Civil War Vets in the White House, Part 1
In an earlier series of articles, we examined the military records of the Presidents. But one group deserves a closer look. From the end...
Almost President – Levi P. Morton
Like Charles Fairbanks (see the earlier article “Almost President: Charles Fairbanks”), Levi Morton made a fateful decision that cost him the White House. As...
The Electoral College – How It Works
When you go into the voting booth next November (assuming you are at least 18 years of age and a registered voter), you may...
Re-Elected Running Mates
Many Presidents have been re-elected. A lesser number of Vice Presidents have been re-elected. Two Vice Presidents were re-elected even though their Presidents were...
The President’s Lady – Dolley Madison, An American Original
For over a century, the greatest compliment you could pay a First Lady was to compare her favorably to Dolley Madison. She presided over...
The Great Commoner – William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was the youngest man ever to be nominated for president by a major party. He was also the only man to...
Presidential Party Hoppers
In addition to his other duties, the President of the United States is also the leader of his political party. A number of our...
Forgotten First Lady – The Other Mrs. Wilson
Woodrow Wilson’s wife was called The First Woman President, The Other 28th President, and The Petticoat President. All these nicknames were the result of...
Almost President – Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Part 2
In 1948, Humphrey became his party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate. He was running against incumbent Senator Joseph Ball, a strongly anti-labor politician who...
Andrew Jackson and the Eaton Affair – A National Soap Opera
The scandals of President Clinton are nothing compared to some of our past presidents. One, the Eaton Affair, led to the fall of an...