G. Washington First President Set lots of precedents – Bank of US – Veto – Whiskey Rebellion – Neutrality – Use of Cabinet – 2 terms No official party affiliation Heavily influenced by Hamilton
J. Adams Federalist XYZ Affair, Quasi War, Alien and Sedition Acts Loses re-election in very close election of 1800
T. Jefferson Democratic Republican 3 Way election of 1800 Lousiana Purchase Embargo Act Shrinks gov Does not try to overturn the bank Barbary Pirates War
J. Madison Democratic Republican “Father of the Constitution” Embargo War of 1812
J. Monroe D/R ** Last of “Founding Fathers” Era of Good Feelings Monroe Doctrine Missouri Compromise Panic of 1819
John Quincy Adams – New generation No clear party rivalry Corrupt Bargain election / Rivalry with Jackson Fails to adapt to electoral / campaigning shifts Single term
Andrew Jackson – Democrat Expands Presidential Power Expands Voting Rights Indian Removal Conflict with the Bank Love ‘em or hate ‘em figure Spurs growth of Whig Party “Mr. Marshall has issued his ruling.. Now let’s see him enforce it.”
Martin Van Buren Democrat “The Little Magician” Had been political brains behind Jackson Panic of term president
Harrison, Tyler Harrison – 1812 War Hero, Hard Cider Campaign – 1 st President to die in office (1 month) Tyler – “His Accidency” – Has little power / authority because he ascended / wasn’t elected Tyler – Annexes TX near end of term
James K. Polk Democrat The Dark Horse Manifest Destiny or Fight Mexican War Does not seek re- election
Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan Several “who cares” presidencies Real leaders were in Congress Their poor leadership contributed to the 1850s crises
Abraham Lincoln st Republican Speeches – “House divided”, “Gettysburg”, “2 nd Inaugural” Election spurs secession Key leadership in Civil War Biggest use of Prez power since Jackson Generous plan for reconstruction 1 st President Assassinated
Andrew Johnson Ascends due to Lincoln’s death Democrat / Southerner Clashes with Congress over Reconstruction Impeached over Tenure of Office Act Survives but is politically powerless after impeachment
Ulysses S. Grant War hero President – Great general – Bad president Freedmen votes helped elect him Many corrupt officials in his government Credit Moblier Scandal
Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, Harrison, Cleveland Weak “caretaker presidents” of the Gilded Age Time period of high voter participation, but few major differences in the ideology of the parties Republicans – Bloody Shirt, Tariffs, Pro-Business, Supported by Freedmen Democrats – Reinvention, New South, Supported by westerners and immigrants Compromise of 1877, Pendleton Act, Slaughterhouse Cases, Sherman Act Plessy v. Ferguson
William McKinley Hawaii Spanish American War / Philippines Open Door Policy Questions over Tariffs and Coinage of Silver Last Bloody Shirt
Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Conservation Big Stick Square Deal Progressives / Muckrakers Panama Treaty of Portsmouth
William Taft TR’s Successor Dollar Diplomacy Surprisingly Conservative Height of Immigration
Woodrow Wilson “Bull Moose” Election Surprisingly Progressive Interventionism in Caribbean Mexico Bank and trust reform Height of Lynching / Riots WWI / Treaty of Versailles Income Tax, Direct Election of Senators, Suffrage, Prohibition
Harding, Coolidge, Hoover “a return to normalcy” “the business of America is business” The “roaring 20s” Great Migration, Harlem Renaissance Consumer Economy / speculative buying Perceived wealth v. reality Isolationism Prohibition / Organized Crime 1929 Crash Start of Depression Trickle Down Economics
Franklin Roosevelt Height of Great Depression Brains Trust New Deal – Bank Holiday – Alphabet Agencies – Social Security – Fireside Chats Arsenal of Democracy / Lend Lease WWII “the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself
Truman End of WWII Start of Cold War / NATO Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan Containment Korean War – Desegregation of Military Maintaining New Deal Programs Taft Hartley Act “the buck stops here”
Eisenhower ( ) General – WWII D-Day Start of Arms Race Interstate Highway system Guatemala Interventions Start of Vietnam Brown v. Board of Ed. Federal De-Segregation New Youth Culture Quote: “beware the rise of the military industrial complex”
Kennedy ( ) only Catholic Prez Television Berlin Wall Bay of Pigs Cuban Missile Crisis Expansion of Vietnam Camelot image, Space program, Peace Corps “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”
Johnson ( ) Escalation of Vietnam Anti War / Anti Government Great Society Civil Rights Bills Hippies / Counterculture “I’m not going to send American boys over to do what Asian boys should be doing for themselves”
Nixon ( ) Expansion / End of Vietnam Détente Relations with China Watergate Man on the moon Institutes some Great Society Race Riots Roe v. Wade “you won’t have Richard Nixon to kick around anymore”
Ford ( ) Endgame of Vietnam Oil Problems / OPEC Challenge to US industry Inflation / Stagflation
Carter ( ) Governor of Georgia Camp David Accords Oil Crisis Iran Hostage Crisis Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan Inflation / Unemployment 3 Mile Island Disco
Reagan ( ) Cold War Re-intensification “Reaganomics” De-regulation Iran Contra Scandal Libya Issues Grenada “it’s morning in America” “the Soviet Union is an evil empire”
Bush (late 80s early 90s) Before Prez – Ambassador, CIA director, VP For Policy as Prez – Panama, Gulf War, Early Somalia Dom Policy as Pres – Continue Reagan era Deregulation – Recession that he refuses to name Quote: “Read my lips, no new taxes”
Clinton (90s) Before Prez 1. Governor of AR As Prez – Whitewater Scandal a. Real Estate Deal b. Special Prosecuter c. Lewinsky d. Impeachment e. Result – Tech Boom, Stock Market Boom – Waco, Oklahoma City – Somalia, Kosovo – 1 st WTC Bombing, Kenya/ Tanzania Embassy Bombings, USS Cole C. Quote: “It’s the economy, stupid!”
Bush II ( ) Before Prez – Oil Business, Baseball Business,Governor of TX – “Compassionate Conservative” As Prez – Influenced by old “neocons” – 9/11 – Afghanistan / Iraq Wars – Return to Reagan style Tax Cuts / De- Regulation – Hurricane Katrina – Great Recession of 2008 Quote ; “N. Korea, Iran, and Iraq constitute an axis of evil”
Obama ( Before President: – Community organizer, Senator (IL), 2004 convention As President – Great Recession of 2008 The Jobless Recovery – Health Care Law (Obamacare) – End of Iraq / Afghanistan Wars – Benghazi Attack – MidEast Revolutions … $4 gas Quote – “If you like the health insurance you have now, you can keep it.”