Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from Radiotopia.

My name is Jody Abergan.

This day, April 21st, 1789, finally we are in the 18th century.

John Adams is inaugurated as the nation's first vice president nine days before George

Washington takes office.

George Washington was the first president in case you didn't know.

I'm joined as always by Nicole Hammer of Columbia, Nicky. Hello?

Hello, Jody.

And our special guest this episode, Historian Alexis Coe. she's done a ton including an amazing

podcast series called Presidents Are People 2 most recent book is all about George

Washington it's called You Never Forget Your Alexis, hello and welcome.

Hi, thanks for having me.

So I want to start with one sort of small thing,

which I just find I love, and I know Nicky,

you love this too when we were researching this.

But from the very beginning, Adams was complaining

about being Vice President and how he has to play second fiddle. I just love this notion that

like it was baked in and right from the beginning the Vice President's felt

looked over, passed over, and totally powerless.

I think that John Adams was born complaining.

He was born feeling somewhat slighted, which worked for him to a certain extent, and they all did, by the way, you know,

Washington, Benedict Arnold. It was just somewhere better at controlling it than others.

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