-
William Henry Harrison
The ninth President William Henry Harrison took the record for shortest term in office when he died just after his term as President. This was the first time a President died in office and there was no set up or established procedure on how to take care of the issue. When he died his Vice President John Tyler informally assumed he had the President role and swore into office. After this instance, the vice president taking over if the President died would be the standard set and continued. -
Abraham Lincoln Assassination
Abraham Lincoln being assassinated took a huge tole on America as well as the 25th Amendment. Lincoln was another instance where the unwritten rule of having the Vice President take over was used and put into place. When Andrew Johnson took over it kind of made the country worried that maybe he was going to be assasinated also and did not know if putting the Vice President in the Presidents spot would be such a good idea. -
James Garfield Assassination
James Garfeild was assassinated. The usual process was taken and Vice President Chester Aurther took over. The big flaw in this process continued and there was no Vice President to take over the Vice President spot. As well as there was still no legal document to even say the President should be taking over again. This happens because in the Constitution it says that if the president cant fill his duties it is devoted to the Vice President. -
William McKinley
President William McKinley was another President that was assassinated. The unlikely person to be Vice President Theodore Roosevelt took over as stated in the Constitution. The assassination was another one that left the people wondering on what would happen if the new President died. There was a little push for this to be decided but all the constitution says is that the Vice President should take over the Presidents duties and nothing about people taking over the Vice Presidents duties. -
Warren G Harding
Warren G Harding had a disease that took control of his body and killed him. The 25th Amendment was again not in place and the people started talking about maybe having someone take the Vice President position. This was just talk and was never made into anything big. The Vice President Calvin Coolidge took over and there continued to be no Vice President. -
Woodrow Wilson
President Woodrow Wilson affected this amendment because he showed there needed to be a rule for any cause of death not just assassination. Also he had a stroke and did not die right away but was very weak. Wilson refused to resign and give up his powers and Vice President Thomas Marshall refused to take over without Congress passing a resolution that the office was vacant an needed filled. The resolutions never came. -
Keating-Kefauver Proposal
In 1963 Senator Kenneth Keating from New York suggested that congress should make a law delegating who should decide when the President is disabled. Keating was supported by a representative from Tennessee known as Estates Kefauver. After these two no one in Congress really supported it because they didn't want Congress abusing there power and did not feel it would be ratified anyway. -
John F Kennedy Assassination
John F Kennedy's assassination was the one that really made Congress's eyes open. Congress then knew they needed to create something that was set on paper to say what would happen if the President was assassinated. This was a huge step in actually getting the majority of Congress to think an consider about proposing and amendment of what should happen when the President can't take office anymore. -
Bayh-Celler Proposal
On Janurary 6th 1965 Senator Birch Bayh and Reprsentative Emanuel Celler proposed the Bayh-Celler plan. This plan had some of the same qualities as the Keating-Kefauver but expanded and added some more details. The plan added a way to fill the Vice Presidents place if empty as well as set rules on how the President could be considered "disabled". The Bayh- Celler Proposal was eventually ratified and it is what became the 25th Amendment. -
President Nixon Resigns
President Richard Nixon's Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned from office which then held an opening for a new Vice President. Nixon then appointed Gerald Ford Vice President after getting approved by congress. In August of 1974 Nixon resigned which through the 25th Amendment made Gerald Ford President and he was the first President to ever not be elected into office. None of this probably would have happened if it wasn't for the 25th Amendment.
