In 1976, Samuel J. Tilden, selects former Florida Governor, David S. Walker as his running mate.
Not a major change but gave the democrats an extra four electoral votes which saw them with 188 to 184, which gives the Democrats the overal majority apart from state carried.
But as of March 4, 1877, Samuel J. Tilden is President, until March 19th 1877, when former William M. Tweed, American politician most notable for being the "boss" of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th century New York City and State, hires a man to assassinate the President, not for any political reason, but simple cold hard revenge.
Revenge against Tilden for convicting Tweed of stealing an amount estimated by an aldermen's committee in 1877 at between $25 million and $45 million from New York City taxpayers through political corruption, leading to Tweed's arrest and ultermet downfall.
He choose the date 15 days into office, so as Tilden will go down in history as the shortest serving Presidents.
This sees, David S. Walker becoming the 20th President, a position he never really wanted and was under the impression that he did not have to worry about Tilden dying in office, what with his young age, so after thinking long and had, President Walker firstly makes an Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Stating a new line of succession to the Presidency and establishes procedures both for filling a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, as well as responding to Presidential disabilities. It supersedes the ambiguous wording of Article II, Section 1, Clause 6 of the Constitution, which does not expressly state whether the Vice President becomes the President or Acting President if the President dies, resigns, is removed from office or is otherwise unable to discharge the powers of the presidency. This is supported by congress and the senate.
Once this is passed he chooses to fil the vacant spot with Former Mississippi Governor, Adelbert Ames, who as a Radical Republican and a Carpetbagger and military governor, Walker hopes this will pacify the unrest in the nation, once Ames is sworn in, President Walking in a shock to the nation, becomes the first person to resign from the office, meaing Vice President, Adelbert Ames, not only becomes the 21st President of America, and the first Southern Republican to hold this office, but he also becomes the first and to date only person to have served as both Vice President and President of the United States without being elected by the Electoral College.
However in his first term President Ames, surprises the nation by becoming one of the greatest presidents since the founding fathers, and when he stands for election in 1880, he wins a landslide against Democrat nominatee, Major General Winfield Scott Hancock of Pennsylvania.