
(1860–1936)
March 4, 1929

March 4, 1933
Republican 1928 Herbert Hoover
32 JohnNanceGarner.png John Nance Garner
(1868–1967)
March 4, 1933

January 20, 1941
Democratic 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt
1936
33 Henry-A.-Wallace-Townsend.jpeg Henry A. Wallace
(1888–1965)
January 20, 1941

January 20, 1945
Democratic 1940
34 Harry S Truman, bw half-length photo portrait, facing front, 1945 (cropped).jpg Harry S. Truman
(1884–1972)
January 20, 1945

April 12, 1945
Democratic 1944
Office vacant April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1949 Harry S. Truman
35 Alben Barkley.jpg Alben W. Barkley
(1877–1956)
January 20, 1949

January 20, 1953
Democratic 1948
36 Richard Nixon official portrait as Vice President (cropped).tiff Richard Nixon
(1913–1994)
January 20, 1953

January 20, 1961
Republican 1952 Dwight D. Eisenhower
1956
37 Vice President LBJ.jpg Lyndon B. Johnson
(1908–1973)
January 20, 1961

November 22, 1963
Democratic 1960 John F. Kennedy
Office vacant November 22, 1963 – January 20, 1965 Lyndon B. Johnson
38 Hubert Humphrey vice presidential portrait (cropped).jpg Hubert Humphrey
(1911–1978)
January 20, 1965

January 20, 1969
Democratic 1964
39 Spiro Agnew.jpg Spiro Agnew
(1918–1996)
January 20, 1969

October 10, 1973
Republican 1968 Richard Nixon
1972
Office vacant October 10 – December 6, 1973
40 Gerald Ford presidential portrait.jpg Gerald Ford
(1913–2006)
December 6, 1973

August 9, 1974
Republican
Office vacant August 9 – December 19, 1974 Gerald Ford
41 Nelson Rockefeller.jpg Nelson Rockefeller
(1908–1979)
December 19, 1974

January 20, 1977
Republican
42 Walter Mondale 1977 vice presidential portrait (cropped).jpg Walter Mondale
(1928–2021)
January 20, 1977

January 20, 1981
Democratic 1976 Jimmy Carter
43 George H. W. Bush vice presidential portrait (1).jpg George H. W. Bush
(1924–2018)
January 20, 1981

January 20, 1989
Republican 1980 Ronald Reagan
1984
44 Dan Quayle crop.jpg Dan Quayle
(b. 1947)
January 20, 1989

January 20, 1993
Republican 1988 George H. W. Bush
45 Al Gore, Vice President of the United States, official portrait 1994.jpg Al Gore
(b. 1948)
January 20, 1993

January 20, 2001
Democratic 1992 Bill Clinton
1996
46 46 Dick Cheney 3x4.jpg Dick Cheney
(b. 1941)
January 20, 2001

January 20, 2009
Republican 2000 George W. Bush
2004
47 Joe Biden official portrait crop.jpg Joe Biden
(b. 1942)
January 20, 2009

January 20, 2017
Democratic 2008 Barack Obama
2012
48 Mike Pence official Vice Presidential portrait.jpg Mike Pence
(b. 1959)
January 20, 2017

January 20, 2021
Republican 2016 Donald Trump
49 Kamala Harris Vice Presidential Portrait.jpg Kamala Harris
(b. 1964)
January 20, 2021

Incumbent
Democratic 2020 Joe Biden

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anexo:Vicepresidentes de los Estados Unidos para niños

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