16 Must Know Presidents/People (APUSH)
All of the figures explicitly stated by College Board in the APUSH curriculum.
1.) Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790; Periods 2/3)
“Join or Die” (Published in 1754, Pennsylvania Gazette)—> Famous cartoon of a disembodied snake; to show the disunity of the American colonies; right before the 7 Years War
Albany Plan Union
Helped draft the Declaration of Independence; helped with the Constitution
Poor Richard’s Almanack— a way to spread information to those who are not wealthy; annual reports on weather, politics, and other information related to farmers.
Deist—> believed in the existence of a God, but also believed the creator did not intervene.
2.) Thomas Paine (1737-1809; Period 3)
Common Sense: argued that it was contrary to common sense/logic for the large land of America to be governed by a country as small as England.
American Crisis: series of pamphlets; written to strengthen the resolve of the colonists during the Revolutionary War
3.) George Washington (1732-1799; Period 3)
Commander-in-Chief Revolutionary War
First president of the United States (voted into office by other representatives)
Supported idea of a National Bank (Government voted to pass Hamilton’s Federal Bank)
Leaned Federalist; Refused to assume an official political party
First Term coincided with the French Revolution; many Americans debated whether to join the French, support them, go against them, or neither.
Democratic-Republicans and Jefferson sympathized with the French Revolution, and advocated for U.S. support of the French.
Proclamation of Neutrality (1793): With debated of whether the U.S. should support the French or not, Washington released a proclamation declaring the U.S.’s stance of neutrality, in which he believed the U.S. was too young to get involved with another war. (Jefferson resigned from the Cabinet in anger over this action)
Jay’s Treaty (1794):
British began to seize American Merchant Ships, which angered Americans
Washington sent Chief Justice John Jay to Britain to negotiate; after years of negotiation, Jay brought back a treaty in which the British agreed to evacuate ports in the Western Frontier, but never specified anything about the ships
Angered Americans, but was successful in Washington’s attempts to avoid a war with France. Washington believed the nation was too young to begin a conflict again with another country.
Pickney’s Treaty (1795):
Negotiated by U.S. minister to Spain Thomas Pickney
After Jay’s Treaty, Spain feared that the British-American alliance was getting too strong. In response, they negotiated a deal where Spain would open the lower Mississippi River and New Orleans to American trade, and in return, they established the northern Florida Boundary to the 36th parallel.
Whiskey Rebellion (1794):
Rebel farmers, angry with Hamilton’s excise taxes placed on whiskey, violently attacked tax revenue collectors.
In response, Washington federalized 15,000 militiamen and placed them under Alexander Hamilton’s command.
This show of force proved the Constitution could be strong enough, in comparison to the weak response to Shay’s Rebellion under the Articles of Confederation.
Set the precedent—>
First to appoint a Cabinet
Resigned after 2 terms—> basis for the 22nd amendment (term limits)
Farewell Address (1796): Washington warned U.S.…
not to interfere with European affairs
not to form “permanent alliances”
not to form political parties
not to fall into sectionalism
4.) John Adams (1735-1826; Period 3)
Vice President to Washington
2nd President (beat former secretary of state Thomas Jefferson, who became Vice President, by 3 electoral votes)
First president to live in the White House
Presidency also bore the weight of French conflicts with the British.
XYZ Affair/Quasi-War with France (Undeclared naval war with France)
French warships and privateers began seizing American merchant ships, which angered Americans.
Adams sent delegates to resolve the situation, and met with 2 French representatives (identities have never been revealed, so they are addressed as X,Y, and Z) who asked for money and bribes in order to start negotiations with the French. The American Delegates refused.
When the news got out to the Americans, the nation was outraged, and they began advocating for war.
Despite this, Adams refused to go to war with the French and instead sent new delegates to negotiate the peace talks. This angered many Americans, but Adams believed the nation’s Army and Navy were too weak to enter a new war.
Alien and Sedition Acts
Anger at the French popularized Federalists for the next congressional election, and so the new Congress authorized by Federalists used their power against their political rivals.
Naturalization Act: Since immigrants were more likely to vote Democratic-Republican, Congress increased the required time for immigrants to be granted U.S. citizenship from 5 to 14 years.
Alien Act: Declared that the president could deport any alien considered to be dangerous and also to detain suspected aliens in times of war
Sedition Acts: Declared that newspaper writers and editors could not challenge the president or Congress, and could be fined or imprisoned if they were to do so.
Angered Americans; led to Adams’ presidential demise
Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
Democratic-Republicans argued that the Alien and Sedition Acts were illegal, but the Supreme Court had not yet established Judicial Review
Kentucky Legislature adopted a resolution written by Thomas Jefferson, and Virginia Legislature adopted a resolution written by James Madison
Both resolutions declared that the states could nullify federal laws
Foreshadowing for the Nullification Crisis of 1832-33
Adams helped build up the U.S. Navy; felt it was necessary to the nation’s defense
5.) Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826; Periods 3-4)
Author of Declaration of Independence
Sympathized for those in the French Revolution
3rd President of the United States; First Democratic president
Revolution of 1800
Peaceful transition of power (Federalists—>Democratic-Republicans)
Jefferson called this the “Bloodless Revolution”
Despite the fact that Hamilton disliked Jefferson, he advocated for his presidency against Aaron Burr
Cut the budget for the military and slashed the unpopular excise tax on whiskey
Barbary Wars
Jefferson refused to pay tribute to the Northern Barbary states, instead sending a naval squadron to fight the Barbary pirates who were harassing American commerce in the Mediterranean.
American victory
Louisiana Purchase (1803): though he was a strict constructionist himself, and he recognized that the Constitution left no actual provisions on federal purchase of land, Jefferson pushed his beliefs aside to buy the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon.
Second Term: Jefferson tried strongly to avoid American involvement in the Napoleonic wars, and in an attempt to avoid conflict, issued the Embargo Act (1807)
Embargo Act of 1807: closed all U.S. exports and restricted U.S. imports
American economy suffered; the embargo isolated the U.S. from international trade.
6.) James Madison (1751-1836; Periods 3-4)
“Father of the Constitution”
1/3 writers of the Federalist Papers essays
Promoted the Bill of Rights
Supported by Thomas Jefferson
Was a big part in the creation of the Democratic-Republican Party along with Thomas Jefferson
Had to deal with the Napoleonic Wars, just like Jefferson, but unlike him, Madison followed through on war.
Nonintercourse Act of 1809
After the repeal of the Embargo Act
Americans could now trade with all nations except Britain or France
The War of 1812
Neither Britain nor the United States wanted to end in war, but war broke out.
Causes: 1.) British Impressment of American Sailors, and 2.) Britain’s limited aid to Tecumseh, a man with efforts to form an Indian confederacy
Madison was finally convinced to declare war because of political pressures from War Hawks (led by Henry Clay of Kentucky and John C. Calhoun of South Carolina)
Not many Americans were in support of the war
General William Henry Harrison and General Andrew Jackson became war heroes
Resolved by the Treaty of Ghent (1814)—> war ended in a stalemate
Led to the Era of Good Feelings (strong sense of nationalism)—> stopped at the Panic of 1819
7.) Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804; Periods 3-4)
Federalist
Helped draft the Constitution
First Secretary of the Treasury
Self-taught lawyer
National Bank
Used the “Necessary and Proper Clause” to open and argue for the national bank
Reasons for wanting the National Bank:
Pay off the national debt at face value and assume state debts
Protect the young nation’s industries and collect revenue at the same time by imposing high tariffs on imported goods
Create a national bank for depositing government funds and printing banknotes which would create a national currency
Washington signed the bill for the National Bank; stock was open to the public in 1791
Opponents of this plan were largely Anti-Federalists, who feared states would lose power
Thomas Jefferson and other southern Anti-Federalists believed the bank would only benefit the rich at the expense of indebted farmers
Bank would fail to be rechartered in 1811 by James Madison
Died in a duel in which Aaron Burr fatally shot him
8.) Andrew Jackson (1767-1845; Period 4)
War hero from the War of 1812
“Age of the Common Man” or “Jacksonian Democracy”
The implementation of “Universal Male Suffrage” helped create this “Common Man” era; now normal farmers and such could vote regardless of their social class or religion
Became a symbol of the developing working class and middle class (the so-called common man)
Vetoed more bills than all 6 preceding presidents combined
Peggy Eaton Affair
Peggy Eaton was the wife of Jackson’s secretary of war
She was subject to gossip from many of the cabinet wives, similar to what Jackson’s late wife had been a victim of during his 1928 campaign
In response, Jackson tried to force the other cabinet wives to accept her, and as a result, most of his cabinet members resigned; this also contributed to the resignation of Jackson’s first Vice President, John C. Calhoun.
Martin Van Buren of New York stayed loyal to Jackson during this controversy, and in return, he was chosen as Vice President for Jackson’s second term
Indian Removal Act (1830)
Jackson sympathized with land-hungry citizens who wanted lands held by Native Americans
This act forced the resettlement of thousands of Native Americans west of the Mississippi
The Cherokees challenged Georgia in the courts (Georgia and other states had passed laws forcing Natives to resettle)
Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831)—> Supreme Court ruled that the Cherokees were not a foreign nation with the right to sue in a federal court
[Second Case] Worcester v. Georgia (1832)—>ruled that the laws of Georgia had no force within the Cherokee territory—> Court was powerless to act on their decision without Jackson’s support; Jackson sided with the states
Trail of Tears: the U.S. Army forcing thousands of Cherokees to leave Georgia resulted in over 4,000 deaths of Cherokees on their journeys West.
Nullification Crisis (1828-1833)
John C. Calhoun’s nullification theory suggested that each state had the right to decide whether to obey a federal law or declare it null/void (no effect).
South Carolina declared the Tariff of 1828—also known as the “Tariff of Abominations”— to be unconstitutional.
In 1832, Calhoun’s South Carolina met in a special convention to nullify both the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832, passing a resolution forbidding collection of tariffs within the state.
In response, Jackson told the secretary of war to prepare to use force onto the state, and he released a Proclamation stating that nullification and disunion were treason.
Federal troops never dispatched, but Jackson allowed there to be compromise by suggesting that Congress lower the tariff, which led to South Carolina postponing the nullification, and eventually formally rescinding it.
Jackson worried about the Antislavery Movement, using executive power to prevent antislavery literature from being sent through U.S. mail
Did not recharter the Bank of the United States, and voters backed him up on this decision
Pet Banks
Jackson withdrew all federal funds of the bank and transferred them to various state banks (Jackson’s critics coined these banks: “pet banks”)
Jackson’s financial policies and questionable speculation in the West= prices for land and various goods became badly inflated
Species Circular
Presidential order issued by Jackson
Required that all future purchases of federal lands be made in specie (gold or silver) instead of normal banknotes
Banknotes soon lost all of their value + land sales plummeted
Soon after Jackson left office, the Panic of 1837 sent the nation’s economy for a plunge
9.) Henry Clay (1777-1852; Periods 3-4)
Served in both the Senate and the House of Representatives; became Speaker of the House
Secretary of State under President John Quincy Adams
Founder of the Whig Party
American System
Created by Henry Clay
Wanted the United States to become more self-sufficient
Protective tariffs, national bank, internal improvements
Individual states had to make their own internal improvements
Vetoed by James Monroe who believed the Constitution did not give the federal government the power for internal improvements.
Took part in the Missouri Compromise
Compromise of 1850
Admitted California as a free state
Divided the remainder of the Mexican Cession into two—Utah and New Mexico—allowing settlers to decide the slavery issue based on majority vote of popular sovereignty
Gave the land in dispute between Texas and the New Mexico territory to the new territories in return for the federal government assuming Texas’ public debt of $10 million
Banned the slave trade in the District of Columbia, still permitting whites to keep their slaves
Adopted a new and stricter Fugitive Slave Law
Died two years after the Compromise of 1850
10.) Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865; Periods 4-5)
Not originally an abolitionist
Gained traction after his debates with Stephen Douglas (Lincoln-Douglas debates)
Republican
Southerners viewed Lincoln as a radical; threatened to secede if Lincoln won the election
South Carolina seceded in December of 1860, followed by 7 other southern states to form the Confederate States of America
Civil War (1861-1865)
First shots at Fort Sumter
Lincoln used his executive power as commander-in-chief in unprecedented ways, as he:
1. Called for 75,000 volunteers to put down the Confederates in Fort Sumter
2. Authorized spending for a war
3. Suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus
^All WITHOUT Congressional approval
One of Lincoln’s goals was to keep the Union border states
Stronger centralized government, better economic input, and larger militaries are all contributors to the Union’s eventual victory
Antietam: bloodiest battle (over 22,000 killed)
Trent Affair
On their way to England on a British steamer—”Trent”—confederate diplomats (on their way to gain recognition for the Confederacy by the British) were captured and taken as prisoners of war by the Union
Britain threatened war over the predicament, and Lincoln gave in to their demands.
Confederate diplomats were released, but failed to gain recognition from both Britain and France
Confiscation Acts
Union refused to return captured slaves to their Confederate owners, stating that they were “contraband of war”
First Confiscation Act was based upon the idea that the Union had the power to seize enemy property used to wage war against the U.S.
Soon after, thousands of “contrabands” were escaping slavery by finding their way into Union camps
Second Confiscation Act: passed by Congress; freed all persons enslaved by anyone rebelling against the United States
Emancipation Proclamation
Listed all states in rebellion
Declared all enslaved persons in rebelling states were to be freed
Immediately freed only about 1 percent of slaves
Assassinated a month after his second inaugural address by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth
Thirteenth Amendment (After Lincoln’s Death): Abolished Slavery
11.) Jane Addams (1860-1935; Periods 4-5)
Leader of the Settlement House Movement
Settlement Houses
groups of educated young middle class men and women would settle in immigrant neighborhoods to learn about immigrant families’ problems first-hand
living and working in these houses, they hoped to relieve some of the weight by providing social services for people in the neighborhood
Taught English to immigrants, helped early-childhood education, taught industrial arts, and established neighborhood theaters and music schools
By 1910, there were over 400 in the U.S.’s largest cities
Settlement workers were civic-minded volunteers (basis for future social workers) who were also political activists who advocated for child-labor laws, housing reform, and women’s rights
Hull House (Chicago): most famous settlement house; started by Jane Addams and a college classmate in 1889
Won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1931; was the first woman to do so
12.) Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924, Period 7)
First term started in 1913
Moral Diplomacy
Wilson wanted to demonstrate that the U.S. respected other nations’ rights and would support the spread of democracy
Hoped to demonstrate that he was opposed to self-interested imperialism
The Philippines
Passage of the Jones Act of 1916
Granted full territorial status to the country
Guaranteed a bill of rights and universal male suffrage to Filipino citizens
promised independence to the Philippines as soon as a stable government was established
Puerto Rico: Congress granted U.S. citizenship to all Puerto Rican inhabitants and also provided for limited self-government
Tampico Incident
Revolution/Civil War in Mexico; Wilson refused to recognize the military dictatorship of General Victoriano Huerta
Wilson called for an arms embargo against the Mexican government + sent a fleet to block the port of Vera Cruz
1914: U.S. Sailors were arrested by Mexican authorities—later released, but were never apologized for by Huerta
Retaliation: Wilson ordered the U.S. Navy to occupy Vera Cruz.
War was avoided when South America’s ABC powers (Argentina, Brazil, and Chile) offered to mediate the dispute
First dispute in the Americas to be settled through joint mediation
After Huerta fell from power, Pancho Villa arose, and he organized several raids across the Mexico-U.S. border, murdering several people.
1916: Wilson ordered military action, but they failed. In fear of sometime ending up caught in the World War, Wilson backed away.
Lusitania Crisis (May 7, 1915)
German torpedoes hit and sank a British passenger liner (the Lusitania)
Most passengers died; this included 128 Americans
Wilson warned Germany he would hold them accountable if they continued to sink unarmed ships
U.S. continued to trade exclusively with Britain and France, and though they did not explicitly state their alliance with the Allied Powers, it was clear U.S. economic support was going to one side
Wilson continued to try to keep the U.S. out of the war, but eventually, he was forced to
Zimmerman Telegram (March 1, 1917): Germany offered to pledge to help Mexico gain lost territories in return for its distraction of the U.S. and allying itself with Germany
Sparked angry nationalism
Declared war on April 2, 1917
Espionage and Sedition Acts
Espionage Act (1917): provided imprisonment of up to 20 years for persons who either tried to incite rebellion in the armed forces or obstruct operation in the draft.
Sedition Act (1918): prohibited anyone from making “disloyal” or “abusive” remarks about the U.S. government
About 2,000 people were prosecuted under these laws
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
Designed to address the causes of World War 1 and prevent another World War.
Treaty of Versailles (Rejected by Senate)
League of Nations (Rejected by Congress)
The Red Scare
Palmer Raids: mass arrests of suspects based on little to no evidence; most were foreign born
Strikes of 1919
13.) Franklin D. Roosevelt [FDR] (1882-1945; Period 7)
14.) Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973; Period 8)
15.) Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968; Period 7)
16.) Ronald Reagan (1911-2004; Period 8)