David Rice Atchison
A fiercely partisan Missouri senator whose claimed single-day presidency is a quirky footnote in American political lore.
1807–1886 (age 79)·American politician·Birthday: August 11
Biography
David Rice Atchison was a political force of the antebellum frontier, a Missouri Democrat who embodied the pro-slavery, states' rights fervor of his region. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1843, he became a close ally of President James K. Polk and a vehement opponent of abolition. His political influence peaked when he served as President pro tempore of the Senate. The curious legend of his 'presidency' stems from March 4, 1849, a Sunday. Outgoing President Polk's term had ended, and President-elect Zachary Taylor refused to be sworn in on the Sabbath. With the vice-presidency also vacant, some argued Atchison, as the Senate's presiding officer, was next in line. He himself joked about signing no legislation during his 'term,' which was spent mostly sleeping. His later years were defined by the Civil War; he cast his lot with the Confederacy, organizing Missouri state troops for the Southern cause. After the war, he retired to his farm, leaving behind a legacy intertwined with America's most divisive era and an enduring, if legally dubious, historical anecdote.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1807
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1807Born
1812Started school
1820Became a teenager
1823Could drive
1825Could vote
1828Turned 21
1837Turned 30
1847Turned 40
1857Turned 50
1867Turned 60
President: Andrew Johnson
1877Turned 70
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1886Died at 79
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
Key Achievements
- Served as a United States Senator from Missouri from 1843 to 1855, becoming a powerful voice for Western and pro-slavery interests.
- Held the position of President pro tempore of the Senate on multiple occasions, placing him first in the presidential line of succession at the time.
- Was appointed a Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War, leading Missouri troops in the early stages of the conflict.
- Played a significant role in the political battles over the expansion of slavery into territories acquired from Mexico.
Did You Know?
The 'one-day presidency' claim is memorialized on his tombstone in Plattsburg, Missouri, which reads 'President of the United States for One Day.'
He was a close friend and political ally of Stephen A. Douglas, the Illinois senator famous for the Lincoln-Douglas debates.
Atchison County in Missouri and the city of Atchison, Kansas, are named after him, despite Kansas being a free state.
He reportedly opposed the Compromise of 1850, a series of bills intended to stave off sectional conflict, because he felt it did not do enough to protect slavery.
“The Union can only be preserved by maintaining the rights of the South.”
