# Who is the pretender to the United States' throne? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 1, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-pretender-to-the-united-states-throne/552310 "2010-09-01T21:27:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-pretender-to-the-united-states-throne/552310/21 "2010-09-03T23:23:31Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > FDR did a pretty good job of prolonging the depression with his idiotic policies of raising prices and lowering output (see Amity Shlaes “The Forgotten Man”). Of course a lot of the New Deal was continuing Hoover’s policies, which were a lot more activist than people remember today. But at least FDR had Republicans like Eisenhower and MacArthur in charge of the war effort. But ending the depression was low on FDR’s list of priorities, he wanted to remake society. This is on topic, I suppose, this being an alternate history thread. ---
**Author:** ![SmithCommaJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@SmithCommaJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmithCommaJohn)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-pretender-to-the-united-states-throne/552310/22 "2010-09-03T23:49:14Z")
I’m just glad this isn’t a birther thread, which I half-expected thanks to the title. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-pretender-to-the-united-states-throne/552310/23 "2010-09-04T20:00:03Z")
> [@Kilmore](#): > > Hamilton would never be king. He’d always be the guy in the dark cloak whispering in the King’s ear. Washington was just smart enough to give him a job title. Silly! Hamilton didn’t even have a goatee! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-pretender-to-the-united-states-throne/552310/24 "2010-09-04T21:09:45Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > A descendant of Alexander Hamilton might fit the bill. If Washington took the US throne he might have adopted Hamilton or at least named him the successor. Considering the “adoptive” idea: Suppose the presidency had operated like Rome during the era of the “five good emperors” - Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. During this era, they named a successor who became an adoptive son of the ruling emperor during his reign. Marcus broke the chain by naming his mental case of a biological son, Commodus. Of course, the real reason for the system may have been a string of emperors who lacked biological heirs, rather than an attempt to promote able leadership by finding a promising candidate and grooming him for the job. George Washington not having biological heirs might have started such a system. However, following an “adoptive” system, I doubt that he would have named somebody like Hamilton, or any of his other prominent contemporaries. He would have named a younger protege he favored instead. Perhaps Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee? That thought actually illustrates something which could have been a severe problem, and possibly accelerated the Civil War - a dynasty of Virginia patricians, leading to massive resentment in Boston and Philadelphia. The only one that wasn’t part of the Virginia crowd in the first five was John Adams anyway, but with the office being elective, northern politicians could reasonably aspire to it. Dewitt Clinton made a good run at it, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-pretender-to-the-united-states-throne/552310/25 "2010-09-04T21:28:26Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > What in the hell does a king need a Vice President for? To assist his President, and replace him if needed? 🙂 Bismark served as the Minister President of the Kingdom of Prussia, under King Wilhelm I. [Minister President of Prussia - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_President_of_Prussia) ETA: Further, Wilhelm himself served as President of the short-lived North German Confederation. The King of Prussia _was_ a President. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-pretender-to-the-united-states-throne/552310/26 "2010-09-05T00:25:43Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > George Washington not having biological heirs might have started such a system. However, following an “adoptive” system, I doubt that he would have named somebody like Hamilton, or any of his other prominent contemporaries. He would have named a younger protege he favored instead. Perhaps Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee? Washington and Hamilton were not really contemporaries in terms of age. Washington was 23 years older than Hamilton. And there were rumors during their lifetime (which are false) that Washington was Hamilton’s actual father based on the favoritism Washington showed Hamilton. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-pretender-to-the-united-states-throne/552310/27 "2010-09-05T01:18:27Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > > Richard Nixon - January 23, 1973 to April 22, 1994 > > of course if Dick was convicted that would change to > > Gerald Ford to Dec. 26, 2006 Convicted of what? This way, Nixon wasn’t president during Watergate! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-pretender-to-the-united-states-throne/552310/28 "2010-09-05T01:24:53Z")
Did George Washington’s brother have any offspring? (too lazy to look it up) ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-pretender-to-the-united-states-throne/552310/29 "2010-09-05T01:49:00Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > George Washington not having biological heirs might have started such a system. However, following an “adoptive” system, I doubt that he would have named somebody like Hamilton, or any of his other prominent contemporaries. He would have named a younger protege he favored instead. Perhaps Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee? If that had happened, then I might be President right now, since I can trace my ancestry back directly to Henry Lee. Ooh, the things I would’ve done… ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-pretender-to-the-united-states-throne/552310/30 "2010-09-05T02:19:49Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > > [@johnpost](#): > > > > of course if Dick was convicted that would change to > > > > Gerald Ford to Dec. 26, 2006 > > Convicted of what? This way, Nixon wasn’t president during Watergate! 😃 Besides, monarchs for life don’t have to worry about fixing relections. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-pretender-to-the-united-states-throne/552310.md?page=1)