US Politicians Flashcards
Aaron Burr
1756-1836 American politician from Newark, NJ - 3rd VP of USA (1801-05); Senator (Dem Rep - NY - 1791-97) - Served as a Continental Army officer in Revolutionary War; then became successful lawyer - Killed his political rival Alexander Hamilton in a duel - Later traveled west seeking new opportunities, which eventually led to his arrest on charges of treason in 1807, for allegedly attempting to create an independent country from land in TX
Alexander Hamilton
1755-1804 -1st US Sec of Treasury 1789-95 - Major General of US Army - Born in Nevis and orphaned - Founded Federalist Party - Established national bank and tariffs- Lived in NY - Killed in duel with Aaron Burr at age 47
Alexander Hamilton Stephens
1812-83 American politician from GA - Vice-Pres of CSA 1862-65 - Rep from GA 1843-59 y 1873-82 - Gov of GA 1882-83 - Early Whig Party friend of Lincoln
Benjamin Franklin
1706-1790 American founding father, author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, y inventor from Boston - President of Pennsylvania (1785-88); US Postmaster General (1st - 1775-76); US Minister to France (1778-85) - Became a successful newspaper editor in Philadelphia, with the Pennsylvania Gazette - Published Poor Richard’s Almanack from 1732-58 - Major figure in the development of positive relations with France - Among his many inventions were the lightning rod, glass harmonica, Franklin stove, y bifocal glasses
William M(agear) “Boss” Tweed
1823-1878 American politician from NYC - Grand Sachem of Tammany Hall (1858-71); US Rep (D-NY - 1853-55); NY State Senator (1868-73) - Notable for being the “boss” of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th century NY - 3rd largest landowner in NYC, director of the Erie Railroad, y the Tenth National Bank - Convicted for stealing millions through political corruption, y died in jail, despite one successful escape to Spain
Caspar Weinberger
1917-2006 American politician from CA - Sec of Defence 1981-87 (3rd longest); Sec of Health 1973-75; Chairman of FTC 1969-70 - US Army infantry captain during WWII - Accomplished businessman y prominent Republican - Key roles in SDI y Iran-Contra - Pres Medal of Freedom 1987
Charles G(ates) Dawes
1865-1951 American politician y banker from OH - Ambassador to UK (1929-31); Vice President (1925-29) - Awarded Nobel Peace Prize for work on the Dawes Plan for German reparations after WWI - Only VP to be credited with a No. 1 pop hit, for writing the music for It’s All in the Game (1958-sung by Tommy Edwards)
Charles Sumner
1811-74 American politician from MA - Senator (1851-74 - R-MA); Chair of Senate Foreign Relations Committee (1861-71) - Leader of the Radical Republicans in the Senate during the Civil War working to destroy the Confederacy - Savagely beaten on the Senate floor by representative Preston Brooks after giving an intense anti-slavery speech called “The Crime Against Kansas” - Fought hard to provide equal civil y voting rights for the freedmen during Reconstruction
Clare Boothe Luce
1903-1987 from NYC - 1st American woman appointed to a major ambassadorial post abroad - Ambassador to Italy 1953-56 - To Brazil 1959 - Rep from CT 1943-47 (R) - Wrote 1936 hit play The Women - wife of Henry Luce, publisher of Time, Life, and Fortune
Cordell Hull
1871-1955 American politician - Sec of State (1933-44 under Roosevelt-Longest term) - Senator (D-TN-1931-33) - House of Reps (1907-31) - Received Nobel Peace Prize in 1945 for his role in establishing the United Nations.
Daniel Inouye
1924-2012 American Senator from Hawaii (1963-2012) - 2nd longest serving senator after Byrd - Pres Pro Tem (2010-12) making him highest-ranking Asian American politician in U.S. history - Lost an arm in WWII
Daniel Webster
1782-1852 American statesman from NH - Sec of State (1841-43 y 1850-52) - Senator from MA (1827-41 y 1845-50) - House of Reps (1813-17 NH, y 1823-27 MA) - Whig Party pres nominee 1836, 1840, 1852 - Great orator
Davy Crockett
1786-1836 American folk hero, politician, y frontiersman from TN - AKA the “King of the Wild Frontier” - US Rep (1827-1835 -TN) - Opposed Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act, y was not re-elected - Planned to settle in TX, but was killed defending the Alamo in 1836
Dean Rusk
1909-1994 American politician (D-GA) - Sec of State (1961-69 under JFK and LBJ) - Tied for 2nd longest serving with Seward (after Hull)
Elihu Root
1845-1937 American statesman y lawyer from NY - Secretary of State (1905-09); Secretary of War (1899-1904); Senator from NY (1909-15) - Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1912 for his strong interest in international arbitration y his plan for a world court - Worked in colonial administration of the Philippines y Cuba
Elliot Richardson
1920-1999 American politician from Boston - Sec of Defense 1973; Sec of Commerce 1976-77; Attorney General 1973; Sec of Health 1970-73; Ambassador to UK 1975-76 - Tied for most cabinet positions in history (4) with George Schultz.
Eugene V. Debs
1855-1926 from IN - American socialist party leader - Ran for president 5 times between 1900-1920 - Founded Industrial Workers of the World - Imprisoned in 1918 for denouncing participation in WWI
Frances Perkins (Fannie Coralie Perkins)
1880-1965 American sociologist y workers-rights advocate from Boston - First woman appointed to the US Cabinet: served as Secretary of Labor (1933-45 - longest term) - Executed many aspects of the New Deal, incl. Social Security y the Civilian Conservation Corps - Dept of Labor HQ building in DC named after her
George Schultz
1920- American statesman from NYC - Sec of State (1982-89); Sec of Treasury (1972-74); Sec of Labor (1969-70); Director of Budget Office (1970-72) - Tied for most cabinet positions (4) with Elliot Richardson
Hattie Wyatt Caraway
1878-1950 American politician from TN - First woman elected to serve a full term as a US Senator, representing Arkansas (1931-45) - Husband Thaddeus was also a Senator y Representative (1912-31)
Henry Clay
1777-1852 from KY - Secretary of State under JQ Adams (1825-29) - Served in House and Senate (intermittently 1806-52) - Speaker three terms - Great orator - Founded Whig party - War hawk in 1812
Henry Kissinger
1923- American diplomat born in Germany - Sec of State 1973-1977 under Nixon y Ford - National Security Advisor - Nobel Peace Prize - Negotiated the Paris Peace Accords, ending American involvement in the Vietnam War - Proponent of Realpolitik
Hiram Rhodes Revels
1827-1901 Afr-American politician y minister - 1st Afr-American to serve in Congress y Senate - Senator 1870-71 (R-Mississippi) - Worked as chaplain in Union Army during Civil War
Horace Greeley
1811-72 - Rep from NY 1848-49 - Dem pres candidate 1872, only to die before electoral votes cast - Editor of NY Tribune - Popularized phrase “Go West, young man, and grow up with the country”
Huey Long
1893-1935 from Louisiana - Populist - Governor of LA 1928-32 - Senator 1932-35 - Best known for his Share Our Wealth program, and motto “Every Man a King” - Assassinated by son of a political enemy
James Oglethorpe
1696-1785 British politician from Surrey - Founded the Colony of Georgia in 1732, y served as Governor of Georgia (1732-43) - Worked for social reform, y tried to settle “worthy poor” from England’s debtors prisons in the new colony
Jeanette Rankin
1880-1973 American politician from MT - 1st female member of Congress (R-MT) - House Rep (1917-19, y 1941-43) - Pacifist, voted against entry into both world wars (only vote against WWII)
Jefferson Davis
1807-1889 - Pres of CSA 1862-65 - US Sec of War 1853-57 - Senator and Rep from MS before Civil War - Attended West Point, was Lt in US Army - Not a good wartime leader - Not convicted of treason after war
John Dingell
1926- American representative from MI (D) - Longest serving member of Congress 1955-2015 (59 yrs) - WWII vet - Pres Medal of Freedom 2014
John Foster Dulles
1888-1959 American politician from DC - Sec of State (1953-59 under Eisenhower) - Senator (R-NY-1949) - Anti-communist
John Hancock
1737-1793 American merchant, smuggler, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution - Pres. of 2nd Continental Congress 1775-77 - 1st y 3rd Gov. of MA 1780-85, 1787-93 - One of wealthiest men in colonies - Famous signature
John Winthrop
1587-1649 English Puritan leader - Founder of Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630 - 1st colony after Plymouth) - Governor of same for 12 years - Called it a “City Upon a Hill” (Matthew 5:14)
Nellie Tayloe Ross
1876-1977 American politician from MO - The first woman to be sworn in as governor of a US state - Governor of Wyoming (1925-27); Director of US Mint (1933-53) - Husband William B. Ross was also Governor of WY (1923-24)
Patrick Henry
1736-99 American founding father - Remembered for his “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech (1775) - One of the most influential champions of Republicanism y enthusiastic promoter of American Revolution - Gov of VA (1776-79 y 1784-86)
Robert Byrd
1917-2010 U.S. senator from WV (D) - Longest serving senator 1950-2010 (57 yrs) - 2nd longest congress member - Served as Pres Pro Tem, Whip, Maj/Min Leader - Also House of Reps 1953-59
Robert F(rancis) Kennedy
1925-1968 American politician from MA - Attorney Gen (1961-64 - appointed by brother JFK); Senator (D-NY 1965-68) - Graduated Harvard after serving in Navy during WWII - Seen as an icon of modern American liberalism - Wrote The Enemy Within (1960 - about corruption in organized labor) - Assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan in Los Angeles while running for pres.
Robert McNamara
1916-2009 American - Sec of Defense 1961-68 - Responsible for escalation of Vietnam War - Pres of World Bank 1968-81 - Subject of “The Fog of War” documentary
Roger Williams
1603-1683 English colonial leader - Puritan then later Baptist theologan who founded Rhode Island (Providence Plantation) in 1636, after being expelled by the Puritans - Early proponent of religious freedom, abolition, y separation of church y state - Pres of RI Colony (1654-57)
Sam Houston
1793-1863 American politician y soldier - Best known for role in bringing Texas into USA - Victory at Battle of San Jacinto against Mexico - Gov of TX 1859-61, Gov of TN 1827-29 - Only state Gov to have been head of foreign nation (Republic of TX)
Samuel Adams
1722-1803 from Boston - 2nd cousin of John Adams - Founding father y influential starter of American Revolution - Governor of MA 1794-97
Samuel Rayburn
1882-1961 - Representative (D-TX) 1913-61 - Speaker three separate times between 1940-61, total 17 years (longest)
Shirley Chisholm
1924-2005 American politician from NYC - Sec. of the House Democratic Caucus (1977-81); Rep. from NY (1969-83); NY State Assembly (1965-68) - 1st African-American female member of Congress - 1st Afr-American candidate for a major party’s presidential nomination (1972) - Posthumous Pres. Medal of Freedom in 2015
Susanna M(adora) Salter
1860-1961 American politician from KS - Served as mayor of Argonia, Kansas (pop. 500) from 1887-88 for the Prohibition Party - Was the first woman elected as mayor, y one of the first women elected to any political office in the US - Did not realize she was jokingly put on ballot until Election Day, but got the support of Women’s Christian Temperance Union y Republican Party
Tip O’Neill (Thomas Phillip)
1912-94 - Representative from MA 1953-87 - Outspoken liberal Democrat - Speaker of the House 1977-87 (2nd longest speaker term)
William Jennings Bryan
1860-1925 - Sec of State under Wilson (1913-15) - House Rep (D-NE-1891-95) - Ran for pres 3 times (1896, 1900, 1908) - Resigned in 1915 over WW1 pacifism - Great orator - Called “The Great Commonor” - Anti-Darwinist, prosecutor in Scopes Trial
William Penn
1644-1718 English nobleman from London - Given a large piece of land by Charles II in 1681 as debt repayment to Penn’s father, which he used to found the Province of Pennsylvania - Early supporter of American colonial unification, known for his pacifism y democratic principles - Early Quaker convert, wrote the book No Cross, No Crown (1669) while in prison due to his faith
William H(enry) Seward
1801-1872 American statesman from NY - Sec of State (1861-69 under Lincoln y Johnson) - Senator (1849-61-R-NY) - Gov of NY (1839-42) - Negotiated the Alaska purchase in 1867
