David rice atchison family tree

Who was president for only 32 days

August 11, — January 26, David Rice Atchison was a Missouri politician who was a leader of pro-slavery supporters during Bleeding Kansas. Atchison went to Transylvania University in Lexington and then became a lawyer in Atchison would move to Liberty, Missouri and set up a successful law practice there. Atchison helped to organize and served as the Captain of the Liberty Blues, a company of militia.

He would run for office and serve in the Missouri Legislature. Atchison was elected to the US House of Representatives in Beginning in , Atchison would be a key advocate for the annexation of the Platte Territory into the state of Missouri on March 28, This extended the Missouri border to the Missouri River. He was a member of the Democratic Party.

He would be one of Missouri's Senators from to When the Democrats gained control of the Senate in , Atchison was chosen by the members of his party to be President pro tempore. His successor, Zachary Taylor, refused to be sworn into office on the sabbath Sunday. In reality, Polk's term automatically extended until President-elect Taylor was sworn in the next day.

It was in the s that Atchison began publicly to advocate for the rights of slaveholders to take their slaves into any territory of the United States. He felt it violated their constitutional rights not to be able to take their property i.