2025 President's Cabinet and Succession Complete Practice Test

The correct answer is John Tyler, who was the first Vice President to assume the presidency following the death of the sitting president. Tyler became president after the death of William Henry Harrison in 1841, just a month into Harrison's term. This event was significant in establishing the precedent for presidential succession in the United States.

Prior to Tyler's ascendancy, there was no clearly established protocol for what would happen if a sitting president passed away. Tyler took the oath of office and asserted the full powers of the presidency, firmly setting the standard that the Vice President would succeed to the presidency rather than merely acting as president until a new election could be held. This not only shaped future successions but also prompted subsequent clarifications in the Constitution, such as the Twentieth and Twenty-Fifth Amendments.

The other individuals mentioned—George Clinton, John Adams, and Calvin Coolidge—did not become presidents due to the death of their predecessors, which is why they do not fit the criteria of the question.