John Adams, Our First Vice President

In the first Presidential election, the Electoral College met on February 4, 1789, and unanimously selected George Washington as President. The second highest vote getter was John Adams, thus becoming America’s first Vice President.

Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, explores how John Adams was able to shape the responsibilities of the office of Vice President beyond casting tie-breaking votes in the Senate, and why it still matters today.

Images courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Portrait Gallery - Smithsonian Institution, National Archives, The New York Public Library, National Park Service, Library of Congress, Harvard Art Museums, Wikipedia.


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John Adams and the Presidential Election of 1796

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America’s “Era of Good Feelings” Comes to an End