Chico State professor provides historical context of conceding

A President-Elect ready to take the helm - a sitting President, turning to legal challenges against election night results and voting.

Action News Now spoke with a Chico State professor who says this is not an isolated incident.

- a president elect ready to take the helm - a sitting president, turning to legal challenges against election night results and voting.

Election 2020 - a contentious and divisive affair.

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Action news now reporter jafet serrato is live in chico... jafet - you discovered what we are witnessing - is not an isolated incident??

That's right julia... i met with a chico state professor and he tells me regardless of tensions... the transition of power has always been peaceful.

"well this is a very unusual time."

Chico state professor robert tinkler knows history.

I asked him about the history the peaceful transition of power... in our country.

"for the most parts have all former presidents conceded peacefully?"

"it's only been since 1963 that there's been a formal transition process between presendencies.

President ford did it in 1976.

President carter did it in 1980.

President george herbert walker bush did it in 1992."

(nats: hail to the chief music) "there have definitely been two main instances i think where americans were concerned about an incoming presidency... one was in 1861 right after the election of abhrama lincoln.

Between the time lincoln was elected and the time he was inaugurated seven states in the deep south declared themselves out of the country.

They left the united states simply because the election of abrhama lincoln."

Tinkler says... after the civil war..

The election of 1876... between republican rutherford b hayes and democrat samuel tilden.

Election night -- neither side was willing to concede.

"there was this electoral commission that decided the election.

That last vote in the comission about assigning votes took place in february the 28th.

The president was inaugurated on march the fourth.

So the election wasnt decided until less than a week until the new president took over.

There were some people were saying if the election didnt go their way particulary democrats maybe there would be another civil war."

That did not happen.

Just as our country is divided now... that historic moment showed a fractured nation... that survived.

Tinkler also tells me with the short transition between president bill clinton and president george w bush - the 9-11 comission suggested it may have played a factor with the readiness for that terrorist attack.

Live in chico jafetserrato action news now coverage you can count on!

Incidentally... presidents john adams, john quincy adams and andrew johnson did*no* attend their successors inaugurations.

The world will be watching, come