George Washington died in 1799. John Tyler, the tenth American president, was born in 1790. How many overlapping presidents does it take to get from George Washington to Joe Biden?
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
How many presidents-old is the United States?
What story does this visual tell about American political history?
What is a consequence of our nation being so politically young?
How do you think the youth of our nation impacts the strength of our nation?
Claim: "Our country is so young (only four presidents-old) because our presidents are so old.” Explain whether you agree with this claim.
Article I, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution sets the minimum age for President at 35. Did the Framers get the age minimum right, and If it were up to you, what age minimum would you set for the POTUS?
George Washington was so popular that If he had wanted to serve for life he could have. Imagine that instead of establishing the precedence that Presidents retire after two term, Washington had stayed for three or even four. Now, imagine the 22nd Amendment, which limits the tenure of a president to two terms, was a part of the original U.S. Constitution, instead of the 1951 Amendment. How would a two-term limit from the beginning have impacted how many presidents-old the U.S. is?
JFK died in office at age 46. How old would our country be if we measured it in Kennedy lifespans?
Explain whether Biden’s age (oldest president ever at inauguration - age 78) has made him less or more effective.
According to the data from the visual below,* which U.S. President had the longest life span? Hint: they were the first president born in a hospital!
Learning Extension
Read the WAPO article about how old the U.S. is in president years.
Action Extension
Put yourself on the chart below and see how many you-old the U.S. currently is. Share your answer with class.
