Abraham Lincoln's Vice Presidents: History, Context, and Grammar

When people think of Abraham Lincoln, they think of the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, and his tragic assassination. However, from both a historical and a linguistic perspective, his presidency also provides a fascinating case study in political strategy and English grammar.

Let's dive into who these men were, why Lincoln had two different running mates, and how to properly write and pluralize their titles in English.

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The History: Who Were Lincoln's Vice Presidents?

Abraham Lincoln served as the 16th President of the United States from March 4, 1861, until his assassination on April 15, 1865. During his two terms, he had two different vice presidents.

1. Hannibal Hamlin (First Term: 1861–1865)

• Who he was: A seasoned senator from Maine.
• Why he was chosen: In the election of 1860, the newly formed Republican Party needed to balance its ticket. Lincoln was a Westerner (from Illinois) with moderate views on slavery. Hamlin was an Easterner with strong anti-slavery credentials. This geographical and ideological balance helped secure the presidency.
• Their relationship: Hamlin and Lincoln were not close. In the 19th century, vice presidents had very little executive power and mostly presided over the Senate.

2. Andrew Johnson (Second Term: 1865)

• Who he was: A War Democrat from Tennessee.
• Why he was chosen: In 1864, with the Civil War still raging, Lincoln ran for re-election under a coalition ticket called the National Union Party. To signal national unity and appeal to loyal Democrats in the North and border states, the party replaced the Republican Hamlin with Johnson, a Southern Democrat who had remained loyal to the Union.
• The aftermath: Just 42 days into his second term, Lincoln was assassinated, and Andrew Johnson became the 17th President of the United States.

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The Linguistic Angle: Grammar and Style Rules

As an English language learner or writer, referring to political titles can sometimes be tricky. Here are three essential grammar rules inspired by Lincoln's vice presidents.

1. How to Pluralize "Vice President"

Why do we say vice presidents instead of vices president?

In English, compound nouns pluralize the head noun (the principal word that carries the core meaning).

• In attorney general, "attorney" is the noun and "general" is the post-positive adjective. Therefore, the plural is attorneys general.
• In vice president, "president" is the head noun, and "vice" acts as a prefix/modifier meaning "in place of." Therefore, the plural is vice presidents.

2. Capitalization Rules

Should you write "Vice President" or "vice president"? It depends entirely on the sentence structure:

• Rule: Capitalize the title only when it immediately precedes a person's name as a formal title.
• Rule: Use lowercase when the title is used generically, after a name, or as a description.

Examples:

• "We studied Vice President Hannibal Hamlin in history class." (Capitalized before a name)
• "Hannibal Hamlin was the first vice president under Lincoln." (Lowercase when generic)
• "The vice president, Andrew Johnson, took the oath of office." (Lowercase when set off by commas as an appositive description)

3. To Hyphenate or Not?

Is it vice president or vice-president?

• American English: Major US style guides (like the AP Stylebook and The Chicago Manual of Style) prefer no hyphen: vice president.
• British English: British publications (like The Guardian or Oxford style) often retain the hyphen: vice-president.

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Summary Table

Vice President	Term	Political Party	Key Linguistic Rule
Hannibal Hamlin	1861–1865	Republican	Capitalize before the name: Vice President Hamlin
Andrew Johnson	1865	National Union (Democrat)	Pluralize the head noun: vice presidents

Now you know the history behind Lincoln's running mates and the grammar rules to write about them flawlessly!