Today in History - 28th December
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Today in History - 28th December28th December 1832 - John C. Calhoun becomes first person to resign from US Vice Presidency193 years ago today, John C. Calhoun resigned as Vice President of the United States, becoming the first person to ever step down from that office. At the time, the U.S. Constitution provided no mechanism to replace a resigning vice president, so the position remained vacant. Calhoun resigned amid the Nullification Crisis, a bitter dispute over federal tariffs and states’ rights that placed him in direct conflict with President Andrew Jackson. Seeking a stronger platform to defend South Carolina’s position, Calhoun left the vice presidency to take a seat in the U.S. Senate, where he continued to argue for nullification and the protection of slavery. The vice presidency remained empty until Martin Van Buren was elected and inaugurated as vice president in March 1833. The absence of a sitting vice president for the remainder of Jackson’s term exposed a significant constitutional weakness. This gap was finally addressed by the 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967, which allows the president to nominate a new vice president when the office becomes vacant, subject to approval by both houses of Congress. Calhoun’s resignation thus played an early role in revealing flaws in the original constitutional framework. Like what you read - Why not share this link and tell your friends to subscribe? |
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