Though the U.S. president holds the highest, most powerful office in the world, the Founding Fathers laid out very few requirements for someone to win the job. He was the youngest person to assume the presidency by election and the youngest president at the end of his tenure. These Are the Youngest and Oldest Presidents in U.S. History Though well liked in Kentucky and other Southern states, he was reviled by many in the North as a traitor. John C. Breckinridge, vice president of the United States", "1861: Confederate forces enter Kentucky", "Important from Kentucky: Paducah in Possession of the National Troops", "Senate Journal. [48] During the debate on the House floor, New York's Francis B. (Photo: AFP). Those presidents' ages were calculated on October 1, 2021. [130] Sherman later praised Breckinridge's negotiating skills, and the surrender terms agreed to were later rejected by Washington as too generous, forcing Sherman to offer the same terms as Grant had at Appomattox, which were accepted. "[48] Douglas, considered the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, was convinced that Breckinridge would be a candidate; this, combined with Buchanan's reluctant support of Breckinridge and Breckinridge's public support for a federal slave code, deepened the rift between the two. (STACKER) When President Joe Biden was sworn into office on Jan. 20, 2021, he became the oldest person in U.S. history to assume the presidency. [173] However, he did not destroy Confederate archives and records, which were preserved for history. Professor of History at the University of Kentucky, claimed that the "statues are not and have never been neutral representations of the Civil War past but instead they are embodiments of a racially charged postwar interpretation of it. Despite differences in spelling, the towns of Breckenridge, Minnesota,[215] Breckenridge, Missouri,[216] Breckenridge, Texas,[217] and Breckenridge, Colorado were named in Breckinridge's honor. Helm, a fellow Kentuckian who had been operating as a Confederate agent in the Caribbean, to Great Britain. The. [185] They stopped at the John C. Houston place on Elbow Creek (Melbourne), where their boat was brought ashore and caulked. [135] After his promotion, he joined Earl Van Dorn near Vicksburg, Mississippi. Fellow Confederate George M. Edgar, describing Breckinridge's performance, wrote: General Breckinridge had few if any superiors on the field of battle. The median age at inauguration of incoming U.S. presidents is 55 years. The victory allowed the Confederates to resume their invasion of the North. [98] Accordingly, when a delegate from Arkansas nominated Breckinridge for president on the 36th ballot, Beck asked that it be withdrawn, and the request was honored. [222] In November 2015, a committee, the Urban County Arts Review Board, voted to recommend removal of both the Breckinridge statue and the John Hunt Morgan statue from the Courthouse grounds. [169], After overseeing the transfer of Richmond, Breckinridge joined Lee's forces at Farmville, Virginia, on the night of April 5 and remained there until April 7. [85] His speeches stressed the idea that Republicans were fanatically devoted to emancipation, and their election would prompt the dissolution of the Union. John C. Breckinridge (1857-1861) | Miller Center He took the view that the president . [153] While there, Breckinridge and Brigadier General Basil W. Duke finally convinced Davis that further prosecution of the war was hopeless. Who Was Theodore Roosevelt? Breckinridge was the youngest at 36; at 44, Sarah Palin would not even make the list. [97] Breckinridge did not attend the convention, but instructed his supporters not to nominate him as long as James Guthrie remained a candidate. [120] They were followed by a Union force commanded by Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant, which on the morning of September 6 occupied the town of Paducah on the Ohio River. * indicates the president is still alive. American History: Teddy Roosevelt Leads Nation After McKinley Is [16], Breckinridge remained in Lexington while deciding where to begin practice, borrowing law books from the library of John J. Crittenden, Thomas Crittenden's father. [27][38] As a private citizen, he opposed the Wilmot Proviso that would have banned slavery in the territory acquired in the war with Mexico. In many cases, it also determines the age at which a person may be eligible to stand for an election or be granted ballot access . [112] He was the only senator to vote against a resolution authorizing Lincoln to use "the entire resources of the government" for the war. [185] A Kentuckian then living in the city recognized Breckinridge, introduced him to the locals, and served as his interpreter. as she waited to see former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. at a pizza parlor . [99] Over the course of 57 ballots, Douglas maintained a wide plurality, but failed to gain the necessary two-thirds majority; Guthrie consistently ran second. [74] Cassius Clay, a political enemy of Letcher's for years, endorsed Breckinridge, despite their differences on slavery. [4] On his return, both his wife and he fell ill. Cabell Breckinridge died, but she survived. List of presidents of the United States by age. [48][91] This disagreement ended plans for Breckinridge, Douglas, and Minnesota's Henry Mower Rice to build a series of three elaborate, conjoined row houses in which to live during their time in Washington, DC. Who Was the Youngest President? - WorldAtlas [13][14] Returning to Kentucky in mid-1839, he read law with Judge William Owsley. . Breckinridge would draw more comparisons at the Second Battle of Kernstown, the scene of the first fight in Jackson's Valley Campaign two years earlier. After Southern Democrats walked out of the 1860 Democratic National Convention, the party's northern and southern factions held rival conventions in Baltimore that nominated Douglas and Breckinridge, respectively, for president. A third party, the Constitutional Union Party, nominated John Bell. [158] The victory was considered one of his best performances as a general. On November 22, 1963, when he was hardly past his first thousand days in office, JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, becoming also the youngest President to die. [45] Nicknamed the "Ashland district" because it contained Ashland, the estate of Whig Party founder Henry Clay, and much of the area Clay once represented, the district was a Whig stronghold. [26], In special elections in June, pro-Union candidates captured 9 of 10 seats in Kentucky's House delegation. [26] In August, Mississippi Senator Jefferson Davis attempted to broker a compromise under which Douglas, Breckinridge, and Tennessee's John Bell, the nominee of the Constitutional Union Party, would all withdraw in favor of a compromise candidate. Breckinridge expressed hope that eventually "another Senate, in another age, shall bear to a new and larger Chamber, this Constitution vigorous and inviolate, and that the last generation of posterity shall witness the deliberations of the Representatives of American States, still united, prosperous, and free. Theodore Roosevelt was America's youngest president at 42 years, 10 months, and 18 days old when he was sworn into the presidency. He did not return to the United States until after President Andrew Johnson issued an amnesty proclamation for Confederates on Christmas Day 1868. Frank Heck wrote that Breckinridge appointed "an able committee, representing every major faction. Who is the youngest president? He is immortalized on Mount Rushmore. [117] Breckinridge did not support this recommendation, but he agreed to abide by it once it was approved by the legislature. He defended the constitutionality of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 against attacks by Ohio Representative Joshua Giddings, and opposed Andrew Johnson's proposed Homestead Act out of concern that it would create more territories that excluded slavery. Donald also has 10 grandchildren between 3 and 16 years old. Serving only one term, he became and remains the youngest at the time of leaving office. When President Joe Biden was sworn into office on Jan. 20, 2021, he became the oldest person in U.S. history to assume the presidency. The Northern Democrats nominated Stephen Douglas while the Southern Democrats nominated Breckinridge. When he assumed his Senate seat, he hoped that as a Southern senator, he might be able to help the nation avoid war. In 1843, he married Mary Cyrene Burch, and they eventually had five children. Youngest and Oldest Presidents in US History | Stacker [92], Functioning as the Senate's presiding officer, Breckinridge's participation in the chamber's debates was also restricted, but he won respect for presiding "gracefully and impartially. [200] He resumed his law practice, taking as a partner Robert A. Thornton, a 27-year-old former Confederate soldier. He brought new excitement and power to the presidency, as he briskly led Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and an aggressive foreign policy. [157] Lee had suggested that Breckinridge invade Maryland, but he was unable to do so because floodwaters had made the Potomac River virtually impassable. Breckinridge did not run for reelected after his second term in the House but returned to Kentucky to resume his law practice. [1][2] The specific years and days median is 55 years and 104.5 days, which falls midway between how old Warren G. Harding was in 1921 and Lyndon B. Johnson was in 1963. [10][11] Breckinridge's uncle, William Breckinridge, was also on the faculty there, prompting him to enroll in November 1834. [209] Sayre further alleviated Breckinridge's pain via another surgery on the morning of May 17, but by the afternoon, his condition rapidly worsened, and he died at approximately 5:45p.m. at the age of 54. [3] The oldest person elected president was Joe Biden, the nation's current president, at age 77. They were former Kentucky Governor and current Senator Lazarus W. Powell, former Kentucky Representative William Preston (a distant relative), law partner James Brown Clay, and James B. However, Vice President Breckinridge was respected for presiding over the U.S. Senate with fairness during a contentious time in American history. "I'm . Along with Jubal Early, he led a daring Confederate raid on Washington, D.C. in 1864, making it as far as Maryland, insight of the U.S. Capitol. [165] They were defeated at the Battle of Fort Stevens on July 1112, partially with reinforcements brought in by the United States Government with the time gained from the Battle of Monocacy. Gender: Male. [66] The eulogy enhanced his popularity and solidified his position as Clay's political heir apparent. Those requirements haven't changed since the Constitution was written in 1787 and went into effect in 1789. After the Civil War, the name was changed once again to Camp Grant. Assassinated at age 46, John F. Kennedy was the youngest president at the end of his tenure, and his lifespan was the shortest of any president. [165], After Early and Breckinridge (who was now able to ride a horse) chased Hunter more than sixty miles away from the city, Lee ordered them to clear the Union forces from the Shenandoah Valley, then cross into Maryland and probe the defenses of Washington, D.C. Union forces' only serious attempt to turn back the expedition came at the Battle of Monocacy on July 9. [4], In August 1823, an illness referred to as "the prevailing fever" struck Frankfort, and Cabell Breckinridge took his children to stay with his mother in Lexington. Beck. Ramaswamy, who has shot up sharply in GOP primary polls, standing tied with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the second position. [64] Their attacks ultimately hurt Douglas's chances for the nomination, and Breckinridge's defense of Butler enhanced his own reputation. Theodore Roosevelt | The White House [118] He condemned as unconstitutional Lincoln's enlistment and arming of men for a war Congress had not officially declared, his expending funds for the war that had not been allocated by Congress, and his suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. The oration brought Whig Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky, whose son was among the dead, to tears, and inspired Theodore O'Hara to write "Bivouac of the Dead". [27] In July 1847, Breckinridge delivered an address at a mass military funeral in Frankfort to honor Kentuckians killed in the Battle of Buena Vista. [48] In addition to his legal practice, he engaged in land speculation in Minnesota territory and Wisconsin. He joined Buchanan in supporting the proslavery Lecompton Constitution for Kansas, which led to a split in the Democratic Party. [180] Breckinridge's party arrived in Washington on May 4 and, after paying out several requisitions from the treasury, deposited the rest in banks there. Mary was the youngest of 10 children and was born in May 1912 on a remote island in Scotland. [97], Among Breckinridge's supporters at the 1860 Democratic National Convention in Charleston, South Carolina, were several prominent Kentuckians. [198], Many insurance companies in the south asked Breckinridge to join them in various capacities. Of more immediate concern was the fluid that filled two-thirds of one of his lungs. Politics 10 of the Youngest U.S. Presidents in History Despite the age requirement to become the president being only 35, the median age at inauguration of incoming U.S. presidents is 55 years. [203] As president of the newly formed Elizabethtown, Lexington, and Big Sandy Railroad company, he secured financial backing from Collis Potter Huntington for a railroad connecting Elizabethtown and Lexington to the Big Sandy River as part of a route linking those cities with the Atlantic Ocean. Kentucky cast its 12 votes for Boyd, bringing his third-place total to 33 votes. Former Austrian leader Kurz charged with giving false evidence 8 Youngest Vice President in US History - Oldest.org "[48][93] Breckinridge then led a procession to the new chamber. However, Breckinridge played little role as vice president. [105], On February 24, Breckinridge visited Lincoln at Willard's Hotel in Washington, DC, and frequently thereafter he visited his cousin, now the First Lady, at the White House. [219] Between 1855 and 1862, the county now known as Lyon County, Kansas, was known as Breckinridge County. At age 98, Carter is also the oldest living president[2] and the nation's longest-lived president. [78] Following the December 1854 resignation of Pierre Soul, the U.S. Minister to Spain, who failed to negotiate a U.S. annexation of Cuba following the controversial Ostend Manifesto, Pierce nominated Breckinridge to the position. Seeing Breckinridge's strength on the first ballot, large numbers of delegates voted for him on the second ballot, and those who did not soon saw that his nomination was inevitable and changed their votes to make it unanimous. Age at Inauguration Joe Biden was the oldest president sworn-in at 78 years 61 days. Age of candidacy - Wikipedia [84], Unlike many political nominees of his time, Breckinridge actively campaigned for Buchanan and his election. When the repairs were completed, Colonel John Taylor Wood, again led the party south. The 8 Oldest Presidents in History | HISTORY [104] This would give him only 120 of 303 electoral votes, but to gain support from any northern states, he had to minimize his connections with the southern states and risked losing their support to Bell. Eyewitness accounts recall him to have said, "Gentlemen, the South has lost its best friend. [88] When Buchanan and Breckinridge endorsed the Lecompton Constitution, which would have admitted Kansas as a slave state instead of allowing the people to vote, they managed to alienate most Northern Democrats, including Douglas. [153], On December 15, 1863, Breckinridge took leave in Richmond. Vivek Ramaswamy surging in polls. Not interested in VP offer [11][12] After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in September 1838, he spent the following winter as a "resident graduate" at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). Amy Murrell Taylor, the T. Marshall Hahn Jr. "[22], Breckinridge visited Kentucky in May 1843. As a major, he served in Mexico for less than a year before returning home. [136] Finally, Van Dorn ordered Breckinridge to attempt to recapture Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from federal forces. Confederate leaders believed that Breckinridge's presence in the state could spur enlistments. John F. Kennedy. [176] Ordering Campbell to organize the flight of the Confederate cabinet to Danville, Virginia, Breckinridge remained in the city to oversee the destruction of facilities and supplies to prevent their use by the invading federal forces. After Kentucky chose to stay in the Union, Breckinridge fled to Virginia to avoid arrest and he volunteered to serve in the Confederate Army, first as a brigadier general and then as a major general. Even with this additional support, Douglas was still unable to garner two third's majority of the delegates' votes, and he withdrew, leaving James Buchanan as the Democratic presidential nominee. The proposed line was finally completed in 1881. [75] Grateful for the support of the reliably Democratic county, he gave his son John Witherspoon Breckinridge the nickname "Owen". Unionists were in control of the state legislature, and gained more support when Confederate forces moved into Kentucky. [34][35] Seeking to derail Scott's presidential ambitions, Pillow and his supporters composed and published letters that lauded Pillow, not Scott, for the American victories at Contreras and Churubusco. After being spurned by a love interest, former classmate Thomas W. Bullock and he departed for the Iowa Territory on October 10, 1841, seeking better opportunities. The youngest person to become U.S. president was Theodore Roosevelt, who, at age42, succeeded to the office after the assassination of William McKinley. Age at Inauguration | Presidents of the United States (POTUS) Breckinridge fled behind Confederate lines. [144] Relations between Breckinridge and Bragg continued to deteriorate; Breckinridge's opinion that Bragg was incompetent was shared by many Confederate officers. Not interested in VP offer. "[118][123] He was indicted for treason in U.S. federal district court in Frankfort on November 6, 1861, having officially enlisted in the Confederate army days earlier. Caitlin McLean USA TODAY Since the nation's founding the United States. "[48], After the death of John Hunt Morgan, Breckinridge again took command of the Department of East Tennessee and West Virginia. If they would, there would be six or seven votes cast for Taylor and but one cast for Cass. [195] On January 8, 1868, the Louisville City Council instructed the state's congressional delegation to seek assurance that Breckinridge would not be prosecuted on his return. Kurz became the youngest-ever chancellor of Austria and Europe's youngest leader in 2017, when he led his center-right . "[48] On April 2, Lee sent a telegram to Breckinridge informing him that he would have to withdraw from his position that night, and that this would necessitate the evacuation of Richmond. "[110] He endorsed Crittenden's proposed compromise, a collection of constitutional amendments designed to avert secession and appease the South. When the Union Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Major General William Rosecrans, attacked on December 31, 1862, beginning the Battle of Stones River, Bragg's main force initially repelled the attack. [185] On May 15, 1865, in Madison, Florida, he was joined by fellow fugitive John Taylor Wood, who had been a captain in the Confederate Navy. [143] Several Kentuckians under Breckinridge's command, who already blamed Bragg for the failed invasion of their native state, encouraged him to resign his commission and challenge Bragg to a duel. By that time, however, the South had little chance of turning the tide of the war, and it surrendered in April. [141] Lewis's enlistment had expired, but he continued to serve with the 6th Kentucky Infantry until his impoverished mother and siblings begged him to return home. So far, no president has been anywhere near 35. [195][196] Within sight of the U.S. border, he steadfastly refused to seek a pardon, although 70 members of the Kentucky General Assembly had requested one on his behalf from President Andrew Johnson on February 10, 1866.
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