U.S President Summaries

updated August 2025

George Washington (1789 - 1797)

The first President of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797, he set many precedents for the presidency and is known for leading the country during the Revolutionary War. Washington's leadership established the authority of the federal government and emphasized the importance of unity among the states.

• 1st president

• supported the 1st Bank of the United States

• served 2 terms

John Adams (1797 - 1801)

The second President of the United States, serving from 1797 to 1801. He was a key figure in the founding of the nation and played a significant role in the American Revolution, as well as in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. Adams was known for his strong advocacy for independence and his leadership in the Continental Congress.

• Federalist

• Sedition Acts

• Alien Laws

• XYZ Affair

• served 1 term

Thomas Jefferson (1801 - 1809)

The third President of the United States, serving from 1801 to 1809, he is best known for drafting the Declaration of Independence and expanding the United States through the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson's presidency included significant changes in policy and a strong emphasis on agrarianism. He promoted limited government and individual liberties.

• Democratic-Republican founder (Jeffersonian)

• Embargo Act — Non-Intercourse Act

• wanted a small military

• John Marshall

• Louisiana Purchase

  • James Monroe, Robert Livingston

• Meriwether Lewis, Willian Clark

• served 2 terms

James Madison (1809 - 1817)

The fourth President of the United States, serving from 1809 to 1817, he is known as the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in its drafting and ratification. Madison led the nation during the War of 1812 and supported a strong central government. He was a key advocate for the Bill of Rights and his presidency emphasized the need for a unified federal structure.

• Democratic-Republican Party founder

• Macon’s Bill No. 2

• War of 1812 — Treaty of Ghent (1814)

• Tariff of 1816

• Rejected Nationally Funded Roads

• served 2 terms

James Monroe (1817 - 1825)

The fifth President of the United States, serving from 1817 to 1825, known for the Monroe Doctrine, a policy that warned European powers against further colonization in the Americas. He also oversaw the "Era of Good Feelings" and the acquisition of Florida from Spain.

• Democratic-Republican

• “Era of Good Feelings”

• Panic of 1816

• Missouri Compromise

• Monroe Doctrine

• served 2 terms

John Quincy Adams (1825 - 1829)

The sixth President of the United States, serving from 1825 to 1829, renowned for his distinguished diplomatic career, particularly as Secretary of State, and for his strong stance against slavery after his presidency, although he is arguably more celebrated for his earlier accomplishments and his later work in the House of Representatives.

• Democrat

• Strong Nationalist

• Opposed Slavery

• Supported the building of nationally funded roads and canals

• served 1 term

Andrew Jackson (1829 - 1837)

The seventh President of the United States, serving from 1829 to 1837, primarily known for his presidency, which marked the rise of Jacksonian democracy, and his military career, particularly his victory at the Battle of New Orleans. He is also known for his controversial policies like the Indian Removal Act and his strong stance against the Second Bank of the United States. 

• Democrat

• “Bank War”

  • “Panic of 1837”

• Trail of Tears

• Common Man

  • Spoils System

• served 2 terms

Martin Van Buren (1837 - 1841)

The eighth President of the United States, serving from 1837 to 1841, known for his significant role in shaping the modern two-party political system in the United States. He was a key figure in the Democratic Party, serving as President Andrew Jackson's Secretary of State and Vice President before becoming the eighth U.S. President. Additionally, he is known for his efforts to establish an independent treasury and for his handling of the Panic of 1837.

• Democratic

• Divorce Bill

  • Independent Treasury Bill

• His delayed actions to end the Panic of 1837 caused the economic downturn to continue for many years

• served 1 term

William Henry Harrison (1841)

The ninth President of the United States, serving in 1841, known for his brief presidency, marked by the shortest term in U.S. history (30 days) and his death from illness shortly after inauguration. He is also remembered for his military career, particularly his victory at the Battle of Tippecanoe, which earned him the nickname "Old Tippecanoe". Additionally, his 1840 presidential campaign is notable for the "Log Cabin Campaign," which portrayed him as a man of the common people despite his elite background.

• Whig

• Died in Office on April 4, 1841

• served 1 term

John Tyler (1841 - 1845)

The tenth President of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845, gave American politics a broad swath of firsts. He was the first Vice President to ascend to the office of the Presidency, the first President to be expelled from his own political party and the first president to get married while in office.

• Whig

• Democrat at Heart

• Vetoes Bank of United States

• Lowered Tariff

• served 1 term

James K. Polk (1845 - 1849)

The eleventh President of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849, known for his significant contributions to American expansionism during his presidency. He is also recognized for his successful negotiation of the Oregon boundary with Great Britain and for leading the country into the Mexican-American War. Additionally, he achieved several key domestic policy goals, including the establishment of an independent treasury system and the reduction of tariff rates.

• Democrat

• Oregon Country with Britain

• Mexican-American War

• served 1 term

Zachary Taylor (1849 - 1850)

The twelfth President of the United States, serving from 1849 to 1850, known for his distinguished military career and his brief presidency. He served as a general in the U.S. Army for 40 years, earning the nickname "Old Rough and Ready" for his leadership in the Mexican-American War and other conflicts. He later became the 12th U.S. President, though his time in office was cut short by his death after only 16 months.

• Whig

• Underground Railroad

• Gold Rush

• Congressional Debate of 1850

• Died in Office on July 9, 1850

• served 1 term

Millard Fillmore (1850 - 1853)

The thirteenth President of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853, known for his role in passing the Compromise of 1850. This compromise temporarily resolved the issue of slavery in newly acquired territories from the Mexican-American War, though it also included the controversial Fugitive Slave Act.

• Whig

• Compromise of 1850

• Fugitive-Slave Law of 1850

• “2nd Era of Good Feelings”

• served 1 term

Franklin Pierce (1853 - 1857)

The fourteenth President of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857, known for his role in escalating tensions over slavery, which ultimately contributed to the Civil War. He is most associated with the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which he strongly supported, and his efforts to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act, both of which widened the divide between the North and South.

• Democrat

• Cuba/Nicaragua

• Transcontinental Railroad

• Kansas-Nebraska Act

• Lecompton Constitution with Kansas

• served 1 term

James Buchanan (1857 - 1861)

The fifteenth President of the United States, serving from 1857 to 1861, known for his presidency, which is often ranked as one of the worst in American history due to his perceived failure to prevent the nation from spiraling into the Civil War. He is also known for his political career, which included serving as a U.S. Senator, Secretary of State, and Minister to Great Britain. Additionally, he is noted for being the only lifelong bachelor to serve as president and for being the last president born in the 18th century.

• Democrat

• Dred Scott Case

• Panic of 1857

• John Brown

• served 1 term

Abraham Lincoln (1861 - 1865)

The sixteenth President of the United States, serving from 1861 to 1865, known for leading the United States through the American Civil War and for ending slavery. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all enslaved people in Confederate territory were to be freed. Lincoln's leadership during the war and his speeches, like the Gettysburg Address, are also central to his legacy.

• Republican

• Civil War

  • Emancipation Proclamation

• Assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865 at Ford’s Theater

• served 2 terms

Andrew Johnson (1865 - 1869)

The seventeenth President of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869 is known for becoming President after Abraham Lincoln's assassination, his controversial Reconstruction policies, and his subsequent impeachment by the House of Representatives.

• Democrat

• Reconstruction

• Clashes with Congress

  • Impeached — 1 Vote Shy of Being Removed from Office

• served 1 term

Ulysses S. Grant (1869 - 1877)

The eighteenth President of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877, known for his pivotal role as the Commanding General of the Union Army during the American Civil War, leading the Union to victory over the Confederate States. He is also known for his two terms as the 18th President of the United States (1869-1877). Beyond these, he is recognized for his nickname "Unconditional Surrender" Grant and his efforts to protect the rights of African Americans during Reconstruction.

• Republican

• Political Corruption

  • Credit Mobilier Scandal

• Panic of 1873

• served 2 terms

Rutherford B. Hayes (1877 - 1881)

The ninteenth President of the United States, serving from 1877 to 1881, implemented modest civil-service reforms that laid the groundwork for further reform in the 1880s and 1890s. He vetoed the Bland–Allison Act of 1878, which put silver money into circulation and raised nominal prices, but Congress overrode his veto.

• Republican

• Hayes-Tilden Standoff

  • Electoral Count Act (Compromise of 1877)

• Civil Rights Act of 1875

  • Jim Crow Laws

• served 1 term

James A. Garfield (1881)

The twentieth President of the United States, serving in 1881, remembered for his brief presidency and dramatic assassination. He was shot just months into his term and died from complications two months later. Prior to his presidency, he was a Civil War general, a nine-term Congressman, and a lawyer. He was also the last president to be born in a log cabin.

• Republican

• Assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau on September 19, 1881

• served 1 term

Chester A. Arthur (1881 - 1884)

The twenty-first President of the United States, serving from 1881 to 1884, remembered for his unexpected presidency after James A. Garfield's assassination, his support for civil service reform, and his role in modernizing the U.S. Navy. He also signed the Chinese Exclusion Act, the largest expansion of the U.S. Navy at the time, and battled against the "spoils system".

• Republican

• Pendleton Act of 1883

  • Attempted to stop political corruption

  • Civil Serice Commission

• served 1 term

Grover Cleveland (1885 - 1889)

The twnty-second President of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Democrat elected president after the Civil War.

• Democrat

• Proposed a lower tariff to Congress to bring lower prices to consumer-cost he and his party the next election

• served 1 term

Benjamin Harrison (1889 - 1893)

The twenty-third President of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893, oversaw significant legislative and foreign policy actions. His administration is noted for enacting the Sherman Antitrust Act, which empowered the federal government to investigate and prosecute monopolies, and the McKinley Tariff, which imposed high protective tariffs. He also facilitated the creation of national forests and strengthened the U.S. Navy. Furthermore, his presidency saw the addition of six new states, more than any other president.

• Republican

• Billion-Dollar Congress

• McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 — brought more economic troubles to farmers

• Sherman Silver Act Purchase of 1890 — precursor to the Panic of 1893

  • Depreciated the value of silver due to the drastic rise of silver in circulation

• served 1 term

Grover Cleveland (1893 - 1897)

The twenty-fourth President of the United States, serving from 1893 to 1897 and the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Democrat elected president after the Civil War.

• Democrat

• Panic of 1893

  • Sherman Silver Act Purchase of 1890

• Anti-Imperialist

• served 1 term

William McKinley (1897 - 1901)

The twenty-fifth President of the United States, serving from 1897 to 1901, until his assassination on September 14, 1901, after leading the nation to victory in the Spanish-American War and raising protective tariffs to promote American industry.

• Republican

• Gold Standard Act of 1900

• Imperialist

  • Annexation of Hawaii

• Assassinated by a dangerous anarchist on September 14, 1901

• served 1 term

Theodore Roosevelt (1901 - 1909)

The twenty-sixth President of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909, a prominent figure in Progressive Era politics and known for his assertive foreign policy, conservation efforts, and trust-busting. He also played a key role in ending the Russo-Japanese War and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for it.

• Republican

• Panama Canal

• Roosevelt Corollary

• Progressivism

• Panic of 1907

• served 2 terms

William Howard Taft (1909 - 1913)

The twenty-seventh President of the United States, serving from 1909 to 1913, but also the tenth Chief Justice of the United States (1921-1930). He is the only person to have held both of these positions.

• Republican

• Trust Breaker

• Progressivism

• served 1 term

Woodrow Wilson (1913 - 1921)

The twenty-eigth President of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921, known for his leadership during World War I, his creation of the League of Nations, and his progressive domestic policies. He spearheaded the effort to establish the League, a precursor to the United Nations, to promote international cooperation and peace. Domestically, he championed progressive reforms like child labor laws, worker's compensation, and the eight-hour workday for railroad workers.

• Democrat

• Federal Reserve Act

• World War I

  • Fourteen Points Address

  • League of Nations

  • Treaty of Versailles

• 18th Amendment — Prohibition

• 19th Amendment — Women Suffrage

• “Red Scare”

  • Nicola Sacco, Bartolomeo Vanzetti

• served 2 terms

Warren G. Harding (1921 - 1923)

The twenty-ninth President of the United States, serving from 1921 to 1923, his presidency is now remembered for the scandals that came to light after his death, most notably the Teapot Dome scandal.

• Republican

• “Roaring Twenties”

  • Automobile Industry”

  • Aviation Industry

  • Flappers

• Corruption

  • Teapot Dome Scandal

• Soft President

• Five Power Treaty/Four Power Treaty

• Died in Office on August 2, 1923

• served 1 term

Calvin Coolidge (1923 - 1929)

The thirtieth President of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929, signed into law the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, which granted U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans, and oversaw a period of rapid and expansive economic growth known as the "Roaring Twenties", leaving office with considerable popularity.

• Republican

• Capper-Volstead Act

• Dawes Plan of 1924

• served 1 term

Herbert Hoover (1929 - 1933)

The thirty-first President of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933, known for serving as the 31st U.S. President (1929-1933) and for his leadership during the Great Depression. Before his presidency, he was a successful mining engineer and humanitarian, notably leading the wartime Commission for Relief in Belgium and the U.S. Food Administration.

• Republican

• McNary-Haugen Bill

• Hawley-Smoot Tarigg

• The Great Depression

  • “Black Tuesday” (October 29, 1929)

• served 1 term

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1929 - 1933)

The thirty-second President of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933, known for his leadership during the Great Depression and World War II. He implemented the New Deal, a series of programs aimed at providing relief, recovery, and reform, and led the United States through the majority of World War II.

• Democrat

• New Deal

  • Relief, Recovery, Reform

  • Did Not Work

• World War II

  • Yalta Conference

• Died in Office on April 12, 1945

• served 4 terms

Harry S. Truman (1945 - 1953)

The thirty-third President of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953, known for his presidency, particularly for his decisions to drop the atomic bombs on Japan, ending World War II, and for his leadership during the early Cold War era. He also established the "Truman Doctrine," a policy of containing communism, and oversaw the Marshall Plan, which helped rebuild Europe after the war. Additionally, he desegregated the US armed forces.

• Democrat

• End of World War II

  • Division of Germany

  • United Nations

  • Postwar Economy

  • Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (Gl Bill)

• served 2 terms

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953 - 1961)

The thirty-fourth President of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961, known for his roles as both a successful military leader and a two-term U.S. President. He led the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, planning and executing the D-Day invasion of Normandy. As president, he oversaw the end of the Korean War, established the Interstate Highway System, and warned against the growing influence of the "military-industrial complex”.

• Republican

• Armistice signed — “ending” the Korean War

• McCarthyism

• “Operation Wetback”

  • Rounded up a million illegal Mexican immigrants

• Strategic Air Command (SAC)

• Space Race

  • Sputnik I and Sputnik II

  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

• served 2 terms

John F. Kennedy (1961 - 1963)

The thirty-fifth President of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845, gknown for his presidency, during which he faced the Cuban Missile Crisis and advocated for the Space Race. He was the youngest president ever elected, the first Catholic president, and the youngest to die in office. He also inspired a generation with his speeches and was the first president to win a Pulitzer Prize.

• Democrat

• Catholic

• New Frontier

  • Peace Corps

• Strategy of Flexible Response

• Bay of Pigs

  • Cuban Missile Crisis

  • Arms Race

• Tax Cuts

• Assassinated on November 22, 1963 by Lee Harvey Oswald

• served 1 term

Lyndon B. Johnson (1963 - 1969)

The thirty-sixth President of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969, nown for his ambitious domestic policy agenda, often referred to as the "Great Society," which aimed to eliminate poverty and racial injustice in the United States. He also significantly expanded the role of the federal government in social welfare programs and civil rights. Additionally, he is known for his handling of the Vietnam War, which became increasingly controversial during his presidency.

• Democrat

• Civil Rights

  • Civil Rights Act of 1964

  • Voting Rights Act of 1965

  • Affirmation Action

• Gulf of Tonkin

  • Vietnam War

• War on Poverty

  • “Great Society”

  • Medicare

  • Medicaid

• Counterculture

• served 2 terms

Richard Nixon (1969 - 1974)

The thirty-seventh President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974, known for his involvement in the Watergate scandal, and his subsequent resignation. He also played a significant role in ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and opening diplomatic relations with China.

• Republican

• Vietnamization

• Détente Policy with China and the Soviet Union

• End of Vietnam War

  • Last Americans were evacuated from Vietnam on April 29, 1975

  • Dr. Henry A. Kissinger

• Resigned from office in 1974 following the Watergate Scandal

• served 2 terms

Gerald Ford (1974 - 1977)

The thirty-eighth President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, known for his subsequent pardon of Nixon. He also served as the Vice President under Nixon prior to becoming President.

• Republican

• Helsinki Accords

• served 1 term

Jimmy Carter (1977 - 1981)

The thirty-ninth President of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845, known for his post-presidency work in promoting human rights and mediating international conflicts, which earned him the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. During his presidency, he focused on issues like energy conservation, tax reform, and social security. While his presidency is generally viewed as below average by historians and political scientists, his post-presidency efforts are highly regarded.

• Democrat

• Rising Inflation

• Oil Crisis

• Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

• Iranian Hostage Crisis

• served 1 term

Ronald Reagan (1981 - 1989)

The fortieth President of the United States, serving from 1981 to 1989, known for his impact on American conservatism, earning him the nickname "The Great Communicator". He implemented "Reaganomics," a set of economic policies focused on tax cuts, deregulation, and reduced government spending. In foreign policy, he is known for his strong stance against the Soviet Union during the Cold War and his role in the arms race.

• Republican

• Neo-conservatism

  • Reduced the size of the government

  • Cut taxes

  • Shrunk the federal budget

  • Supply-side Economics

  • Increase in Military Spending

  • Large increase in national debt

• Increasingly Friendly Relations with the Soviet Union

• served 2 terms

George Bush (1989 - 1993)

The forty-first President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993, nown for leading the country during the end of the Cold War and the Persian Gulf War. His administration also focused on domestic issues like the Americans with Disabilities Act. His son, George W. Bush, the 43rd President, is known for his response to the September 11th terrorist attacks, the "War on Terror," and domestic policies like the No Child Left Behind Act.

• Republican

• Persian Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm)

  • Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait

• Americans with Disabilities Act

• served 1 term

Bill Clinton (1993 - 2001)

The forty-second President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001, known for his economic policies that led to a period of sustained economic growth, his intervention in foreign conflicts like Bosnia and Kosovo, and his eventual impeachment by the House of Representatives.

• Democrat

• Favored minorities and women

• North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

• Impeached on charges of perjury

  • 2^nd president to be impeached

  • Not removed from office

• served 2 terms

George W. Bush (2001 - 2009)

The forty-third President of the United States, serving from 2001 to 2009, known for his presidency, particularly his response to the September 11th terrorist attacks, the subsequent "War on Terror," and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Domestically, he is known for his tax cuts, the No Child Left Behind Act, and the creation of Medicare Part D.

• Republican

• World Trade Center Attacks (September 11, 2001)

• Started War in Afghanistan

• Started War in Iraq

  • Capture of Saddam Hussein

• served 2 terms

Barack Obama (2009 - 2017)

The forty-fourth President of the United States, serving from 2009 to 2017, known for being the first African American to hold the office, and for his signature healthcare reform, the Affordable Care Act. He also ended the Iraq War, ordered the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, and received the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

• Democrat

• First African American to be President

• Affordable Health Care Act

• served 2 terms

Donald Trump (2017 - 2021)

The forty-fifth President of the United States, serving from 2017 to 2021, known for his career as a real estate developer and businessman, his reality television show "The Apprentice," and his presidency from 2017 to 2021. He also became known for his political movement "Trumpism," which is characterized by nationalism, populism, and a focus on "America First" policies. Additionally, he is known for his frequent use of false or misleading statements.

• Republican

• Impeached two times

  • Abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden family

  • Incitement of insurrection related to his attempt to overthrow the 2020 election

• Acquitted both times by Republican Senate majority

• served 1 term

Joe Biden (2021 - 2025)

The forty-sixth President of the United States, serving from 2021 to 2025, known for his long and distinguished career in US politics, holding prominent positions such as U.S. Senator for Delaware and Vice President under Barack Obama. He also served as the 46th President of the United States. Beyond these roles, he's recognized for his work on crime legislation, his advocacy for middle-class families, and his role in shaping foreign policy.

• Democrat

• Small Business Boom

• Inflation Reduction Act

• Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

• CHIPS and Science Act

• Largest Climate Investment in History

• Clean Energy Transition

Donald Trump (2025 - present)

The forty-seventh President of the United States, serving from 2025 till today, known for his career as a real estate developer and businessman, his reality television show "The Apprentice," and his presidency from 2017 to 2021. He also became known for his political movement "Trumpism," which is characterized by nationalism, populism, and a focus on "America First" policies. Additionally, he is known for his frequent use of false or misleading statements.