U.S. Presidents and Key Historical Events

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering the key domestic and foreign policy events of U.S. Presidents recorded in the lecture notes.

George Washington🌸

The first president who established the Bill of Rights, the Judiciary Act of 1789, and a national bank. He responded to the Whiskey Rebellion to demonstrate government power and issued the Foreign Neutrality Proclamation.

John Adams🌸

President known for the Alien and Sedition Acts, the expansion of the navy, and the Judiciary Act of 1801 where he appointed Midnight Judges. His foreign policy was marked by the XYZ Affair.

Thomas Jefferson🌸

Doubled the size of the U.S. with the Louisiana Purchase and authorized the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Marbury vs Madison (judicial review) He passed the Embargo Act to avoid war and dealt with the Barbary Wars.

James Madison🌸

Led the U.S. through the War of 1812, during which the British burned the White House, and negotiated the Treaty of Ghent. (Also was one of the authors of the federalist papers)

James Monroe🌸

Presided over the Era of Good Feelings (everyone was democratic republican) and signed the Missouri Compromise (no slavery north of Missouri) to balance slave and free states, and established the Monroe Doctrine (America was closed to any colonization from Europe/others).

John Quincy Adams

Proposed the American System for roads and canals, which was largely blocked by Congress. His election was controversial due to the Corrupt Bargain (won presidency over Andrew Jackson through tricks). He also acquired Florida through the Adams-Onis treaty

Andrew Jackson🌸

Authorized the Indian Removal Act (Trail of Tears), destroyed the national bank during the Bank War, and implemented the spoils system.

Martin Van Buren

His presidency was defined by the Panic of 1837 (caused by Jackson) and the resulting economic depression.

William Henry Harrison🌸

Famous for the shortest presidency, dying one month after his long inaugural speech from pneumonia; known for the slogan Tippecanoe.❄❄❄ cold speech in rain

John Tyler

The first Vice President to become president after a death; he broke from his party, pushed for the annexation of Texas, and signed the Webster Ashburton Treaty.

John T(EXAS)yler

-ANNEXED TEXAS

James K Polk🌸

A proponent of Manifest Destiny and he added Texas, California, and the Oregon territory by winning the Mexican American war (treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo)

Polk⏩polka-dot ⏩Texas, California, Oregon

Zachary Taylor

A Mexican War HERO who opposed the expansion of slavery and died early in his term (OF CHOLERA).

Millard Fillmore🌸

Supported the Compromise of 1850 (it made new states be free of slaves, but made it easier for runaway slaves to be reported back to masters) and the Fugitive Slave Act, and opened trade relations with Japan.

Franklin Pierce🌸

Signed the Kansas Nebraska Act 🌵🌵🌵based on popular sovereignty, which led to the violence known as Bleeding Kansas.

Franklin Pierce- Kansas Nebraska

James Buchanan

Noted for weak leadership during the secession crisis, support for the Dred Scott decision (Black people aren’t citizens so the constitution doesn’t apply to them), and failing to prevent states from leaving the Union.

Abraham Lincoln🌸

Led the Union through the Civil War, issued the Emancipation Proclamation to free enslaved people, and preserved the United States.

Andrew Johnson

Handled Reconstruction with lenient policies toward the South (made North MAD), he also authorized the Alaska Purchase. (13TH, 14TH, 15TH amendments)

HE WAS IMPEACHED (broke Tenure of Office act)

Ulysses S Grant🌸

Focused on Reconstruction and protecting Black voting rights via the 15th Amendment, though his administration was marred by corruption scandals. Made Yellowstone the 1st. National Park

scandals: Credit Mobilier (railroads), Whiskey Ring, black friday

Rutherford B Hayes

Became president through the Compromise of 1877, which ended Reconstruction by removing federal troops from the South. it was a deal. rutherFRAUD 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨

James A Garfield

An anti-corruption president focused on civil service reform who was assassinated early in his term.

Chester A Arthur

Supported government reform through the Pendleton Civil Service Act (jobs given based on merit instead of political loyalty) and signed the Chinese Exclusion Act💔😢.

CHester ⏩ CHinese exclusion act!!🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳

Grover Cleveland (1st term)

A president known for fighting corruption, vetoing bills, and advocating for lower tariffs across two non-consecutive terms.

Wabash vs Illinois

Benjamin Harrison🌸

Increased government spending and passed the Sherman Antitrust Act (btw the other one is clayton) to regulate big business and monopolies.

Benjamin (SHER(SURE)MAN😄😄😄

Grover Cleveland (round 2)

Panic of 1893- a major economic depression that took place during Grover Cleveland's second term, during which he maintained the gold standard.

Hawaiian incident and revolution by Americans🌺🌺

William McKinley🌸

Led the U.S. during the Spanish American War, turning the country into a global power during a period of economic recovery.

GOT PUERTO RICO🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷, GUAM🇬🇺🇬🇺, PHILIPPINES🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭, AND HAWAII🏖🩴🌺☀🌺🏖

William (many territories) mckinley

Theodore Roosevelt🌸

A leader of the Square Deal (3 C’s: Consumer protection, corporate control like monopolies, and conservation🌳)who focused on trust busting, conservation of the environment, and the construction of the Panama Canal. (trust buster even though William Taft busted more)

BIG STICK POLICY🪾🪾🪾 🐻🐻🐻🪾🪾🪾

🪾🪾🪾🪾

MEAT INSPECTION ACT, FDA

William Howard Taft

Continued trust busting and implemented income tax, though his Dollar Diplomacy and tariff policies split his party.

ULTIMATE TRUST BUSTER!!! (Roosevelt took more credit.)

William TRUST BUSTER

Woodrow Wilson🌸

Pushed progressive reforms including the Federal Reserve and led the U.S. into World War I, later proposing the 14 Points.

THE 14 POINTS, LEAGUE OF NATIONS, AND CLAYTON ANTITRUST ACT WAS A WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOODROWWILSONWWWW

Warren G Harding

Promised a “return to normalcy” but had a presidency characterized by the Teapot Dome scandal and other corruption.

died of stroke

Calvin Coolidge

Advocated for small government and laissez faire policies to allow business growth; signed the Kellogg Briand Pact.

“The business of America is business”

quiet boi

Herbert Hoover🌸

President during the start of the Great Depression; associated with Hoovervilles and a response deemed too weak for the crisis. built Hoover Dam. Hawley Smoot Tariff

Franklin D Roosevelt🌸

Implemented the New Deal (3 R’S: RELIEF, RECOVERY, REFORM!) and Social Security to combat the Great Depression and led the U.S. through World War II.

SERVED 4 TERMS!! 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐

Harry Truman🌸

Finished WWII with the use of atomic bombs, implemented the Fair Deal(raise minimum wage, more social security, health, civil rights)

desegregated the military, and established the policy of containment during the start of the Cold War and the Korea conflict.

marshall plan- 13bill

Dwight Eisenhower🌸

Focused on stability, the creation of the national highway system, and managing Cold War tensions.

beginning of civil rights: bus boycott, brown v board, MLK

John F Kennedy🌸

His New Frontier included the Space Race and Civil Rights efforts; his term was noted for the Cuban Missile Crisis.

(Camelot presidency: perfect)

“ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country”

jFFFFFFFFk ➡➡➡new FFFFFFrontier

Lyndon B Johnson🌸

Passed the Great Society reforms, the Civil Rights Acts, and the Voting Rights Act, while escalating the Vietnam War (very into the war)

Richard Nixon🌸

Improved relations through Détente (especially with China), created the EPA, and ended the draft before resigning due to the Watergate scandal.

War Powers Act (need congress approval for war)

KENT STATE MASSACRE➡ BLAMEDDDD

Gerald Ford

Became president after Nixon's resignation and pardoned him in an attempt to stabilize the country.

first non elected pres

Jimmy Carter

Focused on human rights and the Camp David Accords, but faced an energy crisis, high inflation (stagflation), and the Iran Hostage Crisis.

Ronald Reagan🌸

Known for Reaganomics (tax cuts), a significant military buildup, and putting pressure on the Soviet Union during the Cold War. (Reagan doctrine is anti-com)

hostages in Iran were released the day on his 1st day!!!

“It’s always morning in America and MAGA”

George H W Bush

ENDED Cold War and led the Gulf War, but faced domestic economic issues regarding his taxes promise.

Operation DESERT STORM

Bill Clinton

President during an economic boom, welfare reform, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but faced impeachment due to a major scandal (sexual harrasment)

George W Bush

President during the 9/11 attacks who initiated the War on Terror, the Patriot Act, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.