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Things I Should Know > US Presidents > Flashcards

US Presidents Flashcards

1
Q

George Washington

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
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2
Q

John Adams

A

2

1797 - 1801

  • Founded the Navy
  • Alien and Sedition Acts (1789)
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3
Q

Thomas Jefferson

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
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4
Q

James Madison

A

4

1809 - 1817

  • War of 1812: war against Britain which ended in a stalemate but fostered a sense of American nationalism
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5
Q

James Monroe

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
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6
Q

John Quincy Adams

A

6

1825 - 1829

  • Advocating for Infrastructure: supported internal improvements like roads and canals
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7
Q

Andrew Jackson

A

7

1829 - 1837

  • Indian Removal Act (1830): forced Native Americans west of the Mississippi river
  • Bank War: centralized power in state-chartered banks
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8
Q

Martin Van Buren

A

8

1837 - 1841

  • Panic of 1837: managed the first economic depression
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9
Q

William Henry Harrison

A

9

1841

  • Shortest Presidency: lasted only 31 days due to his death from pneumonia
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10
Q

John Tyler

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.
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11
Q

James K. Polk

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
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12
Q

Zachary Taylor

A

12

1849 - 1850

  • died in office
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13
Q

Millard Fillmore

A

13

1850 - 1853

  • Compromise of 1850: set of laws aimed at resolving tensions over slavery
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14
Q

Franklin Pierce

A

14

1853 - 1857

  • Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): Allowed settlers in those territories to decide on slavery, which escalated tensions leading to “Bleeding Kansas”
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15
Q

James Buchanan

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
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16
Q

Abraham Lincoln

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
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17
Q

Andrew Johnson

A

17

1865 - 1869

  • Impeached
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18
Q

Ulysses S. Grant

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
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19
Q

Rutherford Hayes

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
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20
Q

James Garfield

A

20

1881

  • Assassinated
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21
Q

Chester Arthur

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

A

22

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

A

23

1889 - 1893

  • Sherman Antitrust Act (1890): Pioneered legislation to combat monopolies
24
Q

William McKinley

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
Q

Theodore Roosevelt

A

26

1901 - 1909

  • 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
Q

William Howard Taft

A

27

1909 - 1913

  • Trust-Busting: Continued Roosevelt’s efforts to break up monopolies and regulate businesses
27
Q

Woodrow Wilson

A

28

1913 - 1921

  • 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
Q

Warren Harding

A

29

1921 - 1923

  • Return to Normalcy: Focused on stabilizing the U.S. after WWI, though his administration was marred by corruption scandals (e.g., Teapot Dome)
29
Q

Calvin Coolidge

A

30

1923 - 1929

  • Economic Prosperity: His laissez-faire policies helped spur the 1920s economic boom and contributed to a period of economic growth
30
Q

Herbert Hoover

A

31

1929 - 1933

  • 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
Q

Franklin D. Roosevelt

A

32

1933 - 1945

  • 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
Q

Harry Truman

A

33

1945 - 1953

  • 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
Q

Dwight Eisenhower

A

34

1953 - 1961

  • 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
Q

John F. Kennedy

A

35

1961 - 1963

  • 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
Q

Lyndon B. Johnson

A

36

1963 - 1969

  • 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
Q

Richard Nixon

A

37

1969 - 1974

  • 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
Q

Gerald Ford

A

38

1974 - 1977

  • 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
Q

Jimmy Carter

A

39

1977 - 1981

  • 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
Q

Ronald Reagan

A

40

1981 - 1989

  • 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
Q

George H.W. Bush

A

41

1989 - 1993

  • 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
Q

Bill Clinton

A

42

1993 - 2001

  • 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
Q

George W. Bush

A

43

2001 - 2009

  • 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
Q

Barack Obama

A

44

2009 - 2017

  • Affordable Care Act (2010)
  • Osama bin Laden’s Death (2011)
  • Economic Recovery: Led the country through the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis
44
Q

Donald Trump

A

45 and 47

2017 - 2021 and 2025 -

  • Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017): A major overhaul of the U.S. tax code, which lowered corporate tax rates
45
Q

Joe Biden

A

46

2021 - 2025

  • Covid 19
  • Withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan
46
Q

Which US presidents were assassinated?

A
  1. Abraham Lincoln
  2. James Garfield
  3. William McKinley
  4. John F. Kennedy
47
Q

Which Presidents have won a Nobel Peace Prize

A
  1. Theodore Roosevelt
  2. Woodrow Wilson
  3. Jimmy Carter
  4. Barack Obama
48
Q

Which Presidents have been impeached?

A
  1. Andrew Johnson
  2. Bill Clinton
  3. Donald Trump

none were convicted

49
Q

Who was the youngest president?

A

Theodore Roosevelt

42 yo when he took office after McKinley was shot. However, JFK was the youngest elected at 43yo

50
Q

Which state has produced the most US presidents?

A

Ohio

8

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