List of Ten American Vice Presidents Who Later Became President of the United States

The post of Vice President may be the second most powerful position in the United States but a few Vice Presidents had later gone on to become the most powerful person in the United States.

It used to be that the position of the American Vice President was given to the person who had the second largest votes during the presidential election but in 1804, the Twelfth Amendment stipulates that the two posts are voted separately. Now, it’s the convention that the President chooses the person who’s most suitable to be his Vice President.

As the Vice President position is one in which the person has to be closely working with the President, it is therefore important that the person is one with whom the President puts his trust.

A few Vice Presidents in the past had gone on to become the President of the United States. Below is a list of ten American Vice Presidents who later became the President of the United States.

1. George Bush Senior

George Bush Senior became the 41st President of the United States from the years 1989 to 1993. From the years 1981 to 1989, he was Vice President to the late Ronald Reagan who was then the 40th American President.

2. Gerald Ford

Gerald Rudolf Ford, Jr was the 38th President of the United States from the years 1974 to 1977 after Richard Nixon resigned from the presidency on August 9, 1974. He was Vice President from the years 1973 to 1974.

3 Theodore Roosevelt

When President McKinley was shot on September 6, 1901, Roosevelt who was Vice President for only six months became the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909.

4. Lyndon B. Johnson

Two hours after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the 36th American President and served from the years 1963 to 1969.

5. Richard Nixon

Richard Milhous Nixon was Vice President of the United States to President Eisenhower from the years 1953 to 1961. He became the 37th President of the United States in 1969 until his resignation in 1974.

6. John Adams

Trailing behind George Washington during the presidential election in 1789, John Adams became the Vice President while Washington became the first President of the United States. Adams eventually became the second American President in 1797. He served until the year 1801.

7. Thomas Jefferson

During the 1796 election, Thomas Jefferson lost to John Adams but with enough electoral votes, he became Vice President from 1797 to 1801. In 1801, he became the third President of the United States. He served for two terms from 1801 to 1809.

8. Martin Van Buren

Martin Van Buren was Vice President to President Andrew Jackson from 1833 to 1837. He became the eighth American President from the years 1837 to 1841.

9. John Tyler, Jr

John Tyler became the tenth President of the United States after the death of President William Henry Harrison who was just inaugurated to the office of President a month before. John Tyler became the first American Vice President who succeed into office after the death of the President. He was President from 1841 to 1845.

10. Millard Fillmore

Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States after the death of his predecessor, President Zachary Taylor. He served from 1850 to 1853.

Being Vice President may lead to becoming the President of the most powerful nation in the world as the list of ten American vice presidents above prove.