US Presidents 1-44

George Washington

• Served: 1789 – 1797• Vice President : John

Adams• First Lady: Martha

Washington• Party Affiliation:

None

• Commander of Continental Army• President of Constitutional Convention• Unanimously elected twice• Portrait on $1.00 Bill• Likeness carved on Mount Rushmore

John Adams

• Served: 1797 – 1801• Vice President:

Thomas Jefferson• First Lady: Abigail

Smith• Party Affiliation:

Federalist

• Successfully defended British Soldiers accused of murder in Boston Massacre

• Signed Declaration of Independence • Negotiated Treaty of Paris in 1783 ending the

American Revolution• First President to occupy White House• Father of the 6th President

Thomas Jefferson

• Served: 1801 - 1809• VIce President: Aaron

Burr, George Clinton• First Lady: Widowed

in 1782. • Party Affiliation:

Democratic-Republican

• Author of the Declaration of Independence.• Virginia Governor (1779 – 1781)• Financed Lewis and Clark Expedition• Portrait on $2.00 bill and Nickel• Likeness carved on Mount Rushmore

James Madison

• Served: 1809-1817• Vice President:

George Clinton, Elbridge Gerry

• First Lady: Dorothea Todd

• Party Affiliation: Democratic-Republican

• “Father of the Constitution:• Played a large role in drafting Bill of Rights• President during War of 1812

James Monroe

• Served: 1817 - 1825• Vice President: Daniel

Tompkins• First Lady: Elizabeth

Kortright• Party Affiliation:

Democratic- Republican

• Captured Florida from Spain• Signed Missouri Compromise, temporarily

setting slavery issue• Monroe Doctrine declared America closed to

further foreign colonization.

John Quincy Adams

• Served: 1825-1829• Vice President: John

Calhoun• First Lady: Louisa

Catherine Johnson• Party Affiliation:

Democratic-Republican

• Son of the 2nd president• Named “Old Man Eloquent” because of his

persuasive speeches• Member of congress for 18 years after he was

president

Andrew Jackson

• Served: 1829-1837• Vice-president: John

C. Calhoun• Party Affiliation:

Democratic• First Lady: Widowed

in 1828

• War Hero nicknamed ”Old Hickory”• Founder of Democratic Party• Indian Removal Act forced migration of

American Indians• On the $20.00 Bill

Martin Van Buren

• Served: 1837-1841• Vice-president:

Richard M. Johnson• Party Affiliation:

Democratic• First Lady: Widowed

in 1819

• Ran for president 3 times.• “O.K.” comes fro the campaign slogan “Old

Kinderhook”• Believed government role should be small

even in times of need• Helped form first “Political Machine,” an

organization that trades favors for votes.

William Henry Harrison

• Served: 1841• Vice-president: John

Tyler• Party Affiliation: Whig• First Lady: None

• First Whig president• Grandfather of the 23th president• Served shortest term of all presidents• First president to die on office. Died in the

White House.

John Tyler

• Served: 1841-1845• Vice-president: None• Party Affiliation: Whig• First Lady: Letitia

Christian and Julia Gardiner

• First vice President to become President• Because a president without any ties because

the Whigs disbanded• First President married in office• First impeach attempt (it Failed)• Set up trade relations with China

James Knox Polk

• Served: 1845-1849• Vice-president:

George M. Dallas• Party Affiliation:

Democratic• First Lady: Sarah

Childress

• First Dark-horse (little known) candidate• Mexican War Victory extended nation’s

boundaries to pacific ocean• Gold Rush spurred western expansion• Oregon Treaty established 48th parallel as

Canadian Border

Zachary Taylor

• Served: 1849-1850• Vice-president:

Millard Fillmore• Party Affiliation: Whig• First Lady: Margaret

Mackall Smith

• Called ”Old Rough and Ready” by his troops.• Never voted until his own presidential election• 1st election held at the same time in all states• Died in the Whitehouse after 16 months in

office

Millard Fillmore

• Served: 1850-1853• Vice-president: None• Party Affiliation: Whig• First Lady: Abigail

Powers

• Last Whig President• Compromise of 1850 delayed Civil War by 10

years• Enforced the Fugitive lave laws• Financed expedition to far East, opening door

to trade with japan

Franklin Pierce

• Served: 1853-1857• Vice-president:

William R. King• Party Affiliation:

Democratic• First Lady: Jane

Means Appleton

• Supported immigrant rights• Unsuccessful attempt to seize Cuba From

Spain• Purchase Land from Mexico, establishing

present border• Passed controversial Kansas-Nebraska Act,

nullifying Missouri Compromise

James Buchanan

• Served: 1857-1861• Vice-president: John

C. Breckinridge• Party Affiliation:

Democratic• First Lady: Never

Married

• Only Bachelor President• 40 years prior service in Congress and senate• Campaigned on “Save the Union” theme• During presidency, six slave states seceded to

form new “Confederate States of America”• Democrats split into North and South during

1860 presidential election, but neither would re-nominate him.

Abraham Lincoln

• Served: 1861-1865• Vice-president:

Hannibal Hamiln, Andrew Johnson

• Party Affiliation: Republican

• First Lady: Mary Todd

• President during the Civil War• Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves• Assassinated beginning of the 2nd term• Portrait on $5.00 bill and penny• Likeness carved on Mount Rushmore

Andrew Johnson

• Served: 1865-1869• Vice-president: None• Party Affiliation:

Union• First Lady: Eliza

McCardle

• Only southern senator during the Civil War who refused to secede with his state

• 1st impeachment vote by House of Representatives, acquitted by Senate

• Start of Southern Reconstruction• Slavery officially abolished• Purchased Alaska from Russia

Ulysses Simpson Grant

• Served: 1869-1877• Vice-president:

Schuyler Colfax, Henry Wilson

• Party Affiliation: Republican

• First Lady: Julia Dent

• General-in-Chief of the union Army• Continued Reconstruction of the South• Established Yellowstone National Park• Portrait on $50.00

Rutherford B. Hayes

• Served: 1877-1881• Vice-president:

William A Wheeler• Party Affiliation:

Republican• First Lady: Lucy Ware

Webb

• Volunteer counsel for Underground Railway helping slaves win their freedom

• Congress had to create special electoral Commission to decide deadlock presidential election.

• Declared winner just 56 hours before inauguration

• Withdrew Troops from South

James Abram Garfield

• Served: 1881• Vice-president:

Chester Alan Arthur• Party Affiliation:

Republican• First Lady: Lucretia

Rudolph

• Served 6 months• 2nd president to be assassinated• Alexander Graham Bell tried unsuccessfully to

locate bullet in Garfield's back• Death served as catalyst for civil service reform

Chester Alan Arthur

• Served: 1881-1885• Vice-president: None• Party Affiliation:

Republican• First Lady: Widowed

in 1880

• Defender of Civil Right for Blacks• Passed first Civil service Law• Modernized Navy• Unsuccessfully vetoed bill prohibiting Chinese

immigration

Grover Cleveland

• Served: 1885-1889• Vice-president:

Thomas A. Hendricks• Party Affiliation:

Democratic• First Lady: Frances

Folsom

• 1st Democratic president after the Civil War• Married in White House• Dedicated Statue of Liberty• Forced return of illegal railroad lands

Benjamin Harrison

• Served: 1889-1893• Vice-president: Levi P.

Morton• Party Affiliation:

Republican• First Lady: Caroline

Lavinia Scott

• Called “ little Ben” because of his size• Grandson of 9th president• Established first Pan American Congress• Enlarged the Navy