t;lE

SIDDNT
OF THtr LTNITED STATtrS
RICILA.RD O'NEILL and,{\-TONIA D. BRYAN

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Contents

The Founding Fathers

Wffi
i.rljfn,li

',,.,]

i.,; Expanding Horizons

...,.1{11

n
Ltl
5
6

The Struggle

for Union

Reconsttuction and Industry

Woild Conllict and a New Century

Modetn Ametica

The Founding Fathers

f-r

eorge Washingtorl, the first

Upresident of fhe Amedcan
nation, l,as born in 1732. His family
las one of the oldest in Virginia,
where his great-grandfather had settled ir.r
1656. At the age of 21, Washington fought
heroicallv in the French and lndian \Vat
'ithich raged in Canada. He emerged
angered bv the Bitish officers' scorn for
American-born soldiers. Back home, a
r'realtlrr colonial larJotvner. hc rr'a.
strongly against Britain's unfair taxes and
Iand laws, and became more and more
acti\e in resisting B tish rule. When the
revolutionarl, rvar began in 1775, the
Continental Congress chose this up ght
and dignified Virginian as commander in
chief of the Continental arm\.. He re{tLsed
pavme.t for the job.
During the Revolution, \\iashington seldom
had more than 10,000 men. Untrained, ragged,
and poorly armed, many deserted. But his
remarkable strength of clraracter kept his frozen
and hungrv soldiers {rom gir.ing up in the bitter
wintel of 1777178, r,r,hen he shared their
hardships at Valley Forge. In October 1781,
Washington trapped the main British force at
Yorkto$,n. They surrendered, ancl the fighting
\{45 ()\eL
After the war, Washington w-ent home to
Mount Vernon, refusir'rg to become dictator of the
ne(, republic. In 1787, he agreed to oversee the
historic coN,ention that resulted in the U.S.
Constitution. On the Constitution! approval, the
"father of his country" rl?s elected president,
taking office in April 1789. His first act \\as to
u'ork {or tl.re Bill of Rights. He u,as elected again
in 1792. No one ran against him.
Washington belonged to no political partv for
he war'rted to be fair to all Americans. His
concern was the good of the countr)'. In his
farer.ell speech of 1796, he warnecl against states
arguing between each other and urged caulion in
fonning ties ivith foreign porvers. He flatl,v
refused requests to run ior a third term.
h.r.hinglon dit,d.,l a lhro. t rnfectiun tn
December 1799.

George Washington

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lohn Adams 0797-1801)

ond pre.idcnt. na- bu|n in
Va-.achurett.. in 1735. A bnllr.rnl
-f Quincr.
5tudent at Har\,rrd Uni\er-il\, he bcc.rnle or\'
of the top laiq,ers in Boston and spoke out
against unfair British taxation. In 1775, Aclans
Ied the Second Continental Congrcss in formint
the minutemen (militia) of New England into the
Continental armyi he also appointed Washilgton
commander in chief. Adams headed the Board of
War during the Revolution. In 7776, he
dominated the heated debates in Congress that
resulted in the Declaration of lndependence. He
rvrote most oI the Massachusetts state
constitution himself. It would sel\e as a pattern
for other statesAdams spent the years 1780 to 1788 as a
diplomat in Europe. He got Holland
to recosnize the United States
and served as the first U.S.
ministur to Cleat Britain.
On his return, he r,r,as

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elected Washington's

Adarls beh.l,cLl thrt thc iol af tht

gort.]Lt t ims to keep tteapl(
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vice president, the first man to hold what he

himself cal1ed a "most ir.rsignificant office."
Adams u'as nominated as ihe Federalist
candidate for the presidencv in 1796, narrowiv
beating Thomas Jefferson. When U.S. merchant
ships rvere blocked by French revolutionades,
manv Americans called for lrcr r'r'ith the slotan
'Vilii.,nr t',r detel]re, but r]ol orle cenl l'or
tributel" Adams strengthened the U.S. Navy but
Iost popularity by standing strongh'for peace.
In 1E00, the government moved from
Philadetphia to Whshintton, DC., l,here the
Adams family lound the half finished lvhite
House ver1, uncomfortable. Later thc same vear,
Adams u,as defeated bl.Thom;rs Jeiferson and

retired to a lifc of studv and i,r,ritint rvith his

rvife, Abigail, also a talented writer.
Adams lived longer than anr.other U.S.
President. He died on Jul1.,1, 1826, the
same day as his frier-rd and rival
Jefferson.

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Thomas te fle rs on

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rla,roma- lcttcr-on. llrird pre*id|nt, rtas Lrurn un

I hi* ramilyr planlaliL,n in Albemarle C.rurrtr.
Virginia, in 1743. He dedicated his life to the
pursuit of freedom lbr his nation and its
individual citizens. Jefferson was the nlain autl]or
of the Declaration oi Independence, his finest
monument. He drew it up, workinE; with John
Adams and Benjamir.r Franklin, as a delegate tcr
the Second Continental Congress in 1776. He dicl
not fight in the Revolution, horvevet but aided
Washington while serving as governor of Virginia
tuom 1779 to 1781.
Elected to Cong;ress in 1783, Jefferson rn,as
responsible for simplifving the money system
and fot ner'r, land laws. He returned from service
as minister to France (1785-89) to become
Washington's secretary of state. In 1796, Jefferson
became vice president under John Adams. In
1800, he u.as elected president bv a narrorv
margin but easil1'won teelection in 1E04.
Jefferson belier,'ed that "the best government is
the least go\emment," and he kept Amedca out
of the Napoleonic Wars. Jeffersonian democracy
came to stand for freedom of speech and religior.r,
and for the ghts of individual states rather than
authority centered in the federal government.
Under Jefferson, taxes u,'ere cut and slaves could
no longer be brought into the countrl'. In 1803,
the Louisiana Purchase almost dorrbled the size
of the United States. The 530 million acres of
land cost about three cents each.
Jefferson refused to seek teelection in
180E and retired to Monticello, an elegant
mansion he himself had designed. Here,
among the 1o\l), gardens he also had
created, he pursued a itide range of
interests, from philosophv and
architecture to natural histortr His
many ir'rventions includecl a decodilg
machine, a polygraph (for copying
handitriting), a su,ir'e1 chai1, and an
improved ploir,'. Jefferson himself
belie\d that his finest deed nas the
l.,und.rti.,n ,'f the Unirer.rtr ,,f Virginia
in 1819. He died on Julv ,1, 1826, the 50th
anniversarv r:lf the Declaratior-t of
Independence.

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n)as dmio, ut by a tntnitte.,
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Expanding Horizons

lames Madison (1809-17')

lames Madison, fourth president,

born in Port Conrral. \ irginia.
'lr^a'
in 17 ''1. He i. called - the lathcr ol
the Constitution," because he played
such an important part in forming that
document. Later, he dreu' up the Bill of Rights.
Jefferson chose Madison as his secretary of state
and supported him for president in 1808.
During Madisonb first term, France and Bdtain
preved on American shipping, and he led the
United States to \\ar with Britain in June 1812.
But the \,\,'ar went badly and hardships of
ordinary Americans u,ere contrasted u,ith the
lavish parties given by Maclison's popular young
rrile, Dollel; rr ho.erred r nerr delicacr'. ice
cream. When the British burned the \{hite House
in 1814, Madison barelv escaped. But the
following vear, the r,rar ended, and his popularity
bounced back. By 1816, he coulcl be certain of the
election of his friend James Monroe. Madison
died in 1836, the Iast president who had been a
Founding Father, a member of the Constitutional
Con\ention.

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James Monroe (L817-25)

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( ounl\ \ irF,inr. ir l7qq. Alter
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-tud'ed 'arn unJei lh.,m.', Jcrtc.-.n. V.n.'e
became President Jefferson! ablest diplomat
in 1803, he negotiated the Louisiana I'urchase,
buving some 828,000 square miles of the
Mississippi Vallev from France lor $15 millior.t.
L n.r(' \ladi-on. \lnnroe 'errr'd . - '!a rUL r\ oa
state and secletary for wa, then easily \'\,on the
presider.rtial elections of both 1816 ancl 1820.
His presidenclt callecl the Era of Good
Feelings, r.;rs ma*ed bv progless, prosperit\i
and peace. His greatest leEiacy rl?s the Monroc
Doctdne of 1823, encouraginp; European nations
to keep their hands off the Amedcan continent
and promising that the United Statcs \{ould sLav
out of European quarrels. Monroc paid little
attention to personal business, horvever, and
diecl almost penniless on ]ulv 4, 1831.

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11

John Quincy Adams (1825-29')

lohn Quin,r Adanl-. si\th Pr(-.dert. \\.- l-.,rn
Braintree ln.,\ QLrin(\ ). MJ\.JchLr\ell\. in
'lin1767 A-; chrld
h.: hatched thc t.tmous
revolutionarv battie at Bunker Hill. The eidest son
of lohn Adams, l.re tas the only presiclent's child
also to bec,lme president. From the age of 11,
Adams rt orked as 1-fs father's secretary on
diplomatic missjons to EuroPe and, at 14, became
pri\ate secretary to the American minister to
Russia. BY the time he went to Harvard
Universiti., he already spoke seven languages.
For a short time, Adams was a Boston ]aw1'er,
but in 1794, he u,as appointed minister to
Holland, and later to Russia and Prussia. In 1803,
he entered the LlS. Senate as a Federalist, but his
support for President Jefferson annol'ed
Massachusetts Federalists and he had to resign.
Adams served furthcr in Europe but was brought
back bv President Monroe in 1817 to be his
secretirv of state. Undel Monroe, he arran5;ed to
buv Floiida from Spain and played an in.IPortant
role in formulating the Monioe Doctrine.
In 182,1, Adams nas one of five Presidential
candidates. He won by a narrot'margin. Adams
considered himself above politics and refused to
rvork to Eiain support. As a result, his Plans to
improve communications and education did not
succeed, alrd he felt he had failed as president. In
the 1828 election, he was heavily defeated bv the
colorful Andreu' lackson.
Elected to Congress in 1E30, Adams
riorled hard agrin-t -laverv. tpeaking.o
well that he r'vas nicknamed Old Man
Eloquent. In 1848, he collapsed from a
stroke in the House of
Representatives and died in the
Speaker's Room soon after. He rvas
80 vears old and had served
duinrg 11 presidencies.

12

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n) i()11(,!r

11

Hnr.rr,/.,.ln,,r i.l]i olil.st

Urir.rsil], /i,!,r,/.d,, l6-lb.
l)rs ;s lroir, ii lr,,kr, ,lrLt
l8lll. l,\l.r /1,il,ri rrrirri rt
tlr. r,!f.I ld, /ir aus ,lrrrdri

.rr

r,1/rrr].1r(ii

l,rlrrrl

Andrew Jackson
tall a d rlin,

A1ldft'lLj

>

licksa fesents an intpostttg

fiyre ul thispottnit

af hiln

n pftside t. Oftt1l nL pd t
fnn oL1 l\uttls tinn

xrcLtLosis,
\11lfcl-ury h-oti
ht 1'c1lninetl ffti.'e tt) tht lttst,
ridiry ho's(brck e'ot:ry

(1

829-37)
ndre\\ lack-on. 'c\enlh pre-idcnl. hd' thc
Achild "i lri.h inrmiC,rant*. born in lhe
Carolinas i.r 1767 on \'\,hat u'as then the western
fror.rtier. Although knou,n for gambling and
fighting duals, he became a leading 1ar,'1'e1 i1
Tennessee. lr"hich electcd him its fir st
congressman in 1796. He also served as scnator
for a sl]ort time and became a respected judge.
ln the War of 1E12, Jacksor.t! toughness earned
him the nickname Old Hickory His Tennessee
militia crushed the pro British Creek tribe at
Horseshoe Bend in Marcl.r 1814; and the follo*'itrg
Januarv, he led 6,000 backivoods trooPs to defeat
12.000 British soldiers in the battle of Nerv
Orleans. Jackson had become a national hero.
Jackson ran for president in 1824 and almost
\,\,'on. But in 1828, he srvept to polver as "tlre
people! choice" and r,r,as elected again in 1832.
His presidencl' was marked b1. a battle u'ith the
Bank of the United States, u,hich he ruined by
*,ithdrar'\.ing {ederal money and putting it in
state banks. But his respect for states' rights did
not stop him from sending U.S. troops into South
Carolini rvhen ihat state threatened to leave the
Union over high taxes on foreign goods. In 1836,
he recognized the republic of Texas He was ihe
first president to ride on a train, an(l the first to

survi'".e an assassination attemPt.

Jackson did not always handle mone), mattels
u'e11; he lntroduced the spoils svstem, rewardint

poiitical supporters \\,ith government jobsi and

he 'erzed lartd ir.rm \atire American* cau.in8
enormous sutfering. Yet his readiness to take
action did much to set up the modern porn'ers of
the presidencl'. He dled in 1845, partly from old
r,r,ounds.

Rai\et1 on

ttu

gh

ftolttin

>

al the Cnralinn , ltl,:k\o, u\1r the

prcsidctLts ta be h)nl
ltst al
in n lag cabi

rc|)

/aclslrr a,as ,nnrlu n m,irrr

Selrnll ilt ux LI.s Ant! tL
1811, nft.1 hi; laltlesst
lniltnt nji:l.d r"t n forcc tf

a".l'\kti

..1,lr-r.trns.

A. i tcotLlge n+)ttu in tht

ft.,o|Lnio tit :|.]r,t', Idtk;on
rcfused to cltLtlt ,t Bliti;h
oih.r,'! l,cots H. .das..atrct
f,rr life b1t ttu rlans s-totd.

Mt) nkd

tr I thitt

hot;.,

/r.[sor rd]lx's li! ,rdut lI.

!,rttlc ui Nr, ,Orlrms. His
dcfeat .f r lr.r.l.r Br)Lish lte
nd( hm n inti.,tnl 1atu

Martin

Van Buren (1837-41)

artin Van Buren, eighth president, rvas born V Ll 183;, Sn rt'l M0rsl g,iu
up a strcessful cnu'rr n; an
in Kinderhook, Ne*' York, in 1782. Hc \'\'as
nttist L' drlrlt hitlscli to
the first president born a U.S. citizen. As a
sckarc. Sr,t aftet, he
senatol, he led the fonnation of thc Democratic
tkl,claped ltto.se a)tlt, nt
partv under Andrer'r' Jackson and becalne
uhich krng nrul ihntt sigltdl;
in
1832.
president
stanLl bt ltttut; nnd nui .fts.
vice
Jackson's
H&s.d
il ir sc,,? /rcssntrs
Van
Buren
*'as
elected
With Jackscln's support,
aut
tht
ltst cLectti,: tekififi
president in 1836. But soon after he took office,
tl.re Panic of 1837 began a depressiotl that lasted
four years, earning him the nickname Martin \tin
RuiI1. Northerners complained that hc Protected
slaverti but Southerners blamed him for not
forcing 1bxas, sla\ tel torli into thc Union.
The son of an innkeepel Van Buren was a
sclf-madc man. But he lost tJ.re presidencv in
1840, when he was unfairlv called rich t'ith
little concern for ordinary people. He lost
again \rhen nominated as an anti-slaver),
candidate jn 1E48. He died supporting the
Union cause during the Civil War, in 1862.

d li Bn,",r lir.nnt tht s biect

ht ,is
alcrupl cnrk)t)|s, su(h as this
calLed "lhc littlc M!,tcirn." atle, iL,hen lE fdik\l tt) .olLie

Y MLltth lhn

Bltx.n itns srdr

gont pliLi(ian Lhat

th( fiw1n i1l .risis

oF 1,9.1;.

William Henry llarrison (March-April 1841\

<

flris Slrr-.r,I(r xfrisi,.{ i.us a

ol the iL,hit, st'ttbtne t

t.s lt

HLlttisnlt

tlrr,r/,j!,tl

Srli.tnot of htllLtltd

ln

1811, nt

fictotlt

n11er

ltt his lilittl

d lLltStr Nntil).

ArLcti,:nn 1or,:r

Althot$h

itorv.

Ttllptdti0t Ctttl:,

Hnttison caltnlv
to

ds
ILt'1

the .",r.aL

'lld

Hntri.l,l.tu| >

t\n i urlthtt V*utia

lnntilu, the l'lhig patlu
prcnnt hitn n: Lhe
''cor.no]1

rLLit t' tLiltdidatc

,r ltlU l{r,:,-s ,tr" rron

t)I,ct

b! gclllIous

hdi

!5

lfillinrt Hcntll HLl|risr

to |ntft ns r srld)et'.

(,rt
'1,

11

lii.d f'.siJ.,r.

()r1u Rr,Lrd R.,r.qrr,

Henr\ H,rrri-,'n. ninlh pre-iJcnl.

Born..rn r familv's Virginia plantation in 1773, he studicd
A Tilliam

VV h.ld nrri." ior,rnh l0 dav..

medicine at college but left for an army career ln

1800, Harrison r,r.as appointed gorenor of
Indiana Telritory, u'here he crushed a Native
American uprising at Tippecanoe. He u,ent on to
fight heroicallv in the Wirr of 1812.
Hanison's political career relied on his military
reput?ri.,n. Hi- lh-10 pre.idenlial canrpaie r
featured mass rallies and a rousing sloS;an:
"Tippecanoe and Tvle1 tool" Tyler was his
little-known running mate. In spitc of HarIison's
artistocratic upbringing, he l,as portrayed as a
frontiersman rn.ho drank hard cide.r'u'hile his
opponent, President Van Buren, sipped
champagnc. HarLison u,on, ther-r clelivered his
long inaugural address outdoors, on a wet
winter's day in 1841. He cauliht colcl and, a
month late1, died of pneumonia in the \'Vhite
Hou.e. ln 18.o. hr- tr..rnd.,'n. Bcnj,rmin
Harrison, also became president.

>

lohn Tyler Q841-451

f.'hn lvler. tcntlr pre-ident. rras burn in Chrrl.'
tountr, \irginia. in l7qn. lrlerscrvrda-f Lilr
congrc:rn'.,rn, -en.rtor. and qorern.rr rrf Virlini.r
be{ore being chosen as Willian.r Henry Harrison's
vice president. On Harrison's death in 1841, T\'ler
became the first vice president to take over after a
president hard died in oflice.
T1,ler u,as fiercely independent. He used the
veto, his presidential power to reject a bill Passed
by Congress, against his supporters. His Partv
kicked him out, making him the onl), acting
president e\.er u'ithout one. In 1844, he decided
not to run.
ln 1861, Tvler led a peace mission to
Washington from the Southern states, l\'hich
nere deadlocked u,ith the North o\-er the issue of
slaver1.. When the mission failed, he supported
Southern withdraual from the Union. He u'as
elecled lo the CurllederJte Hou.e ol
Representatives just before his death in 1862.

|1/let I):as born

LPr$ident

n1

this lratne hn se on his fnmil!'.

Grcc il,tiy tstdtr, nt

Cit.,/

\ii|inh.
hlt, nltr his fdther,

t a;

got

f1.oi 180E

<l

es

He

Co ntlt,

studied
ha

Chi

tr

ernot af
1811

Viginin

lia Cnrdttt l7ler becrnt

l|hn lylcrl secinn bifc in
1841 His first tite hit,littl
i 1812 TyLer ua. tht itst
t)resitltnt to ttvrry i..hile iL

Tllet r.,ds ,t)ttd fLlt.hE

paliltnt\s, b l hisrigitl
itldty'nde et r cd l,tien hi.
orl)n pnrt! agtlinst hol1. H)s
cnbntlt

L1l

adLliscts ,t'sigttcd

hile hc tur: in ollce

Cantpetl btside thtit cn|':red

pioneets ttrke thtit
'0aiolt,
e|)etling neal a]l the pntr-ie
't,-tlet\ tetm oi afle sn , tlrr
Creat i\,l*rntk) of 1812,13

uhett

0n1t settbt. tttol,cd

est dloltg

lh. Orcio Tn:|il

James

l{nox PoIk (1845-49')

>

Ttu f,lrrrln Lrf.rsu /i.l,.i

4,.',ll.!l,t tnorJ"rds t, C,rllf.rl!l]
n1 ttu laLtl t'"sh ri 1312. I)1
1816, "Polks ndr' i!.tL tl1(

llh prerident, rra' b,'rn in

Cornrl.
Nolth t Jrolina. irr l7qi.
-lM.ckl*nburg
T,rmc- Kno\ l-n'k.

Hir \upport f,'r A']are\\ lack-on \\J- -o -lrL,nB

that he rvas called Young Hickorv and rn,on
Jackson! old scat in Congress eight tines. As the
Democratic candidate in 1844, Polk narror'1y
won. He igr-rored the issue of slavery btLt totallv

ttrrikttt lrcnt tl.ticd.

A-tt.r.'r,trr,,r.! Ild b/rtttu 0l

Cldprll.Ir.

i, llr

,\'lt'ri.,,r
hid,; Grr./dl l\,rlr1,l Srrtt
.nkrs Mci.. City pencefltLv
in
18:1/'Ltktttu.r

supported expansion across the American trVest.

As president, Polk accepted the '19th para11e1 as
the o{ficial borcler bet*een Oregon and Canada,
eren though his campaign slogan had been
"5,1 40 or fight!" But he failed to settle arguments
t ith Mexico over 1and, resultinEi in \\ar in May
18'16. After the United States' victorv in 1E4E, a
peace treaty added the areas oi Texas, California,
and the southwestern states to the nation, over a
million square miles o{ ter torl.
Polk announced that he lrould onlv sen'e one
lerm rnJ Jid n.rt all,'rr hi. adr i-cr\ lo \ra-le Ii ne
campaigning. He accomplished almost
e\rything he said he r,r,ould when he took office.
Over*,ork may hare contributed to his death
soon after leaving the White House in 18,19.

Paln 'd. catd, furbllding. antl

ge rn:tlllt LL\poplllt, brt his
.tLplrt iw uritust d.:tt1l-r,
thc idea lnl !,nhlt!, iL'tst',tl

i:"lll1rr!:ffi
;p;i;;ff ,xl
:==--r::r9!:1h03
".:.t6:,f
rd1.'$$il:lilfF;
4}{*=!r,r",l:.,:r.r*,,-

Ldnts

rrs lt

u;
l

t].b1.

n ti tilht,

iu tlk tr.atu.,t

territnl'\al

crytln1t

11

The Struggle for Union

2Taclrarr Tar-lol 12th prt'sidt nt,
Z-,rrra' Lrorn in Ol.rnge Count\.
\rirginia, in 17E.1. He had little
education and no political
experience, but proved a brave soldier against
1.-ative Americans ar-rd the British in the \{ar of
I E12. His nen called him Old Rough and Reaclr'
because he scornccl llne tLniforms. Thev named
his rival, the neat and clemanding Cener;il
Winfield Scott, C)ld Fuss ar.rd Feathers.
In the Merican lYar, 'i-aYlor got credit for
victoies \\,or] mostlv through the skill oi iunior
officers. He accepted the nomination in 18,18
and beat Democratic and Free Soil (antislaver)1 candidates. Although he ol'ned
slaves, he r,vas against laws thart he felt
iavored the pro-slarerv SotLth, and threatened
to use troops against any Southern rebellion.
Taylor diecl of a stomach complaint a{ter only
16 months in office. in 1E50. Some felt that his
death had saved the Union.

lliitir n sfr,,,,lrss tu lrrj r'11., >

Ir,y'rr fuols or,!r tlr.lrrd tui,,r
,.h dt B,rln l'rstl], irr,.a'lrrr
.l.rU0 h1r.i i .1.1d7t.!' sr,rx'
1i;,00r,Urri.r,r; rr ribrrni
I

o"

17.

Y Zrdl,ty |ntur

nt tht

l lrhtl

flniot ::.11n1. ln ht.lL)

!.drs rs, nrdr.a ji.for,qlrl 1l?.
Bririsl. tl,r Srrl, l.r, irril
af n

Slrnrir(nr

trills.,rrd

tl.

Z ach ar y Thylor

Zrd1t1t,-t Taltl./,

, t.lrrsllt.

i,,r. nr-Jr, .nrt

i|r.r, dl,rtrn,r

h.rc rf tfu l1.]:icatl l\ar.

ri,

w'het1

slri..r]/ snrlrs t/rr,rtr,rr,

rn]l,ll. 1,, sl,Lrirrd tr. irrrr'
st LtbltortL .o u ny hc hnt hii

l,r

i1l

(L 849 5 0)
-

Millard Fillmore (1850-53)

ln tlc
o c hruleLl

.r,q,rtr sr./r ns trlj

pn.r.l|Lte]s aal fieirht o-t.t
1850s,

the great

nil ttctlNrk

thnL iL,as

fn.t

.ollnettin:a nll t)dl'ts of the tln|lt"t.

1 ;'lJard Filln','re. l3lh pre-iderl, rva- borr in

lVl t o.t \err \ork, in 1800. He \\.,- r.ri.ed in

a log cabin",ar.rd apprenticed to a cloth maker. Too

poor to attend coliege, he worked harcl for

enough education to become a successful lawyer
and poiitician. In 1848, he was nominated \.ice
president to x iden the appeal oi Zachary Taylor,
a slave-owning Southerner.
Filhnore became president on Tavlort sudden
death in 1850. By suppodinEi the Compromise oi
11350, rvhich Taylor had opposed, he delal,ed the
Civil War. The compromise outlawed slavery in
Washington, D.C., admjtted Califomia to thc
Union as a Iree state, and let Nerv Me'xico and
Utah decicle for themseh.es. But to get Southern
states to agree, the compromisc introduced the
Fugitir.e Slave Lairi lbrcing anti-slar.ers to help
return runawav slaves to their o\n ners. Fillmore's
iuppurt tL,r tht l.rrr co-t him runomin.rtion in
1852, and in 1856, he also gained feln'\,otes as
candidate {or the ;rnti-immigrant American part\i
the Kno\^.Nothings. During the Civil \!h1, he
supported the Union but disliked Abraham
Lilrcoln. He died in 1874.

HLl|tix Bcediu'5t.,'.rtl; dnti

f
slrrl]rrl nor./ Un.le lbm! Cabin
lr;t ctlkt aut is tl si'nnl. It sal,l
300.000 .rt)ies ilL 185), tllt lml
rt ,rs frll,iisllrd i, I,ool ,rrr.

Laesitltltt MillLltl hllrlorc.

s cce;.ftt dtten4tt to
trc\crt th. LL1tio1l b1/ n

.or?lr|rrisa on s1d'r.r! .osf

htn rctpnLitntit t i]i 1852.

Franklin

P ierc e (1 85 3 -S 7)

r-ranLlirr |ler.e. l-lth oru>i,.lcnl. \r.15 burn irl

-F Hili.L,,.ro. \err Hamp-hire in l8u-1. Pi(rce

trained as a lau'ver, therl served as a general in

the Mexican War As a Democrat in 1852, Pierce
easilr, beat General Winfield Scott, rvho had been
his commanding officer Pierce r'vas handsomc, a
fine speaker, and, at 4E, the youngest man
elected president so far. But there was sadness in
his li{e-all three of his t'oung sons died, the last
in a train crash on the lvay to Washington for his
fathert inaup;uration.
Pierce supported the Compromise o{ 1850
and approved laws letting ter todes decide if
thev lvould allor,r, slavery. As a lesult, rval
nearlv broke out in Kansas. In 1856, Piercet
o*'n part1, tefused to let him run for
president again. When the Civil War came,
his stand against freeing the slaves made
Nerv Englanders so angrv thev attacked him.
Pierce died in Nen, Hampshire, depressed
;rnd forgotten, in 1E69.

LItt

Kitls.s, thosl n:aritl.t .lalietu

c.ltbtrtetl tthtlt
slatx

i,!t:

rc

Lat s d11o',t111!,

1't11Loi,rti

I1t 1853, Crltltt.odorc

>

Mattheo P y litst ntt)rcssei

the lapnncse hy

boldly

an.harins lout

11.5. sh4)t

Tiktp

Bnv. 1Lllid1

futb tett

ri.il

trirdr

,t

lt',s

tt) frrcigners. His

cn rtt'it tt)

aprncd thdt

iuitl tk I\'cit

Fr..nLlltl ltcrcc

plcn{

thase

tritt

to

tu sh'oer!

td

tturer dsdi,rst il. Hr ur7,

rciect by his $ttv h1 1856

lames Buchanan (1.857-67)

< /,,rtr ,,.1 ,r,,r ir"s trd,.isl.\'

H. r{,rs ,r..rni of }.nr{ io tl,.
Sdril, l,xt ail.r, it'rr.iru
ntnt 1t.l1t Llfttr hii tttltl, h.
g . Prcsincd Ltuiitl hir rttt

rrd .i/ tr,rlrl,s slon, tlf

o..rrl,r.ii

rtiiitnnts Ll

h.rn"rl. l5lh pre.rdent. h,l\ b,'rn rle,rr

lM.rcetrbL,tg Penn-rlra ria. in l7C)l. A
iu,ce..tul l.rrrrer and diplonrar he \\orked ,'ut
the first American trade agleement with Russia.
Bur

He served as secretarv o{ state under James Polk.

In 1856, the Den.rocrats ln'ere looking for a
(andidate rr'ho rruulJ r'tot \tlr uP PJr\iorl\
about siaver\,'. They chose Buchanan because
he had no strong r.iews on the subject.
Even so, during his presidency the natjon
became more and more divided. In 186i1,
he was not renominated, and Republican
Abraham Lincoln won the election.
Buchanan was relieved to step do$'n.
The Civil !\'ar began just w'eeks after
he left office.
Buchanan l'ou,ed never to marrv
after the h'oman he r'ras engaged to
died, perhaps taking her or'r,n life.
As president, his judgment t'as not
goocl, and he made poor decisions
in a difiicult time. The day before
he died, in 1868, he declared
that historv rvould prove his
lrrcrth. He l'as rt,rong.

tn lrh

al.llrlri lJ59
!rj1trl

Tdrc-

Lt-s.

Hrr,.t: Ftttu,
lry r,rtis/,ii'.r,

n's.rnl nt

L,f

P,1t,rr

E,lrrr.ir

/,rrso,r

V Dllil s.l)tt rs,

ir'r.

t1l

rr)rrrr,

,rd lrr{.J.
rlrrdn,,rr

sinr., irir.r rr.l,uai l,ins.li il,lr

,rflrr /it',,r- o,r 'nrr.tit. Th.
Srfl.r,r Corii irr.,i,!n,i!i
1,n,.,,l.,.rsr.r, Br.ir&,,, t rt
il rLl.n,i.f rtllr,.rsl }r1t ri
ori,rtlii iir,,s. r.!r,rsf d,ri rrLr

klii r,'

t::,

". '.,,;:.,,

L,

Abraham Lincoln 0851-64

A br.rha'r I inc,'ln, lolh pre\iJclr], r'.r. b.,rn iD

A.r tng,.,hin ncar H.,Jg, nt illc. Kenl.r, k); in
1809. Ralsed on thc r,vild Indiana frontier, hc
$,ent to school for less than a year btLt learned to
rearl anrl t,riter. ln 1831. Lincoln settled in
Illinois, r,r.here he taught himsclf law; walking as
far as 20 miles to get books. He sen'ed in the
state government and became a successful lal'yer

in Springfield.
Lincoln joined the nerv Republican party in
1856 and tr'r,o vears later became famous for
attacking slavery in his debatcs with Democratic
senator Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln! passionate
speeches won him the nomination ilr 1860. He
was elected the first Republican president by a
large majority ln protest, South Carolina left the
Union and soon joinecl u'ith ten other Southern
slave states to iorn tl]eir o\'\rn nation, the
Confederate States of Ame ca. On April 12,
1861, the Civil War began.
Lincoln said he led the North to $,ar to "save
the Union," not to rvipe out slaverl'. A tear
Iate, he issued the Emancipation
Proclamatjon, u,hich directed that all
slaves be freed. Although learning on
the job, Lincoln turned out to be a
magnificent \\,ar leader He set an
erample of patience, honestti ;rnd
courage, m. de in:pirin3, .peeche.,
and u,orked hard to controi arguing
politician' and difficult general'.
Lin,uln r^a- ed-ilv reelcch'd in 186l.
By that time, the North had almost
'vr,'on, and he vowed "to bild up the
nation's wounds." He began to work for
a fair peace settlement, rvhich r'r,ould not
be too hard on the South. But on Apdi

fi\e

days after General Lee's

surrendel, Lincoln was shot by a
mentally disturbed acto1. John lVilkes
Booth. He died tl.re next dal'.
Honest Abe nas the
first U.S. president to
be assassinated.
1,1, 1865,

ftis forlmit

sroi{,s

lL

i-ir,d,r

ns

tl viull! t)ntt.
'a. Wifited
so N til e nftu'his n.., ut
1831, frr i lilnt tL1to llLinot,
.ohcrc hc

<

Ihis

ao*

ldsLl

fntt.ous picture

olL Ml

tJ.s lak n ul 1861 L'! Mdth,:i1,

En ly, atr af thL flt.t
lhatu)g phcrs to re,:arLl the
ho"'o$ nf \11' It cntt rcs
Ltlrnhti rtrcnqth n d
dettfininntiotl ds L1 lcLldtr

.trltgsli1li

lL')th

mnv tifht

Lt

Lr,.nllt nith Lltbil of{iccts

Llitet ttu battl. nf /\ntrttn1,
17, 1862. On
Septen

At)tat.a\ L,l
G!,r.rdl
(facing

)diesL nLty."

C.o[.

M.Ctu1ifi

Lin(oh, s,,pIrJ
Cn fulernlc nlr\ k., but
2.1,(t]l

i[t.

killtLl 0t

lrr.ol":r dssrssnrrtr.nr ns sl,r,r{'r

L,v I ,li'ti;t of the tilnc th,:
t)rcsiLlent l,r. sh,rt ti\ h. t)nt.hfil
n pln1.t nt ld1'tl\ thet e. l
I&rsirishrr, Da, 1,1/ d r/driril
n trr 1n1tle:1 lohl hilkci Eolrilr.
BoDth ct.iyd bLLt .trs kilk,a ba
Irduml so/rlxrs l.r. .r,r,!ti ,rtri.

\karl/ ll"!d

sl,rl,cs

itdli,,.

tht 'rictnrla],'s Lin rln m h.

elttd\ RichtLLltLd, V .\ tin,

thc Co Ldort. rdt)itL , ,.11
Afi'il 1,1365.

LTh. Litl.rll Mt lotinl, i1t

1\irslrisl'n. D.C.. a,rs

'Ihe slilue,
dedi.nteLl itL 1922.

bttDmk'1 Cht\t.r fri'nch, i;

l9

2i

Reconstruction and Industry

A ndrerr lolrnr.n, lTth pre.ide'rl
Arnas born in Raleigh, North
Carolina, in 1808. With even less
education than Abraham Lincoln
had, he became a tailor! apprentice at 13, then
ran au'a1 to begin his own shop. His rvife, Eliza,
l'hom he married in 1827, taught him io read
and i,r,rite. Johnson did well as a tailor in
Greeneville, Tennessee. He entered local politics
as a Democrat and rose to become governor.
As a slaveholdet himself, Johnson defended
slaYerY in the Senate. He fought against Lincoln's
election in 1860, but \ ''hen the Civil War broke
oul. he br.tr e r deci.lcd lhat the L ni,,r \\'d- murc
important than Southern rights. He was the only
Southern senator to support Lincoln, u'ho
appointed him militarv gor,'ernor of Tennessee in
1E62.

Johnson shared Lincoln! hope for a peace that

rvould bring North and South together again and
rlas chosen as vice president t'hen Lincoln vlas
reelectec-l in 186,1. But some Republicans labeled
him a rebel s)'mpathize, and his behavior made
matters (rorse. Weakened b1, illness, he drank

<

i poot
L
futher, uho
'orknL.
tli.d n'l1tn hc lLjds three. ltjtis L1
pt)tti at a1t i1111; s nnthtt, tl
i,dsher,utmnn.
Iohnron cnne lron

finilv: Hi\

ttl littt

tife

lecd

thc ottlv

. lohtts)

pt..idtttt

Io srn,, ,ls rr LLS. s!,,rtor

nftet heil! Pt'r.itldt Il,::

iatls tLtcttd lo ttu Se/Lnl(

, rt-,

whi.ker t.r hqlp lrim lhr.,uqh his InaLrqurdtiurl

and the -peech he;are wa' unclear
Sir weeks later, Lhcoln was assassinated,
and Johnson became president. Republican
neu,spapers called him a drunkard, "touched
u,ith insanitrf' When Cor.rgress passecl laws to
keep ex-Confederates from voting, and limited
the president's right to get dd of government
officials, Johnson challenged them b1' firing his
secretary of \,\,ax He u,as imPeached (charged
rn,ith official misconduct) bv the House of
Representatives. The Senate tuied him and let
him off by a single vote. Although he t'as not
nominated {or presiclent in 1868, Tennessee
made him their senator in 1875. He died a
fe\\, montl]s later-.

Andrew Johnson ( 1865-69'l

lrhnsr lEs u|ptd.hd. >
bt ltght tu ninl fnl''high cnl ,:s
nnrl m$dtmunnrs." |'he Stnax

trid

hitn

&tly

ti1 1868.

nltlrLrslr

it lhe,l nt ,c.:son. Hc
iuls the n tt \eiitl,tl1t cr\'t t,1 l',:

he

rlns

r,rtra.Icd. n,r., d

,orr

l,is.,1s.

M. Slrnfl,r d-. -.r.r.tnrv

r,rt tndcr l)oth Li|.ttlt atlt
l]hntrn. Aft.r ttu 'ar, ht I'lt
lrrt /oft,riLrn ir,rs loo {.rt,,rr,. it]
llc Sortl. IL,l,rrs0r.6rr,1
Sinrtl . r i.l, qi lrir ,.
Eda,rr

ol

'rs ,r!l l]]1()iu.i tir

,..

Thls

rnti lDhtlsa ,:rrtoatl shans>

thr p-csldent n. L1twrct rq)ent,t!

ord ConstitLrtion. /oftrso,
dnimed thdt hn., tnlLltl'to the
deFrted Soltth rL'clc ngninn thc
Cr stihiiotL. I1)s rlEnies sai,l thnt

llc

hc uscd thc CotLstitut.1)r

fi'rar; fot the Sauth.

la,lo

.oo J
S.. ro

{..1

:.i d

Et N
-:s

2:

Ulysses S. Grant (1869-77)

1 llvs-e- Simp..,n Cr,tnt. lath preridrrt. tta'

L, b.,rn in loinr Piea.ant, Olrio in 1822. He r'a'
only an average student at the U.S. Nlilitar),
Academv at lvest Point. Grant served under
General Zacharr. Tavlor in the Merican \{ar but
Ieft the arrnv in 185,1, perhaps for a drirrking
problem. He failed in farminp; and business, then
joined the Union forces at the start of the Civil
War
Grant rose quickhl l,inning many victories
and earlfng; the nickname Unconditional
Surrender for his initials. Lincoln made I.rin.r
supreme commander in 1864. In 1865, Crant
personallr. accepted Ceneral Robert E. Lee's
surender at Appomattox.
Crant won the presidencv ior the Republicans
as a hero in 1E68 and again in 1872. But he u'as a
better general than president. He was conned bv
cheats and liars, and scar-rdals rocked his
admir.fstrations. Late1, he lost alJ his savings to a
crooked banker To support his fanil\'i he 'rote
his personal memoirs, even u,hi1e dyiirg of throat
cancer He finished them four days bet'ore he diecl
in 1885. Thev earned almost half a million dollars.
<Th)s prtthiit
he

(otli

sho1t1\ Grntlt rs
hil)c tL\tnt l to bc

)"] enL)ded

ns the

to th a Ll
h dtiel

.attfideft cawtvtLdt!.
af the LLniolt Jar|ls.

lrrr,rs \'rsl rndi.s

Nrtth.tnis iln ]tldd.

Crrtoorisl
ftLtl of

t\Leu off the tlcf.rt.d Sr th

anLl cd11i.tl thet bclnlryings

llt

d?rp, lltpct fnbtic l)Llr\.

Otl Aprit 9, 1865, Gi"n/ (ai

Ieft) tl r cq t et1 ht .tu1r nd { nl
t

Co1tjcncnLc.0 ]tnndd Robtr|

E. Lee it At faknttot Cor|l
Hause. Gnt1t SclL.rcushl

,l/d

!i S.rllr

ll?tp theit

soldr.rs ir.

pesrwll h.|st. tlnd

Rutherford E. Hayes (-1877-8'll

uet l. TitLl L. s]?er arrl
r\e , )'orl. hi ill. fr.sid.ntirl
dection rf 18,-ta, ltLorc perl.
I'DtcLl fot"tildn thrn for
Hd1)tr. B"t ,lltct nrstrn.tLts

<Sa

o.rcr the i'rte

coutt, Tildetl

last. Hnlr; un; crititiztd

his "stolc1l I'icto)'tt '

<

Grrrt (standing ln lront oi

tree) I'ltI n,(nrti l,f l,rs
offi.erc du'rt!. thc Ci.-il l\.ir

CtLl t u; itj'il trlLLl fit1lt t$ n

soldtct. Srl)te l'lL h ttid ,t'tLit hr
ht tn; otlLcj's .Lillcd ltbr n
I\'hcn Ha1t.s irithn?i^ all
fcdurl ttu.)tis r1,r Sl]]rllt,rll
:laLes a n1l rct u|l11 tl ttit t)otL'cl s
tt) thcltL, hc dLi 1nt ,:Inrntlttr
.irij rL{hr Jrr l,l,r.} ,4rrrlrrr71,s.

rf) ulherlbrd Brrchrrd Har... lolh pre-rdent. u.t.^

I\born in D.l;ualc. Ohio, i-n 1E22. Hr rrt'ttt ttr
Kenr.on College ar.rd Hanard Law School. As a
lalvvet he defended runau,av slar,es.
Hayes rose to the rank of major general in the
Civil lVar In 1876, as a Union u,ar hero u,ith a
clean political record, he became the Republican
candidate for president. He lost the election to
Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, but people argued
that the votes had not been counted correctly
and Congress gave Ha1'es the presidenc\'. Some
disagreed and nicknamed him Rutherfraud.
As president, Hates put dou'n riots br.striking
railroad workers and tried to make govemment
rvorkers more honest. ln 1877, he officialh,
NithJreir rlr remaininq lederal lroop. rrom the
South, ending the era called Reconshuction, in
'vvhich the de{eated states had been badlir
treated. Haves's wife banned drir.*ing, smoking,
and dancing in the White House, and began the
custom of Easter egg rolling on the lar,'n. Hal'es
had promised to sen-e onlv one term. He l,orked
fcr ch.rrilie: until hi- dc.rlh in Icq-1.

lv

f 1

18t-7, Pt'esti.]nt Hatt* as|u,l

th! brillidtLL v(\Lng inl,t tot

Ilurr,?s

iL

th,i f/rs,r, n)

tonsh'ntu thit dfltnrh:a

"ttD agmth" u tht l\httt

ll]ltst. The mdtru, i$tke(l bv
n

cri

hd.k

l:. rcratul.ll dfin t)Ldved

dt|l.nunLl.

ni..

James Garfield Q881)

f. m.- Ahrarn (,drr.cld lnlrrt fti -i.len. rr.r- b.rt'n

He r^. - .hr la-l
Or.,,rrg" Llhr,'. in lE
-!r.nr
pre-ideri I-n'r rr.: los.. hin. L,.rfrclJ t', cJmc,r
classics professol-he amazed PeoPle bY 1\'dling
Latir.r l.ith one hand .rnd Creek \\'ith the othe4 at
lhe same time. He r'v.rs also a larn'.r'er ancl, at 30,
as at one time the voungest Unior-r general in
the Civil tr\hr.
Carficld servecl for 17 t'ear s in Congress and
became the Reprrblican candidate for thr'
prcsiclcnct' in 1880, narror,r'1v rvirlninEi the
popular rotc. trVhen many Republicans begged
ior \{hite llouse jobs, he exclaimcd, "Mv God!
\\hat is there in this place that a man shotLld evcr
\\ ,rt ru E, L ir il.' Orr lt lr ll8l. Jlle. l'nur
months ir.r oftice, Garfielcl u'as shot b,v the
mentallv .listurbed Charles J. GulteatL, t'ho hacl
been rciused u'ork as a diplomat. It took Carfielcl
80 davs to clie.

l.

V Giri.ld! ,,4r',i rf 1irois,rd

i.ier lu

n1,1111ttr

ttLltn hrn

llaP'rLt1t. L',lt llc diti littl.

nr in}, (.rcr',irr.nt

,/\ slihir. ll,i.r. G,,fl./d i,,.rl,l

,ir .,lfril lEiiz. I/ l] ir,.rd
Lore

oxd to ttitar p .1a1 i\

lls lrnr,.rr rt Cll.Idrurr$

fa

&d

-"tr

thtnt 10,000 lostc. t.?t

/r, ir,s6l lf ixr

.d,i s,;.

V S..r.trrr/ .1 Strir' /r,,*

Biri,(

G.

ght) t1,rt.ir[5 rr
,ro'rrl ns C,trli,ld l.l.srltte.r
iloiru nt tr! 14riirlgloll

rLlillrid stntitrt l tt tntrI11/

ilisltl,I,cd Cl,n .! / C ilffl

Chester A. Arthur (1881-85)

,,-he.ler Al}r \rlhur.2l.t

prc-idUnt. \\arn FairiieJd, \ermonl, in 182q. A

lawyer-, noted for civil rights rvork on behalf
of black Americans, he was a top Union
staft offic6.r in the Civil War.
Having worked hard for the Republican
party in 1871, Arthur las appointed bv
President Crant to the pou,erful post of
collector of the port of New York. Sevelr
),ears later, President Haves fired hitr,
charging that he had used tax money to
rcward supporters. Manv believed he had
been unfairly treated and made him Arthur
Carfield'.s vice president. On Garfield! death in
1881, Arthur became the third president in a
single vear. Political corruptjon did not flourish
under the luxury-loving "gentleman boss."
Arthur rvas efficient and upright, and worked to
reform the civil servicc. He did not run in 1884,
for he knew he had kidney discase.
He died tu,o years later.

\-b.,rn

"l,lega L Arthur"

A.artlL tp,rnry rLaa shalrt

Anhws stLppoict. Rep L)licnn
Srnrtor Ros.i)i Corkl,,t,
niniptLlititLg Lht i\iea: Y)rk
politinl" n.hin(."

>

high socielv He

Atthur's tcttn snlr the

1rnuti of thc B]?,rkllt Br !,e
n dth?b iLlinf, t Chi.n,\o,4
the fitst lkyscn:tp{r.

Grover Cteveland Q885-89), (1893-97)

f-

nd. 22nd a nd 24 th pre-idenl. u a.

Uborn in Calduell. Neir lcr.cr'. ir 1837. Hc \^a.
the onl,v president to serve t!\rc terms that did not
follou'each other He became a tough, l'ronest
mavor of Buffalo and governor of Nerv York.
In 1884, Cleveland rt'as elected the first
Democratic president in 28 vears as an upright
man, hard on corruption. His ddve for lowet taxes
on imports annoyed big business. On his defeat in
1888, he declared there tas'1.ro happier man in the
United States," but he ran again and was reelected
foury'ears 1ater. This time, he disappointed
businessmen by failing to improve the economy
and angered u,orkers by using federal hoops
against strikers. After a secret oPeration in llis
second tern.r, he did not tr\' {or a third.
Cler,rland u,as the only president to be married
in the White House, and his daughter Esther r,r,as
the only presider.rt's child borr there. Olr his
deathbed in 1908, he said, "I have tried so hard to
ro\ er

le\ ela

do right."

Clet

ellndr mtidgt to hi\

lat tltl r un nl, 21 - u. n Hi

tht l\hte
Frnnces Folsani,

lt

Hnt$e,
the

11t

nc 1E86,

n tlle lvt

lotn!,est fbn h,At t:.r.

Clel,eknd hltnstlf

his
prcsillcntiil rcto to Dlierrldt
the njishes af Catryrcss o.er

Cletelnnl uas ftwnp, 'lootl I

hltnarul, a Ll haled cartltltion
Sor., lbti hun Cro'oet the Cood.

3AA ftnes, tnore tha t'|ice ds

olletl ns Rll thc c,ll'llej'
t)rcsi dctLl s k'get her h tlt1

Hc rlrotc Presldeniial Problems,

Gra--er

Cledlarul

scn

nb]rk $pldutnig his stffid

un

19.

Benj amin Harrison (1889-93)

enjan'in Harri.on.2lrd nre'iJ.nt. r'as
lJborn'n \ortlr Bend, Ohiu, in l8ll. Hc
ll,as the grandson of President tr{illiam Henry
Harrison. Harrison became a successful
lar,vr,er and U.S. senator from Indiana, but his
Civil tr{hr record as a courmander of Union
infantrv got him the Republican nomination in
1E88. "Grand{ather! hat fits Ben," sang his
supporters, and he won or,-er Crover Cleveland,
who had not fonght in the Ivar.
Although Harrison signed into la\'\, the
Sherman Antitrust Act, curbing the porver of big
business, man), thought he favored the rich, and
he vras called Kid Cloves Harrison. Votes taken
from the Republicans by the ner'\, Populist part-\,;
supported mainlv by farmers and
\,\,orkers, contdbuted to his
deieat in 1892, r.hen Cleveland
won a second tern-r. Before
Harrison died in 1901, he

LA

ttoo11

,,ie

t)f the

In g'tL,tt4tt, Rq,ubli,: ts
1rh!) sup|\fied Do arh:tt
CLellclantl tit t ht'

881

pres 01tt111 tnpaign. Thtv

e rc d t l1!t Rep 1t h I c al t
candilnle, ldnes G Blnule, a

c otl si,1

called the lvhite House

"my jail."

.ntt1lpt " tnichint" plitician.

1111s96, dlting Clfleht

secatul t.hn,
rv Fard

Ht

btoutht ott the first

duttnnobik

q ndnclde

,] Detrcit. Ihi\
'L].s r iDrcrunnel

of the fnhlo,s
19A3.

l|Iadtl T a(

P]'csiLleltt

Hdtrisa, luds

>

rble dtLd hnrnaa*nq b t

lLlcked pcrsondl chnrtn. He

uns o1:rP desctibe(l frs "i

tnrlte ..tatut.' Du t"tg
l,is lrrrr, si:r nc?, stdtls

Bertu titi Hrrlis] is.nitn

h1 nt, prc.tle t, att \Iifth 4,

l, 1391, Pl..t/j.rt, irrs

iLstrllal in tht l\thite Harse
Atkr ,qxtb3 n \hark, Hntnsnn
refused ta touh n rlLiit.h
10'89

Wi 11 i am

McI{i nley

(1 89

7-

90 1)

rilliam V, Krlet, 25lh pre-ident, nrs Lrurn in

VV Nit*, ohin, in'184r, rhe.eventh child ol a
wealthy businessman. He enlisted in a Union
A

regiment commanded bv future President Hayes

and was promoted to lieutenant for bravery in
action. McKinlev was the last president to have
{ought in the Civil War.
A lawyeq, as were 25 of the 40 men who
became president, McKinle), entered Ohio
politics as a Republican in 1869. ln Congress, he
supported high taxes on imports to protect
American industry and his presidential bid in
1896 was masterminded by the millionaire
businessman Marcus Hanna. The Democratic
candidate, William Jer.nings Br1an, noisily
attacked the "rule of the rich." But McKinlev ran
a calm "front porch" campaign from Canton,
Ohio, refusing to leave his invalid t ife, and still
won a convincing victory.
Some feared McKinle1. l,ould be a puppet of
big business. But although tariffs rose to rccord
heights and business boomed, his administration
also laid the foundation for America's 20thcentury role as a world porver. He hesitated to
invoh.e Amedca in Cuba's struggle for
independence from Spain, but *'hen the SpanishAmerican War could rro longer be avoided, he
was a confident and successful leader. As a
result, ii.r 1898, the Philippines and Rrerto Rico
became U.S. possessions. McKinlev also anne'xed
Harvaii and opened up trade t'ith China.
Ceneral prospeity r'l'on McKinle,v a second
victorv over Bryan in 1900. His campaip;n slogan
was "Four years more of the full dinner Pail."
McKinley plai.rned to reduce tariffs in order to
encourage international trade. But on September
6, 1901, he was shot by anarchist Leon Czctlgosz.
As l.fs bodvguards tackled the gunman, the
wounded president cried, "Don't hurt him,
bo,Ysl" He died eight davs later.

<This far Ml pottt.t:tiL shalL's

M.(irler ds slerrr rrd srriorrs.
ln talit!, tu .,lns !. trlrlls nnd
kind, telotetl tt) his t111\11i11
'tft, irho s ffeten fldn n

w'illinn

lat

in!,.

B\rln. thr!( >

far tk tre:itle t!,

,raks on. ul llu ,r,s t sf!!.r!s
liftLes dcfetltrd

a.o, C:ol.q.i:. lris S!,

hidtloi

Ttu "full dinncl

|ail

itotrl

ln yasprlit! ].t tltL M.Ki ly

rrd hnpe:l h"n rr"t a ..nr.li

ndtr

hrtLdl:rrchitl,
fi:ttnllV;haofs i\,lcKitttq nt the

Pnn-A iLt'i.ntl

Blrlttb.

Ilt

1$r thnn thtu,

Otl fcbt11at,.t 15, 18\)8, th.

,rltlcsl,q,

Ll.sS Nlaine

at Hdl)am,

llrr'l,

&ir, xf

Atbr. Althr

gh

ool SpiiriJr
,S.,rts l.,t'," ?"ifdnsil1.,, rirr
'as

i01s ,k,

d.datl

Lnt)

n.tnh. hrr.

l\,lcKinlclt

ttiil tt) r.ati t:rr

us

to)th Spdin rnd

funl1t
altnckcd nr n col):nrd. llis

ri. pn:\idt]lt,
Ranr

hint

Th

dar

k l1t,-nlle d
n iL'hikt ln,.tn .,i "

el)c

Lt, p t i,a

Erya.itir tt

it'ns

dectta.,tet

rl.tth. htt,r

World Conflict and a A/ew Century

heodore Roose\lt, 26th
presiclent, u'as born to a \\,ealthv
familv in Neiv York City in 1858. He
u,as a sickly child but vorved to live
"strer.ruous
a
iife." He took up iding, swimming,
and boxing, and, after studving at Harvard and
entering Republican politics in Neu' York, spent
tuo VeaLs on a cattle tanch. He r'r,'as a man of
bouridless energy, a historian, naturalist, and
hunter. As president, he created more than a
million acres of national forests ar-rd parks. The
odginal tedd,v bear got its name from a babv bear
Roose\.e1t found in the wilderness.
In 1898, at the beEiinning of the SpanishAmerican !Var, Roosevelt resigned as assistant
secretarv of the navy to put together a cavalr),
reginlent. In Cuba, he led h.is Rough Riders in a
celebrated charge up San Juarr Hi1l. The follot'ing
I'ear, he became governor of Nel, York.
Roosevelt u,as chosen as f ice president in 1900.
ln September 1901, McKinlev died, and
Roosevelt became, at ,12, the )'oungest of all the
presidents. As president, he worked to keep big
businesses from joining together to damage
smaller ones and was labeled a "damned
corvbof' But his "square deal" reforms generally
inlproved lives rtithout hurting business. In
foreign affairs, his motto $,as "Speak softly ar.rd
carrv a big stick," a mixtule of diplomacv and
toughness that strengthened America as a world
porver and enstired U.S. control oler the new
Panama Canal between the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans. Rooser.elt *'as easih, reelected in 1904. In
1906, he became the first American to \\,in the
Nobel Peace Prize, for his part in settling the
Russo-]apanese War.
Roose\elt did not seek Ieelection in 190E. In
1912, he stood as a Progressive (Bull Moose)
party candidate, taking Republican \otes and
giving the Democrat, Woodrol, \{ilson, an
easy victor)'. In his last years, he explored
a ri\er in Brazil, u'hich was named the Ricr
Teodoro in his honor Aftcr 1914, Roosevelt
pushed for America's entry into the First World
lVar His son Quentin (,ou1d be killed in an air
battle over France. He himself died of a heart
attack in Januar-v 1919. He saicl, "No President
has er''er enjor,-ed himself as mtLch as I have."

<

Roos.r'rli i]l lllt, rS!

26, tn

hr trlt

5.t11:

Altlu [h .'.r!
nal,s*htei,lit
prcferrcd Lt) br .ctn
iurtiidx/,{lrss.s.

1,1

ldtct lift, n L)orillg

accideltt
L.ln

ut

kfi hu)l
oit e!..

The o dore Roo sevelt

(1.901

-9')

<

Col.rrel Rolicnclt rtrnds

be eath tht flU al tlit liatd ai

,is Rl]xll Rilrrs, llst a[er

thc battl( o Snn lut:ir Llill
H( dilLd iL 'lh. grcnksl inlt

llunLut! tnphls dontinLte th,

\1,t,
di Sdrirrrx," Hi1l,

Lrokitl] ei,ou nlch tht 11ro Ll>

sint.srrrn. Prinlrlri ltooscr.li

^.d,1rior,.
li.di..!lt3

pos.d

lir*'i

otr ),rtu

l|rr,g Islrnd It is
dtt tdl llistori. sile.

nor1,

lr

this

tu1e

pt

/ol, S,rrr, Sr/,9. t

lit bv
nr 19u-1.

no0$.!1t,rrrts ll it, Rrssnrr

rwt ldpr]l$. t+tottl,tts nt
PDltslnouth, N:1Lt HL1 tp.hll c.
to lLclp tL::olinl. n .tld to tl1t

R,ss! iir,,ll]n,

l\id,1

William

II.

Titft (1.909-13)

TLlft ,\rcti r Fil4\n |eL1t1d >

A Jilli.rnr H.rnarJ lrft. 27th Pre\idert. \\atl|ntlg
hi. tttln,ts Erl)er ar of
V V horn in Cincirlnali. Ohi.r. rn 1o57. He
'ratht Philitlinc; 11901 1). His
the son of a judge ancl Republican politician *'ho
]lliihtt ed t ( lai,l tht
became President Crant! secretary of $,ar.
Furrd,lti.,,rs of !.lf{o..rr rr$r t
Educated ;it Yale, TaIt r,r'on a fine reputatjon in
Ohio as a lat yer and in 1890 became U.S.
solicitor general. From 1901 tct 1904, he served
Ir|,r,isni.., nild trLntrndcrl
kinclly and fairlv as governor of the Philippines, V Iili (,rs dfl.. d.s.riled ,s
u'hich had just becone a U.S. teritorir in the
li.ki g like "r ge tl. dnt l:ind
Attlttjdut bisot1." Ir ]ioLit],rr,
Spar1ish-Americarr Wa1, expertll- managjng the
]1!t
i1)ns a tL.ti\1ti'o. al a
change from militarv to civilian rule. Made
n1/ tcrc
li]tle'd:lkn
secretary of $.ar in 190,1, Taft became a close
bt..ltntltg 111r1r nd i.rl
fiiend of President Theodore Roosevelt, rvho
m.lde -ure lh,il lrft E,,l ll-e Republi(?n
nomination in 1908. He easil), beat Democrat
William Jennings Br1,an, u,ho rtas running for
the third and last time.
Taft was the largest man to be president, his
sir-ioot-trvo-inch frame rveighing more than 300
pounds. But his personality did not match his
size, and he seemed dull and overcautious after
the colorful Rooselelt. Reluctant to make
decisions, Taft annoyed both consen'ative and
progressive Republicans, and r.as accused o{
failint to carr\. through important land
consen.ation measules Roosevelt had introcluced.
In the 1912 election. Roosevelt ran as an
independent, taking votes arvat' from his old
friend. Wilson, the Democrat, r,,on by a huge

majoit\r
Taft said he was glad to ieave the White
House, "the lonesomest place in the lorld,"
.'nd \\d. l,rr nlore r uml' rlable te.r. llint
constitutional larf at Yale. In 1921, he
became chief justice of the U.S. Supreme
Court, a job he greath'enioyed. As thP

n'rlr er pr.'iderll e\er

tL,

occuF\ lhi-

post, he swore Presidents Coolidge and

Hoo\er into office. He stepped dorvn
because of illness in 1930 and died the
same \ar. His son, Senator Robert Taft,
tould fiercell' oppose President Franklin
D. Roosevelt and unsuccessfully trv for the
Republican n,lmination himself in 1940,
1948, and 1952.

-lrl

LI

1910, Prcsid
TriL
lrt'.gnn d l,r,?itx,r !.y nrssnr!
a"t Lhe tltsL batl rl tht rt)iot'

Earl11.

t|oi'Lc .]n,^.ft

nut.

dr ljr/fti lil/nsc in
Cdllio"rin l{l,rn ftJt rt,rs
l,t'sidttL. th! n,t]1it lt1tit7ry
{,rn,,n|rllv I/i. nrit
,rotro, Ii.lurc shnlir ll)ds s.l
It)

ir

19i1

h HallliL..lrtj

toftlr>
/i is sr trdt
c:lhr lrryc dnns ari r .ltt\i.e

i.atd Wth

ilnpr.}sil'c Tnft.

b,lthhtb 'erc botLght bt h

11

nt

jrngrl.

l,ns.

&rll s.dso,/ His

ftarrilt, str01! .f.ru gl]ll,

t.,r,is,,i,rd r1risrlr.l, rJ,rJ.
r

Wo o

drow Wi ls on (79 1 3 - 2 L\

A /oodru!^ Wil-on 28th pre-;denl. \va- bonl

V V in Staunton. \ rrghi,r. in lb5o. He laughl
1a{, and politics, becoming a professor at
Princeton University in 1890 ar.rd, 12 years 1ate1,
its president.
At Princeton, Wilson greatly in-rproved
teaching methods, but in 1910, when his plans
for more reforms re rejected, he resigned to
become a "schooln-raster in polltlcs." He \,\,?s
elected gor'ernor of New Jersey and refomed the
state govemment so 1,e11 that he rv,ln the
Demooatic presidential nomination in 1912. He
rvon an easy victorl, or.er the Republicans.
lVilson's Ner'v Freedom program resulted in
loger taxes on goods brought into the country, an
improvecl b;rnking s\,stem, and better conditions
for i,r,orkers. He rvas the first president to hold
regular press conferences to erplain his policies,
and he also spoke on the radio.
ln 1916, \{ilson sent troops into N{exico
u,ithout hesitation atainst the revolutionar),
Pancho Villa. But the same year, he did his best
to keep America out of World War I. He narrou,lv
$,on reelection (,ith the slogan "He kept us [U.S.]
out of u,ar" But German submadnes attacked
American ships, ar.rd on April 6, 1917, Congress
did declare nar. Wilson promised "to make the
i,r,orld sale for democracv"
On Januarl, E, 1918, Wilson issued his
Fourteen Points, a plan for a lasting peace ar-rd
interuational brotherhood through a League of
Nations. At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919,
he persuaded n'orld leaders to include most of
his proposals into the Versailles Treaty But the
U.S. Senate refused to accept the treatl keePinti
America out oi the League of Nations.
It was a crushing blow ior Wilson. In
September 1919, he collapsed during a grueling
campaign to raise suppolt Ior the league, and
suffered a stroke. Afterrard. he was too ill to
take part in government. In the 1920 election, the
Republicans rrcn an
o\erw,helning victorv
lviison e,ler./j pdliti.s ,,dt fol >
but Wilson lras
u: 'l a b' t 'o ) tot
awarded tlre -\ocel
,
,,,o '.
'j H.
leace lrile llr.rt
_ , L, 1,",,,. ,
,,_ t
". the ttost highty n.
December In 1924, he but bccnnr
died in his s1eep.
eLl ditcd pftsi;1c11t.

<

(uppr lft) Ll,r

M,rr;, 191rt,
utt.lt)!t

128 ArLcticnn Li1.cs

trhcI th. British

liltr

Lusitania rrds torfcdocd

Cen nti

s11l)111L1t11t.

AltLcticnns tnll.ti

,4

shd-ilfl/,rded dur.!/rl,or/.

LIS irldrtrs ,.,?.nll.i,r

lfoitl \\,1t L 81/ ]iil 1913.

ds

thcft i,'erc

111r1r

thnn

1.5 nlillion AttldicLln h oot.

Pr$id,liLt

\lilrrtL, British Ptinc

t,lltli.kr Dil:id

>

Lloud Ctor{e
(lcft), ,,, F,",i., Pu,nr Crorsis
Clttnt *nlt apptat taythtt at tht
Pnri! Ptn.., Confttntt, 1919.

h lls.n ir,rs tli,,4/st lr.sid!,rt

nr

A|tiL 2,

191/'

, wilrolt

ilsls d /oirt scssio]l

.I

dechnLku rf
]/!dt lLitl].
lLidt on Gctn011u
CotLEress fot a

brr,

t,lnnu

ln unr

Lan

ii

deilLlrcd

fo r tws lakr

Warren G. Harding (1-92L-23)

AJ,r*rpn e. rn. liel Hard'rg. 20tlr prp-idunl.
Y V rr.r- o,'rr ne.1r rrlrat i- nn\^ BlnominF L,fo\e
Ohio, in 1865. As a ne$'spaper orvner, Harding
published editorials favoring business concerns.

>

,.gcn/ ink s rl,r

to bntftls of beir. Ftokt 1919

Bolrrr&rrt

k,193',, tl,d cri ol Pnhibittilt,

ttu ,rr("rf rrd n lri.q of
,lrolx,li. ln,ts l,l?s illci,rl

Bl' 1914, he tas a U.S. scnator'.

V C,i,J()o,,ins 1,",J r i.1d d,ry
Hardinpl llas easy to Eiet along lvith, spoke
ntrlt an .il ttlLl ..rnddl in th.
lell, ancl "looked like a president"; he gaincd thc \'ntot
Dotrf ntrn of l\rtahult!
Republican nomination in 1920. The I9th
ruI,.rlen co 'LttLiott ul
amendrnent to the Constitution, giving American Hti rLl g'. r dt i t1i st t1|t it tl
women thc dght to \-ote, u,as passed the same
tear; and Harding's good looks were exPected to
bring support from female r.oters. He also
promised a "return to normalcy" after the First
\\br1d !\hr and u'on bv a landslide. Harding
promised to choose the "best minds" to advise
him, and he did appoint some good mcn. But his
administration became knoltn for its corluption.
Harding dicd sucldenlv in 1923, missing the
Teapot Dome scandal, t hich ruined important
men he himself had chosen.
111

t 1

<waftt Ha ,,lg "tus dcctt:d

on

tb

slagLut "Bnck to

LDdcgate. pick th. Rq blica

Nntiotl11l Con ,:ttk)r in

hltt'tB';

natnnldt," pnmistng yncc

Chicdgo,

nrul pt.l.petitlt Llftcr ttu wnr

le ir s. Hnndsanv,,l ig tl ifie t!,
ant a fintr spe''krt, h? sttnttl
It cll suitn tu high altice

n iinntirn i\ .nid to hatr

bet Lltcitldl upd at r

924.

tneetin:t of pnrtv Letdcj'3

r]nok!-flUrd

rcol '

i|

"n

Ca I v in

Coolidge

(1

923-291

Cnlrh Cot)lidic, bft L

r hrtia*, l''as
said to \hnr. th.1\thl.s of

t)pemtins

Drr..rr J.rid,strlrtt tlr. Y

Cirrrllsl.r. .llf .f tl,.
.,r:t!,,F rr,. j,i:: .1.{,
Mnnlt Attlcti.nt1. in tht
R.,nrnr.g li|dxtrs did nrl
rlnIl Coolids.; d..rrxrr

( uoliage ]0lh prc-idcrrt. \^a- b,,rn irl

rnuuth, \c|m.,nL in ID.2. H( JttrJ(rud
natiun. ',rlrerrli.,r in lolq rr hr n. J5 ElL,\crnur nl
Massachusetts, he used state troops to crush a

f-al\
\-ll\

ir'r

strike Lrv Boston policemen. The respectable

Coolidge rvas the Republican vice presidential
choice in 1920 and carne into office on President
Harding'.s death in AuE;ust 1923. After firing
dishonest officials appointed by Harding, he
easilr, ton the 1924 election.
Cooliclgc brliered llral .he bLr.irre-- ol
America is business." The stock market boomed,
but farmer s, miners, and \,telans
su{iered. Coolidge's policies eventually
led to a major cconomic cdsis but
seemed a lrreat success at the encl
.rI ri. lerm. Hc 'urpri.ed cr..rrunt
bv announcing he would not
seek reelection in 1928, saying
simplr,, "l clo not choose to run
for president." He died in 1933.

Corldlr a,rs n

I\il,lt. Hdr(. rrsihr!

Herbe

rt Hoover

(1

929-33)

L:Jprberl ( la rk Hoor L'r. 1 I't prc'id. nr rr'.r.

I lin tve-t Brancl'. lor.a, in 187J. He i.ra.

b,

,rn

orphar.red at 8 and raised by Quaker relatir.es.

Hoorcr I-*r.r'r" e rr.rrld-[amou. nininE engineer

.rnd. br the age,'l 10. a milliun.rrre.
In 1914, lvhen World War I begar.r, Hoover
r,-olunteered to head a group fighting hunger in
u,ar-torn Europe, and helped bring stranded
Americans home. He continued 1,.ith his relie f
efforts u.hen America entered the uar in 1917,
overseeinl; food supply all over Europe, from
Belgium to the Soviet Union. His hard r,vork r'r,as
responsible for saving thousands of lives.
Hoor.er became so rl11 respected that both
parties thought of him as a possible presidential
candidate in 1920. Declaring himseli a
Republican, he u,as named secretarv of
commerce under Harding and Coolidge. Wren
Coolidge refuscd to run again in 1928, Hoover
was easily elected, promising "a chicken in ever1,
pot." But in October 1929, the US. stock market
collapsed, Iollorved by the economic disaster of
the Creat Depression, which lasted until 1934.
Hooveli,r,as blamed for the c sis, rvhich threw
millions out of rvork.
Hoover believed that tovernment should stay
out of people's lives, and trusted that the knor\horv and effort of ordinary Americans rvould
somehow make things better. He did little to
relieve hardship. The country was plunged into
despair, and people u'ho had lost evervthing
lived in miserable shantvtorvns, \"'hich thev
called Hoovervilles. In 1932, he u'as
overt'helmingly defeated by Democrat Franklin
D. Roosevelt.
In World War IL Hoover returned to famine
relief and later headed group' .tuJr ing
government reorganization, u'hich made
important suSgestions for reform. He gar,'e all his
earnings from this u,ork to charit;.. He died in
1964 at the age of 90, better remembered as a
humanitarian than as an unsuccessful president.

<Hc
t:tt

xrt

otga

sd'oe

Hoatret

j.rtlnt

us d geltius
but ftl)kd ta

Antricr\tconarfu

ttlerly Hootcr is honorcd )

191/ fot' hi; lifelorl rN* uith
chatittes. Calauda\ tsotlLlct DLtln
The

iurs rctlnne

lrr hjit.

< Putb

ldlr nll then

nLotle! ifien tht stack flltu'krt
fuilal ttied to .d] thdt'
parsc,sbtLs Fr nrh ta k.Lj

Lwatied

c/0iL,ds

lll

thc

sl|lrl,nlk autsnb tlx Ntu Yot+

Stffk Ercha ,!e nt the tine al
lhe A.h)bet 1929 Wall 9trcet
Sa1tu kilLed thenselt.
1 ,:,1.
iL'lL.,l Lht! uerc

rvsh.

l]'rii.r r'ldsl a'itl "lrorrs >

mtlrchtr." ilha .rt uP (nnP
the atk]ms capitdl Fedutll
Ill,ol,i s.irtt /.d 9.00r.

i1l

tL'ho

f tn 1932. r "bo1ltLs

dlntt" at

/ollt'ss.r/er"rs rrrr.l(d o,,

I'\' t:tsh i tLS t o i, do r tld o1g
t\lvrLctlt of

botltLse::

pro

l)st:d

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-45)

Delano Roo*erelt )2nd pre.iJent. rras
I'born on hr. familt's e-lale in H\ de P,rrk, N.\
York. h 1882. He l* a distant cousin of
Theodore Ror:sevelt, whose niece, Eleanol he
married in 1905. He entered Democratic politics
as a Nerl, York state senator in 1910 and rvas
assistant secretary of the navy until 1920. In
1921, he r'\.as crippled by polio but cor.rtinued his
career through sheer u,ill and years of painful
exercise. He worild never u,a1k again r'\''ithout
help.
Elected gover nor of Nerv York in 1928,
Roosevelt pioneered unemplo,vment relief during
the Great Depression, winning the Democratic
nomination and a landslide victorv in 1932. He
begar.r his term bv calling a speciil session of
Con5;ress, tl.re Hundred Davs, to approve his plan
for a New Deal. This great program for relie{ and
recovel.helped farnlers and *'orker s, setting up
govemment agencies and projects to make jobs
for millions of unemploted. Some Americans
l'ere torried br.increases in federal government
controls and thb president! orvn powers, but
Rooselelt's successes, and his "fireside chats"
over the radio, brought confidence back to a
despairing; people. He gained another huge
\ ictor\ in the lqSo eleclion and rr.rn rgain in
1940 and 1944. He was the only president to
sene more than t{,o terms.
When World War II beg;an in 1939, Rooser'elt
promised Great Britain "a11 aicl sholt of war" In
December 1941, Japanese forces attacked the U.S.
fleet at Pearl Harbor ir.r the Pacific, and Ame ca
joined forces with the Allies, primarily Great
Britain and Russia, agaiilst the Axis pol\,ers,
Cermany and Japan.
Roosevelt traveled back and forth to o\rsee
strategv and keep the Allied nations working
together. \{ith victorY assured, he planned a
postwar peace \{'ith other Allied leaders but died
suddenlv on April 12, 19,15, just davs before the
warl end. He had been president for more than
12 years.

Eranklin

<

Ioos.r,eil dcllrrls ,r ,,s

reelecfi(vt, by n trcnentD s
nLrlt)rit:1, as gt)lxntot ol Nelt
\btk it1 No1\r btt 1930

>

rtuou.h a mn;s of
n i crcFhrtw, tllc prcs ittttt
t

brandcrsts ane ol his "fih:sult

l:U-; l,.,,l,lil ,,1

R('{,ir..ii i|ilir lir:

Ilr,r,rr, R.osri.lt lir;i irrrJ lo ilrnl

,rt.r/.n..ir,,i rxn*fl ..t tlx, 1,, j,rr,,rJ

.ir,rrn( ft,r'rsln r jlj,rrk'1hl

L,l

<.4

lroi,l,r 1r1l!i Dirr!1'rs

Clidndi,r n,!rs itri,,futfl1 l,rl

il. fr'l!iiirri! r'rlrssr..

R,,osr.-rell

n..ls .r,illr Britisl

>

PLiri,.,\'lirrrstrr l{r,rsturir
Clur.lrill (lcft) l1,rd Slrr,rft le,iddl

Irs.lr Slrlri

,ri il]f )i?ili

C,,rli?rr.., at'&rrrrv 19.15. I/llv
dis.,rsi.d ilu nrr,r1 st.f-. Jor
deierl l:: Cern)nnv n t lapalt,
irrd iici|i'i slnf. Ilr f(]!til,rL

ir slxrr .l.n,n,r.. tr1,H,nrr rrr

D.ttoit, 19)0 llr tirst 1,r./r'J
r,,tiri,rr \)ri nr llri, ,ir-qi,1.r,I,!irr/
,1r,rrxrtrs ..rt,x]al l,rr! rtrr lw

Modern America

Harry S Truman 11915-53\

Lfarrr s lruman, J lrd Prvsidenl,

I I r';. horn in I .rmdr -\4l!5ouri in
He worked as a farmer and
sen.ed in France as an artiilen'
officer in lVorld \\hr L After failing in business,
he entered politics. Elected as a Democraric I I S
senator in 1935, Tiuman stronth' supPorted
Roosevelt's Nert, Deal. He u'orked to combat
waste in militarv spending during World War II,
becoming Yice president in 1945. lVhen Roosevelt
died only 83 days into his {ourth term, Truman
becan.re president and made gains in civil rights.
ln 19,18, the plainspoker.r "Giverem-Hell, Harr,v"
narrou,ly won reelectiotl.
Truman'.s motto l\as "I{ l'ou can't stand the
heat, get out of the kitchenl" He proved his ol'n
ability to accept great responsibilitY b.v deciding
lo use the atomic bomb against Japan. ManY
thousands of people died in the total destrlrction
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9,
19,15, saving the lives of manv thousar.rds of
Ailied servicemen rvhen Japan sutrendered a felr'
days later.
188,1.

When World lVar II ended, the cold nar, with

tension but no head-on conflict, began betl\'een
the 1 /est and the major Communist powers.
Truman took a tough line, pron.rising U.S. moner'
and military aid to all "iree peoples" menaced by
communism. In 1949, he played a leading part in
setting up the trVestem military alliance knorn'n as
NAIO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
and committed U.S. troops to figlrt against
communism in the Korean \{ar.
At home, Tiuman was fnEtrated. His Fair Deal
policies for socjal re{orm were blocked b,v
Congre-s. h hrn he 't,'uJ ae.lin-l -he('Pilrg
"anti-Red" Iaws, he tas accused of being "soft on
communism." He fired Douglas MacArthur, his
chief commander in Korea, for going against his
military decisions, and the Korean War dragged
or.r. In 1952, Tiuman did not seek reelection. He
died 20 years later, asking these simple words ir.r
his memorr,: "He did his damndest."

<Conplerce rlti filt,tlo]1 sen\e

Nrc ttu hnlltnatks of rirnight
tljkl)tg Hntnt |tultldn, itho
lool o, 8,rdt ,'cslrr!il)iljt,.s
t:itho| t .ntt +tnbLL. |\ ti311o
lris ,l!si rfrd THr BUCK sro's
HERE

>

<

(far leit) 1n ,1lri/ 1915, n.i1'

Pftsinoi T]iLrnrt \it\ lor th.
cnntrLl irilh llir tilc, Bes;

(i

orl tu .nll.d llt Boss), rrul

daqhtcl, lvLdrynrcl, prrh
besidu hilfi. \\'htn pt)plt

crili.i.el

iiir$lrls

rrftvrinc*

ns

n conc.it

sir,{.t llu f,?sidrri

<

111

Atrll

irris

1915, ]'qresentntirts

nntins net ) Snr

Frit.,is-o tt) dtat p tht

nf 60

Llltitti Nntinn\
Hcrc, Trut nn aLllftssts thr
f,nnl ;essio al lhe ct)tfi'ftnct
an A g|st 8, ht siglt.d thc
chnrler af the

chnrlLt, caliitlnins the Llljted

Sftllcs'

<I"medintel1t aft\ hjs t,lcrtbn

191E, Pr$fient Ttlt lan atul
"i
his faniu lnlie thtit hrruttaltn.
ltldeyndcnce, Missolffi, to
ret rtl to l\11:l tLgta , DC.

nenibtr\h\.

G.ncnL

Dr

cotfitt1L11der

ELls

MdcAtthli.

of U.s. force, ot thc

K)rcntl W nt. chnl LoLgetl

jud!,nvtLt

1i md .\ tlllita]'v

Dwight D. Eisenhower (L953-61)

igl^l D.rr id I i'r'nhorter. lJ{h pre.idenl
l-,Ilr'a' born in Deni.un, le\ai, in lD',U. Hc
graduated Irom the military academy at West
Point in 1915 and becanle a career soldier In
World War II, he \,\,?s appointed supreme Allied
commander for the invasion of Europe. A
friendly man who could also be tough, he used
patience and tact to keep Allied commarders
rvorking together smoothly under his leadership.
The Allied victorv in 1945 made Eisenhor,r'er a
hero. and irr Io52, he rra. apprurch. d a' a
presiclential candidate by both parties. He chose
the Republican' and rror br .' large margin orcr
Democrat Adlai Stevenson, with the slogan "I
like Ike." He scored another major victorv in

f-\!^

1956.

Eisenhouer rvorked for r'r,orld peace. In 1953,

he ended the Korean War and, in 1956, forced
Britain, France, and Israel to let the United
Nations oversee Eg].ptian control of the Suez
Canal linking the Red Sea and the
Mediterranean. In 1955, he suggested arms
limitation measures to So\.iet leaders. But
he felt America had to stand firm in the
cold war. To control Communist spread
in the Middle East, he sent U.S. troops
to Lebanon in 1958. His secretary of
state, John Foster Dulles, threatened
to use nuclear weapons against any
Soviet aggression.
At home, Eisenhower improved
social welfare programs and mor.ed
ahead on civil rights for all Americans. In
1957, he sent troops to watch over the
integration of black and white schools in
Little Rock, Arkansas. He also resisted
extreme "anti-Red" lau,s demanded bl,
Communist-hating Senator Joseph
McCarthy and his supporters. In
1951, the 22nd Amendment to the
Conititulion limited U.S. pre-ident. I
lo t\1o elected term-. Fi'enho\\er. I
in poor health. rrould nol hare
I
run again in 1960, anyrar,.
li
advised later presidents
until his death in 1969.

He

Eisetlhatret wns

a1le af the t'it/Pst

saldiers the U itell Statcs hns
elitt seen. He hegfr World l{at
I1ns L1lie tennnt colonel. BV

Decenhet 1941, hr hid reached

the ftte-stat

nnk al Generdl af

|tl1959, Sariet Pret itt Nikita

KhtushdEi' shdding his qes
-oith his hat, is uelcomedbll
hesidt t Ei.enhouet Llt

Anllrcws Air Eorce B$e

in Mitylatd. Ht rods the

lrst Rt1.Jia Catnm ist

bndi

to f,isit tfu United

States

<

Eisenhaixr, see here

1950,
li1)u1ta pLdlt grlf. tu an\
criti,:lzed lar relnrillg o11 tllt
goLf cou|sc nt tiflts of
ttrnat io1l al t e1t silrn.

<l

irr/lrl.,r..ir,{Ili

D...Dilr,' llal |.i.r'..r1

srrronJ Aiir.li a.,nrxn,rJ.r

ti{,trn

.,/

nri

Bririsli

suf,iJrf FrJJ rIlrrrsl,Lrl

,\'lrrt('o,lln/ ilrrrs,x',d/t Ui
ir! liL,Lr :t/.nt i.rd.r'j oiiIn
Jrnr8r,1,; .,ll slmr,!!.

V Fii, Crst,,tr .+r}iiji.i hl,xn'1t

,; Cornrrrirst ,ir.l,rl.r ,,i ari,,
rr '/9];9. lil,r. v.rrs lri.rl ir
iri:.,l rr.irrrtr/ l.lrr,r..lri{ lr)
Ll.S. mr+nnlr i,, tll, islfli.

,i,rJ f rdsi l,rri Eii.rI!,r\r lr,1,l,'

,rli dii,1ol,].rtl. rrlirtrrrs.

{I

John E Kennedy 0961-63)

Fitzger,riJ (enn.'dr lrlh pre.idenr. \r.r\
in Brookline. MJ'-n(lrLr-ell.. in lqli. He
-f born
r^..rs th. :ocond :on oI rnilli.rn.,iru bu>ine>'man
Joseph P Kennedl wl't,l rvas determined to make
one of his children president. When the eldest
son died ir.r action in lVorld \{'ar II, the family's
poiver and influence rvere put behind John.
]ohn Kennedl,t known as Jack, was decorated
for bravert as a patrol boat commander The
handsome war hero u?s elected a Democratic
congressman in 1946 and a U.S. senator in 1952.
A long, u.ellorS;anized campaign r.von him the
presidcntial nonrination in 1960. He bested
Rt'pLrbiic..rr (.rndidale Ri. h.rrJ \ir.,n in .t .erteof televised debates and u'on a naro\ , \.ictorv At
-lJ. he rr.r- rhe r.rungc-t pre.idenl e\er ele, leJ
(Theodore Roosevelt took over at '12 from
N{cKinlev) and the first Roman Cathctlic to take
office.
Under fack Kennedv and his rvife, Jackie, the
Whitc House seemed a new Camelot, the focus
of American hopes at-td ideals. Kennedy r,r.as
especiallv popular rfith vouilg people, and manv
volunteered to help underdeveloped countries in
his Peace Corps program. He increasecl spending
for defense and vowed to put a man on the
moon. But the adr,ance of the Nelr, Frontier,
Kennedl/s plan Ior improved civil dthts,
education, ancl medical care, r,.as blocked by
Congress.
Kennedv approved the disastrous Ba)' of Pigs
inr'asion of Cuba in 1961 and steppecl uP militarv
aid to South \rietnam. ln 1962, he \'\'nt to the
edge of u'ar, blocking Harana harbor until the
Soviets remo\ed nuclear missiles from Cuban
bases. Soviets agreed to a nuclear test-ban treatY
the folloh'ing year.
On Norcmber 22, 1963, Kennedl' r,ras fatallv
shot as he rode in an open car in Dallas, Texas.
The gunman, Lee Harvev Osu,ald, *'as himself
n.rurdered two days later. An inr estigation
concluded that Osr,rald had acted alone, but
questions remained, and many felt he had l:een
part of a larger conspiracr'. In 1968, Kennedv'.s
lrcunger brother Robert was assassinated t'hile
campaigning for the Demooatic nomination.

1.,lrr

LThe Ke

neLtu

fr

tillt

1931.

tlfuLl

Prcsidcnt

it

antl blllthel' Rol)ett

hls fi'oariLt.ent 01

stt:.,LL..

rn,l,.d!

sits fot Nt lannal pothait

llLe rock tg.hai thnt unr

lose|h, Sr.. halds babv

Fdn'a lrck its dt the li1t,

tht .Ahttt

,/\ Il,]r,,n,,rr.l iris arL. lr.ktr,

sir,rl,r.ii ,r.lril.rr 1,i,,, /,,. ],
l!ijr, tl ufrr ri kf,ir,1l/!
f irixlrrtril,Df i,rrtrl]lr.

<

llsrirrit

Er,lril,i

i. (r,rrr.

/s

,x)rrr.

>

l bLrLhiLiv.
l,ill.11l Jrlrrtr! lrs illrr!
.ns(l, ,rs (.,rr.drl rs n ird n)
loh, Ir.

nt! hit lhr

lis n,rrl /.Jt,r.{

V -SirJ,l

ir
a.|rt0

7,1r.!

,,l1'lrrgio]] ,\i?tr,rld

y.

Fm,L Sixnr1l ,rrrtll

rr l96tr.
i,r;inrlj

Sl,futur- Kflr,rcr/r/

Ihfl,,

;/rou

li.rsdrrJitrL5

(rlrr.irli

l9rt.l.

kftr,Hl,

ti,,,B.ri,r l\r1l tl,rt

rlii'id.d I\isi B.rlrr t,rr
Colrrnrrist trsi B.rll,r ll.nn11
,r'ns tur,l1 ir.ir,,r i]]1989.,irJ i/r,,
i,,ois Lr.r,

jrtrr.,lr,

sri..!sshi
pnr;.,rtr,r1.rnirni!u

flt

Lyndon B. lohnson (L963-69')

\ ttd,'n B.]inr..

l,'ltr-ott. lolh pre.tdt nt. rl.:- a

b.rrn near:t.rnruall lerr', in

I-.Jlarmert
'on.
190E. A schoolteacher and loca1 politician, he las
elected a US. contfessrlan in 1937 and became a
firm supporter of Roosevelt's Nerv Deal. ln 194E,
he u,as elected to the Senate, rvhere his skill as a
rvheeler-dealer, bargaining ancl smoothing out
d"gumenr-. made hir Demucrdli. nl.riorit\ ledJPr
ir 1q55. He lu.t the prt'.i.lerrli.rl non'irr.rlron tL)
Kennedv in 1960 but, as a conserEtive southern
Protcsta'nt, made an ideal running mate for the
liberal, northern Roman Catirolic. In 1963,
Kennedr/s assassination made Johnson }rresident.
Jol]nsont Great Socicty program put Kennedv's
civil rights and social rvelfare ideas into action,
including his "i,rar on poverty" In the 1964
election, fohnson non a record share of the
popular vote against Barr,v Coldwater, r'tho calied
for much stronger militaly action against
communism. But Johnsorr himself. soon asked
Congress for greater po\'vers in the \/ietnam
conflict. Granted use of "all necessaly measures,"
he ordered the bombirrg of North Vietnam and
began a massire inclease in the nurrber of ll.S.

<

Lltndan ldlt..son

Tela

tht

",rLls

tk

titst

l\hitt ]Irttse. ltl

tla' Telas hndition. ht 1t'as

Louqh, shrtuLl, ind ha1ttlt.

lv,trn, fir,o fto,r! ol

Konxdy\ t.ath, lahtLott
r,irr s.{,rr-tr i,t0 dlr..
ibodrd lht llttsrinLt ial

troops in Vietnam, which reached half a million

by 1968. Although some Amedcans l\'ent "a11 the
rvav with LBJ," man). took to the streets to
protest the war Race riots also divided American
socieql
Johnson's unpopularity teached its height early
in 1968, rvhen the Communist Tet Offensive in
Vietnam contradicted his claims that victorl, was
near He stopped the bombing of North Metnam
and promised that the United States *'ould seek
a peaceful solution. Tired, ili, and heartbroken bv
such slogans as "He\i he,v, LBJ: How manv kids
did vou kill todav?" he announced that he la'ouid
not ieek reelection, and retired to his Teras ral-lcl-l
until his death on Januar,v 2, 1973. A Peace
atfeement r{as signed in Paris the next daY and
the rval was ovet

/d,rn,, 'itl

onr.flris J..!!.

..1rrnrl ifia,rs .l)/.,.trd I(,

ri!

rf tt1L1kt11:: his bengl. L,,1tk

L)v ttullillg its.r)'s Thr
ye;idolt likti Lhc L M\c oi
Itbnsdf a. r do ltarr
hnbit

.autltrv

L)oq

nrtl it'']. ofxtl

pltrtost'dphtrl itith a itlh1l;, rn

hots.l)n.k, ot htritB rnttll

<

Ita v
i1t

ttLt)usdri. of
nonsh al or. qnthe

r autsidt

ttu Pntatt' , O.l0lr0 196;.

to ttlr.sl Attltrici's rc1. nt th.

lidna,r l\nr

O,rt'

!,r,rr.,'

|Drt ttr i at.

Mt]./, sl]i,rr.l. .r/t/.Lsrr r,rs
Ltbtls

l.hlt\o r

dLttted nt the trc)d.nt

Richard

M. Nixon

(1969-74)

T't ichard Vilh.,u- \iron.

I\born

17th Pre'rdcnl wds

in \orba I irrda, California, in IolJ.

Trained as a lau,yer, he was elected a Republican

congressman in 1947 and a senator in 195{1. A
touih stand against communism, ancl political
skill so ruthless it earned him the nickname
Tiickr. Dick, won Nixon the vice presidency
unilei Eisenhoner Nominated for president in
1960, he was narrowly defeated bv Kenr.redl'. But
ir.r 1968, $'hen the Democrats u'ere being blamed
for the Vietnam War, he r,r'on by a small majority
Nir.rn promtr, d Pea(e \\ ith hunor' in
\ ietnam. A\ pre*ident. he bet.rn lo rr ithdrarr'
U.S. tioops but tried to force the North
Vietnamese to the Peace table bv sendinS; more
planes against them, bombing Communist bases
in Cambodia and moving troops into Cambodia
and Laos. Earh, in 1973, Communist leaders
agreed to a tru,c and all L S. rr\'oP- !\elt
rr'rthdrarn n. I hc ne\r \ear irghting be5an aeain.
but Congress refused to ir1crease militarv aid.
South Vietnam fell to the Con.rmunists in April
7975.
Elseithere, Nixon did better in foreign affairs,
takir.rg great strides in relations rvith Communist
China ar.rd the Soviet Union. In 1972, he made a
histo c visit to Peking and in Mosco\\'signed an
agreement io Iimit nuclear arms.
The Nixon tears also sa$' imProven-lent in the
econom), at home and the first human to set foot
on the moon. Announcing "peace is at hand,"
Nixon rvon a landslide victory ir.r 1972. But his
triumoh !\a: >horl_li\ed. In 1q71, \i,e lrc:idenl
5piro Agneh re-ignr'd. charted \ ilh t'riber\:
Soon after, Nixon and his aides were accused of
encouraging the burglary of Democratic partv
headquarters in the Watergate office complex
during Ni'.on. rlelection (dmpdign. Niron had
dcnied Lr.,rr ing dn\ lhing about tht' irrcidenl. rnd
he continued hii cover-up refusing to produce
important evidence. In July 197'1, Congress voted
tbr his impeachment. The next n.ronth, before he
could be questioned, Niron became the onlv
pre-iJent erer lo rr'5ig,r. Hc ha.l ulld('rmilled lhe
resne, t;nd Iflrst Arne-ric.In5 Iell for fhc ollicc ol
pre'sident.

;6

Ni:rdr, sertrd dt r8}i, ldkrs

ptltt 111 ti 1917 h ritlg Ll the
Ho11sc Lhb Aw t i t
Cattl titit tt ( \H LI

111

Acl )1, i t ies

AC), ahich

Vi.. PresiAcnt Nixotl nt

Senatat lohtL Kenn tlv shnkx
htltds aft.t a tele'riskn debntt
h the 1960 ele,:tLt cntnpniSn-

L-lrit{d .st t.'s. Nird,?:i

r.llritn's

Ker]1tdy did betttt in thest:

Lltbat.s,lL'hich tulped hiitL uin

brcLtght

d nnrrclL, tictjr-v.

inliest*nted .o] \ntnis111

tht conmtittee

list

hi t att.tltia ol Co]1trcss-

tl1e

Tlis

,rtt.,'irj forhril

is

l.,u

ldno us At tt r L. tltL ill ust h1t r t'

\r,nrn,

Rn, Lrr.ll Nir.n

phnh.|,ath l.nllht, n t
lrofl.,rsirJ. "h!)!lr1

.7r

-\litr,i llrd Clrirr$. P/.rrirl Cl0r

En

lii i

spcct nn hollat

lhr pre:ldtnt attir.s

lrnrt

as

Co,rrrr,rist Clrl,r, i1,'119l2 Ni:lon

iuns tr!irjt lrcjid.,?t to lisii

rilirr Clriri

or So-rirt ltLrssl,

"5.,rrd rl rrv /r/rg,II.,rs

,fej? n!r,r,{" ir,r5 llk'

rr,rrr i.rrrn ii.

r${rr.ll

,r di;g"r.. ,r 19:l

>

lrfl, tl,\

rrl

ri

ur

Gerald R. Ford,

lr

(1974-77)

F,'rJ lr. lblh Prc.i,lerl. h.1.

IC)l.tin Om.rh..r. N.bra-\a. He he8.rn

er..rlJ Rudulph

Ub,.rn ir

Iife as Leslie Kynch King, Jr; his name u.as

changed bv adoption. A football star in co1lege,
Folcl becarnc a la',r,r,er and serverl as a solid and
reliable Republicar-r congressnan for 25 Years. In
1973, he was chosen bv Nixon to rePlace the
disgraced Vice I'resident Atnc\\i
On August 9, 197,+, Nixon .resigned, and Ford
became president. He was ll're only man to bc
both vice president and prcsident \\'ithout
rvinning elcctiolt to either office. Ford pardonecl
Nixon for anv federal climes he [right have
committed on the job. This widelv ur.rpopular
rlove \\ras balanced in 1975 bv his prompt action
in flring m.tnr lhoLr-rnL!- L,l relul(e-,'ul .,1'
South Vietnam, and in sending U.S. Marines to
free the American freightet ,Mayagrr: from
Camboclian Communists. He $as nominaiecl for
pre\iJenl rn lo. o bul ln-l ['\ .r (lo.L' nareir.

Tt'

rtrtttr.lt

Co1 tt

t t

.n/.r lik,.'il,it,il .l

\:itttiot

lt t ).t
t

notr

-S.,!ln

n1 At)t'il 1975.

aorg,$s l,n,i n'f,r5., Fcnilr

x1ill!t lrl.nxr q.x.! ,rr1itn,'q

rnl rr Sirtl li.l,r.rr.

)-;oLettln i:ted
LtLerpc.ledht

Ctrrll Frtd,

fiiitl t. tlt

|r5idtr .V, lnh: th. ]/itl oi

4ltl,or|.tlr ir.

air,..rlll.l:.c

tor

>

prJollrr,r i,r r,.) Pr.sidr"i

Nijlu, (;rmll l'o|rl!
st,-ri!rl6rarrd,1.ss LI nrrr,sn/
tr.ltied tl) r.storl i,,rlrr,ir.. rr

(fh.. ,'.rr

lltnf,r
1971

Ci,,.'f

/rrsti.,'>

B,rr:{.r (,r.1lrsrst 9,

James Earl Carter, Jr. (1977-81)

f. me- Lrrl C;rtcr. lr..30rh prr.idcnt. n;. b.rt'n

llerr.. Ce,'rgi". in Iu2,1. \ Sradu.rt. r.t thU
-I Ln
1.5. \aral Ac.tdemv. i Ann.rp,'lis he.cr'\ed .r.
t,l run his famill/s
pear-[rt farn. Elected go\erir(rr of Georgia ir-r
1970, hc r,'as praised tor his civil rights program
and in 1976 \,r'on the presidencv as a Democrat.
lVith no experience in national politics, limrr)'
Carter had ;r hard time getting Congrcss to carry
out his policies. He had trouble l.ith economic
problems, caused partlv bv the rvorld oil
shol tage. And in 1980, a militarv mission to
rescue American hostages from Iran failed
miserabhr h 1978, Carter orplanized talks at
Camp David between Israel and Egvpt, resulting
in a peace treatv But the follorving \eat relations
u,ith the Sor.iet Union were strained rvhen Russia
inraded Afghar.ristan. Carter lost the 1980
election by a lecord margin.rnd retired from
politics to do charity l\,ork.
a naval otficer but resignecl

Pnsid.rt aiultr losl rr.lr.iioIv

Crrto
bLtl ,ai n tletlitLltrd pl'tside t,
il$lLfi! ltith fotcte L)cvotLd l)is
nn1:rL!,d i rLtiiot trcntq
L)xloe Eqltpl nnd brLld.
conltol
Crrler ..'ilh Efltt's

.1,rrrr./-Sndnt

Tk

AurhnlL

Khontl,itli\

rcligtnls tictLttotrhry nnd hrtrcd t'

Alncti.n t nt h1)1tbl. Khotllr nLi .e i..t]

59

Ronald Reagan Q981-89)

Y lull

t)f

(ll,tgl/ iit \pite

sLttgen/ dntl his

i1

of

t'ed t

qears,

RengaLitntfus confidc|lly to

.ibitLct tneetint ot 1985

60

t1

.rn.rld \Vi .nn Rea;a r. lr'lh prc-i.lpnt. \\.rb.,rrr ir larrpr,,,. lllino -. in I'll. AL.rlleEe
athlete, he becane a radio sports rePortet then in
1937 went to Hollwfood and appeared in over 50
movies. While president of the Screen Actors
Gui1d, Reagan \^as a Democrat, but in 1964, he
loudly supported ght \\'ing Republican
presidential candidate Barr'l' Goldrn'.ater. (lovernot
oI California from 1967 to 1974, he r,r'on the
Republican presidential nonination in 1980 on
the third tu\r His s\\eping victory at 69 made
him the oldest man eYer elected presidcnt.
Reagan aimed to bttost the economy bv
cutting taxcs to encourage business, but
Reaganomics seemed to favor big corporations
at the expense of r,,,elfare, conserr.ation, and
the "little tul" The ecot-romt' r'ras marked br'
shortllved booms and heavv siumps, and
manv \ /ere out of rvork. Reagan stood
firm against rn,hat he viewed as the "evil
enrpire" of communism, and spent a lot
ul mL,nH! on JL ien*e. Hi- anlbiliou.
program for a missile system basecl in
space, the Strategic Defensc Initiati\e,
'itas nicknamed Star lVars. He tried to
contain Communist spread in Latin
Amedca, sending militarl' aid to the proAmerican government of E1 Salvador and tcr
rebels figl.rting Communist rlrle in Nicaragua.
1983, he orderecl the successful invasion of the
Caribbean island of Crenada, r"',here leit-t'ing
Iebels had overthror'r'n the govemment.
Ntlanv Americans liked Reagar-r's eas,v
manner and felt he hclped the nation "stand
tall" in u,orld affairs. In the 198'1 presidential
election. he rl.on a record number of r,'otes. In
his second term, he met \vith So\-iet lcader
Mjkhail Golbachel and agreed to reducc
nuclear arms. In 1986. he bombed Libra to
'tup dicl,rtor Vuatntn.lr. l-Qadd,r lrom
terroist actions. It r.as a generallY popular
move, unlike tl-re Iran contra affair of the
following 1ear, rvhen U.S. l'eapons r'l'ere sold
sccretlY to lran to encoulage release of
Anrelican hostages. The money raised u'ent
to support contra rebcls in Nicaragua. Latel
questioned about his inrolvcment, Reatan
ans\,vered, "l don't remember" 130 times

I)
I\

<

/rst

rltu

Rr,ij,i,r

1931, iietlds pLt)

gutll]|jntl nt tilht.

Ralrtin n1d hls ll,jic,

r\hn.r, l?G. d ldrr./

oie nctot. t ioll a tide
rn thtlt CllllDrlLir ]'an h
111

Itrrjl,I1 lirt.hr.7s Eritlrr

>

/rrn&, M,r;strr M,ugdl.t

Thnk htr ftl.tts n hni]|,t
o,rtl i{.rsriirtton -Jijjt

,!r,rrd

Irrtrl.r

ii1

ilus o,. ol
R.r,qr ! .lrrsest irljr.s. rn, llr
" s,lt inl ft Int i)nlh tp" LtctlLlccn
198.9.

tht Ll.S.

1111d

Cftrt Britnl

<,,1s li]drltss ,4,.r Brrss

8d

.,1y'1, Rond/,i R.rJllI1

Zcl ld, plnuLl b1l

Itos.ll, hio,r., ,i sel:r('t
Servic d thc Air. ,r 1939
n,oi,x, Rr.{rn rr,1;. ,rorc
l&nr .50 rx)i,rs, |rostlr/
r{,esI.rrri irr r.ti0r I;.frits.
.o11{1o11ts

l98L).

George Bush (1989-1993)

eorge Herbert Walker Bush, 4l't pre)ident.
Unas bom in Milton, Massdchusetts, in 1924.
He was decorated for bravery as a pilot in World
War II. He was elected to the House of
Representatives ir 1966 and served as U.S.
ambassador to the United Nations. An unusually
active r.ice president to Ronald Reagan, he
easily retained the presidency for the
Republicans in 1988. Bush took a tough line in
foreign affairs, ordering military interverition in
Panama, the Phiiippines, Liberia, and Somalia,
and n'on worldwide approval in Jamiary 1991,
when the U.S. led the United Nations' expulsion
o{ Iraqi forces from Kuwait. He had to cope
with the break-up of the Soviet Union ln 1991,
and early in 1993 signed a treaty with Russian
president Boris Yeltsin that much reduced stocks
of nuclear weapons. Accused o{ neglecting the
U.S.A.'s economic and social problems, and of
breaking a campaign promise not to raise taxes,
he lost ihe 1992 election to Bill Clinton.

/'-r

In

1976, ns dnectar al

Brsh

tlv Centrnl lnttlligelLce Agency,

nwtsllith

Solatot ChlLtcll, tn charge

bi)est\ation Df CIA nctil)ities.

< 1

aJ

1989, as

crlLt bles

a Se ate

coll"lunist

i1t Eastern

Eurape, Ceat* Bush is

litnty
rccei,etl

uith

hanars hy Palish leader

'Nojciech laruzel;ki

Bill Clinton 0993T A Tilliam leffer'on Blvthe Clinlon,42nd

VV

pre.ident. *a, bom in HoPe, Arlansds, in

7946.I^1979, at age 32, he was elected govemor
of the state, the nation's youn8est at that time.
After his 1993 inauguration to the presidency, his
administration was faced with an array of
complex issues. He had campaigned for the office
\^rith promises to deal u,ith Previously-neglected
domestic problems, but was opposed, even by
members oI his or.n Democratic party, on such
thing. a. r,reltare reform. campaign financing.
and curbing the hfluence of lobbyists. An early
defeat came out of eI{orts to provide affordable
health care, a program spearheaded by his wife,
Hillary Rodham Clinion, a social activist and
lawyer He u,as successful, on the other hand, in
securing passage of a sweeping anti-crime bill
that increased police protection and added new
rveapons controls. He slashed the federal budget,
cut the size of the federal bureaucracy and
implemented $500 bilLion in tax and spending
cuts early in his administration. In sPite of
relative prospedty, he was able to keep inflation
in check. In the field of foreign affairs, he secured
passage of a major trade agreement \{'iih Canada
and Mexico (NAFTA), restored democracy to
Haiti, and obtained a promise from North Korea
to give up its nuclear \\'eapons.

N euly

ei ec

letl

Bill Clt lail

inortwil

P re sident

spenks

at

tllf

nddress a]1

lamary 24,1993.

Arknn sas Ca1)d tlor

B11l

Cli to 'lith

pr esi dlLt

Russit:ul
B oris Yelt sil1

tuting tlrir nYetin\ nt

Blair House

b1l

ne 1992

Further Reading about the Presidents of the Uniteil States

Beard, Charles A., and Deilev Vagts.

TL Pr$idents

i,

Aneticon Histary: Georye Wnshingta ta Geotge B ih.

Nerv Yoik: Simon and Schusier Lac., 1989.
Bourne, Russell, ed.20, vtn"!: A Biententinl lllustrated

Histary af the u ted States. Vols.1and 2. Washingion, D.C.:

U.S. Nervs and World Repoit, 1973
Bo$,man, John. A P;.ionrl Hlstory ol the Anleljcrn Prcsiaenc!New Yo.k Gallery Books,1991.
Bums, Roger. G.org. W"s/,irstofl. Neh,York: Chelsea House,
1987. (liom thc series World L den Past nnd Prcsekt, whkh
also mcludes books on lohn Adams,lohn Quincy Adams,
Da,lght Eisenhower, Llysses S. Cr 1, Alexader Hamilton,
Ardrew lackson, Tlomas lcfferson, Lyndon loh6on,Iofn
Kennedy, Abraham Lin oln,Iares Madisoa James
lvlotuoe, Ronald Reagan, Franklin Roosevelt, T.ddy
Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Woodrow Wilson.)

Chant, Chrlsiophel P/esidents af the Utite.lSI1te. New

Yo.k:. Galleiy Boots, 1989.
Paletia, Lu

Am, and lred L. Watth-

The

l\otld Alnlannc oJ

P/siderrial Fa.rs. New York Pharos Books,

1988.

Palrick, Sam I. T/r.Iresidefltsi W4slrrgion io B sl. Baltimore:

Ottenheimer PublisheB, Inc., 1989.
Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Exposition Books, 1980.
Piovensen, Alice. Trs E!.1 Stops Herc:The Prcsidents al the
I]nilcd Sirlcs. New York: Harper and Row, 1990.
Wenbom, Neil, T/rr U.s.A.r A Cnroa;.1,
Smithmark Publishers lnc., 1991.

i,

Pich.res. New York:

Wrighi, John W., ed., ?re UniL)et.rt Atnanac, t992- Ka sas

City, Mo.: Andrews dd Mclvleel, 1991.

Picture Creilits
ThP

publnhefwould lik.

to thank

i'rihisbmk with the eilePiiDr oI th.

phoioscFr.5 add nluriario6 wer s,FFled by
ed

phdogr;pr.\ d.hilpd beloE all

UPvBetrminn. Fi.ur.s aE

.eJftd

b-t

er lsft ]t losc L.Ii, a0 hw{ riBhl {2 lo({

[ft, q hr{ l.ri, r7 rppei lII, 43 lo}.r !elr, 50 upp{ li8hi, 52 lower dght,
5llowcrl.Il57upp.rrisht,59upp{nghr Ri.Paflison:7loMrrsht,eloNet

p.s.nunlrss

smithsdnian tnnirution:1 uFp{lefi,6 loNerleri, 11 UPP-htu r? -"*

iignL l7lowe iiglrr,22 uppsnshi,23 uPPei lex,2.l middh nshr,2.lox.r l!h,

cilh!y,

Index
21,24

23
11, 12,13

29,11,3.1
,1,

6, 3,

tt,

ti

.14

23,

2+25,26, 27,

23

,15

11
21

33,,14,46 rl7,
25

13,1,{ 15, 16,19

.18, 5,1

50,62

29

62

D,50

3135,36,52

51,56

52

55,56,53

22

+5,6,8

2,23
5,1-55

12

38,40

52,53
21, 21, 16, 28, 29,

12,11

i0,33,3.I
29,38

52 51,5.1,56

52,5t57,53
57

,{8,50

.!1