Before the White House, before political parties fully took shape, and before America had even decided how it wanted to govern itself, there was George Clinton. He didn’t wear a powdered wig for...
Category - The Forgotten Seconds
Nelson A. Rockefeller: The Billionaire Who Never Made It to the White House
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was born into wealth so vast that most Americans in the early 20th century couldn’t comprehend it. Born on July 8, 1908, in Bar Harbor, Maine, his life began with a silver...
Spiro T. Agnew: The Rise, Fall, and Family Roots of an American Vice President
Spiro Theodore Agnew, the 39th vice president of the United States, was born on November 9, 1918, in Baltimore, Maryland. His name, though Americanized, hints at his family’s rich ethnic...
Hubert Humphrey: A Legacy of Progress and Controversy
Our ongoing series, The Forgotten Seconds, explores the lives and legacies of vice presidents who never reached the presidency. These individuals played crucial roles in shaping American history, yet...
Charles Dawes: The Vice President Who Left a Lasting Mark
Charles Gates Dawes, the 30th vice president of the United States, was a man of remarkable versatility. A banker, diplomat, military general, composer, and Nobel Prize laureate, Dawes led a life...
John C. Breckinridge: The Youngest Vice President and Confederate General
The office of vice president has often been overshadowed by the presidency, yet throughout history, some vice presidents have left a profound mark on the nation—despite never reaching the highest...
John C. Calhoun: The Statesman Who Shaped a Nation’s Divide
John C. Calhoun is one of the most complex figures in American history. Serving as vice president under two different presidents and leaving an enduring mark on the nation’s political landscape, he...
Elbridge Gerry: The Forgotten Seconds
Elbridge Gerry is often remembered for the term gerrymandering, a practice in electoral politics that still influences elections today. However, his legacy extends far beyond that. Gerry was a key...
Aaron Burr: The Ambitious Vice President Who Fell from Grace
Throughout American history, the vice presidency has often been a stepping stone to the highest office in the land. Some vice presidents successfully ascended to the presidency through election or...