US Presidents Flashcards
1
Q
George Washington
Unaffiliated
A
1
1789 - 1797
- Established the Presidency: formation of the cabinet and peaceful transition of power
- Neutrality Proclamation (1793): Maintained American neutrality during European conflicts
2
Q
John Adams
Federalist
A
2
1797 - 1801
- Founded the Navy
- Alien and Sedition Acts (1789)
3
Q
Thomas Jefferson
Democratic Republican
A
3
1801 - 1809
- Louisianna Purchase (1803): doubled the size of the US, securing control of the Mississippi River
- Lewis and Clark Expedition: paved the way for westward expansion
4
Q
James Madison
Democratic Republican
A
4
1809 - 1817
- War of 1812: war against Britain which ended in a stalemate but fostered a sense of American nationalism
5
Q
James Monroe
Democratic Republican
A
5
1817 - 1825
- Monroe Doctrine (1823): Warned European nations against further colonization or intervention in the Americas, asserting the Western Hemisphere as the U.S.’s sphere of influence
6
Q
John Quincy Adams
Democratic Republican
A
6
1825 - 1829
- Advocating for Infrastructure: supported internal improvements like roads and canals
7
Q
Andrew Jackson
Democratic
A
7
1829 - 1837
- Indian Removal Act (1830): forced Native Americans west of the Mississippi river
- Bank War: centralized power in state-chartered banks
8
Q
Martin Van Buren
Democratic
A
8
1837 - 1841
- Panic of 1837: managed the first economic depression
9
Q
William Henry Harrison
Whig
A
9
1841
- Shortest Presidency: lasted only 31 days due to his death from pneumonia
10
Q
John Tyler
Whig
A
10
1841 - 1845
- Annexation of Texas (1845): Tyler worked to annex the Republic of Texas, which was key to the territorial expansion of the U.S.
11
Q
James K. Polk
Democratic
A
11
1845 - 1849
- Mexican-American War (1846–1848): Led the U.S. to victory, resulting in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which gave the U.S. large territories in the Southwest (including California, Nevada, and Arizona)
- Oregon Territory: Negotiated the Oregon Territory with Britain, securing the Pacific Northwest for the US
12
Q
Zachary Taylor
Whig
A
12
1849 - 1850
- died in office
13
Q
Millard Fillmore
Whig
A
13
1850 - 1853
- Compromise of 1850: set of laws aimed at resolving tensions over slavery
14
Q
Franklin Pierce
Democratic
A
14
1853 - 1857
- Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): Allowed settlers in those territories to decide on slavery, which escalated tensions leading to “Bleeding Kansas”
15
Q
James Buchanan
Democratic
A
15
1857 - 1861
- Failed to Address Secession: Buchanan’s inability to prevent the Southern states from seceding contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War
- Purchased Alaska
16
Q
Abraham Lincoln
Republican and National Union
A
16
1861 - 1865
- Civil War Leadership: Preserved the Union during the Civil War, ending slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and later pushing for the 13th Amendment (1865) to abolish slavery.
- Gettysburg Address (1863): Defined the Civil War as a fight for freedom and equality
17
Q
Andrew Johnson
National Union and Democratic
A
17
1865 - 1869
- Impeached
18
Q
Ulysses S. Grant
Republican
A
18
1869 - 1877
- Reconstruction: Worked to enforce civil rights laws, including the 15th Amendment (granting African Americans the right to vote) and combating the Ku Klux Klan
19
Q
Rutherford Hayes
Republican
A
19
1877 - 1881
- End of Reconstruction: With the Compromise of 1877, Hayes ended Reconstruction and withdrew federal troops from the South, though this led to the rise of segregationist policies
20
Q
James Garfield
Republican
A
20
1881
- Assassinated
21
Q
Chester Arthur
Republican
A
21
1881 - 1885
- Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act (1883): Established a merit-based system for federal employment, reducing corruption in government hiring
22
Q
Grover Cleveland
Democratic
A
22 and 24
1885 - 1889 and 1893 - 1897
- Interstate Commerce Act (1887): Regulated railroads to ensure fair rates and practices, helping curb monopolies.
- Panic of 1893: During his second term, Cleveland managed the financial crisis and the gold standard debate
23
Q
Benjamin Harrison
Republican
A
23
1889 - 1893
- Sherman Antitrust Act (1890): Pioneered legislation to combat monopolies
24
Q
William McKinley
Republican
A
25
1897 - 1901
- Spanish-American War (1898): Led the U.S. to victory over Spain, resulting in the acquisition of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, making the U.S. a global imperial power
25
Theodore Roosevelt
| Republican
26
| 1901 - 1909
## Footnote
* **Progressive Reforms**: Pushed for conservation efforts (establishing national parks), and the regulation of big businesses
* **Panama Canal:** Oversaw the construction of the Panama Canal, greatly enhancing U.S. trade and military mobility
26
William Howard Taft
| Republican
27
| 1909 - 1913
## Footnote
* **Trust-Busting**: Continued Roosevelt’s efforts to break up monopolies and regulate businesses
27
Woodrow Wilson
| Democratic
28
| 1913 - 1921
## Footnote
* **World War I Leadership**: Led the U.S. through World War I and promoted the League of Nations, although the U.S. never joined.
* **Fourteen Points**: Proposed a framework for peace, emphasizing self-determination and international cooperation
28
Warren Harding
| Republican
29
| 1921 - 1923
## Footnote
* **Return to Normalcy**: Focused on stabilizing the U.S. after WWI, though his administration was marred by corruption scandals (e.g., Teapot Dome)
29
Calvin Coolidge
| Republican
30
| 1923 - 1929
## Footnote
* **Economic Prosperity:** His laissez-faire policies helped spur the 1920s economic boom and contributed to a period of economic growth
30
Herbert Hoover
| Republican
31
| 1929 - 1933
## Footnote
* **Great Depression**: Though his presidency was marred by the onset of the Great Depression, Hoover took initial steps to combat the crisis through public works programs
31
Franklin D. Roosevelt
| Democratic
32
| 1933 - 1945
## Footnote
* **New Deal:** A series of programs to provide relief, recovery, and reform during the Great Depression.
* **World War II:** Led the U.S. through WWII, establishing the U.S. as a superpower and the creation of the United Nations
32
Harry Truman
| Democratic
33
| 1945 - 1953
## Footnote
* **End of WWII**: Authorized the use of atomic bombs on Japan, leading to the end of WWII.
* **Marshall Plan (1947**): Helped rebuild Europe post-WWII, preventing the spread of communism.
33
Dwight Eisenhower
| Republican
34
| 1953 - 1961
## Footnote
* **Interstate Highway System**: Oversaw the creation of the national interstate system
* **Cold War**: Managed tensions with the Soviet Union, including the beginning of the U.S.'s policy of containment
34
John F. Kennedy
| Democratic
35
| 1961 - 1963
## Footnote
* **Cuban Missile Crisis (1962**): Managed the Cuban Missile Crisis and avoided nuclear war.
* **Space Race**: Launched the Apollo program, aiming to land a man on the Moon
35
Lyndon B. Johnson
| Democratic
36
| 1963 - 1969
## Footnote
* **Civil Rights Act (1964)**: Ended segregation and secured voting rights for African Americans.
* **Great Society**: Expanded the welfare state with programs like Medicare and Medicaid
36
Richard Nixon
| Republican
37
| 1969 - 1974
## Footnote
* **Opening Relations with China (1972)**
* **Environmental Protection**: Established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and signed major environmental laws, such as the Clean Air Act (1970).
* **Watergate Scandal**: led to his resignation in 1974, making him the first president to resign from office
37
Gerald Ford
| Republican
38
| 1974 - 1977
## Footnote
* **Pardon of Nixon**: Ford controversially pardoned Richard Nixon for any crimes related to Watergate
* **Detente**: Continued Nixon's policies of detente, easing tensions with the Soviet Union and promoting nuclear arms control
38
Jimmy Carter
| Democratic
39
| 1977 - 1981
## Footnote
* **Camp David Accords (1978)**: Brokered peace between Egypt and Israel, a significant diplomatic achievement that earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.
* **Energy Policy**: Initiated energy reforms to address the oil crisis and promoted alternative energy sources
39
Ronald Reagan
| Republican
40
| 1981 - 1989
## Footnote
* **End of the Cold War**: Reagan's policies, including his military buildup and firm stance against the Soviet Union, were pivotal in the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.
* **Economic Policies**: Enacted supply-side economic policies ("Reaganomics") that lowered taxes, deregulated industries, and contributed to a prolonged period of economic growth.
* **Tax Reform Act (1986**): Significantly restructured the U.S. tax code, lowering tax rates and eliminating many loophole
40
George H.W. Bush
| Republican
41
| 1989 - 1993
## Footnote
* **End of the Cold War**: Oversaw the peaceful end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
* **Gulf War (1990–1991)**: Led a successful coalition to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait, solidifying U.S. influence in the Middle East
41
Bill Clinton
| Democratic
42
| 1993 - 2001
## Footnote
* **Economic Prosperity**: Presided over the longest peacetime economic expansion in U.S. history
* **North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)**: Helped implement NAFTA, creating a trilateral trade bloc with Canada and Mexico.
* **Welfare Reform**: Signed a major welfare reform bill that significantly changed the U.S. welfare system, promoting work-based assistance
42
George W. Bush
| Republican
43
| 2001 - 2009
## Footnote
* **9/11**: After the attacks, Bush launched the War on Terror, invading Afghanistan to dismantle al-Qaeda and the Taliban, as well as Iraq in 2003.
* **Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (2003)**: Expanded Medicare to cover prescription drugs for seniors, one of the largest expansions of the program since its inception.
* **No Child Left Behind Act (2001)**: Aimed at improving education standards by increasing accountability for schools
43
Barack Obama
| Democratic
44
| 2009 - 2017
## Footnote
* **Affordable Care Act (2010)**
* **Osama bin Laden's Death (2011)**
* **Economic Recovery**: Led the country through the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis
44
Donald Trump
| Rrepublican
45 and 47
| 2017 - 2021 and 2025 -
## Footnote
* **Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017)**: A major overhaul of the U.S. tax code, which lowered corporate tax rates
45
Joe Biden
| Democratic
46
| 2021 - 2025
## Footnote
* **Covid 19**
* **Withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan**
46
Which US presidents were assassinated?
1. Abraham Lincoln
2. James Garfield
3. William McKinley
4. John F. Kennedy
47
Which Presidents have won a Nobel Peace Prize
1. Theodore Roosevelt
2. Woodrow Wilson
3. Jimmy Carter
4. Barack Obama
48
Which Presidents have been impeached?
1. Andrew Johnson
2. Bill Clinton
3. Donald Trump
| none were convicted
49
Who was the youngest president?
Theodore Roosevelt
## Footnote
42 yo when he took office after McKinley was shot. However, JFK was the youngest elected at 43yo
50
Which state has produced the most US presidents?
Ohio or Virginia
| 8
51
Who was the first president to live in the white house
John Adams
52
First president born a US citizen
Martin Van Buren
53
How many state capitals are named after US presidents?
4
## Footnote
- Jackson, MI
- Jefferson CIty, MO
- Lincoln, NE
- Madison, WI
54
Which president's last name was originally Blythe
Bill Clinton
55
Who was the first president to name a woman in his cabinet?
FDR
