Throughout America’s history, we have experienced 44 different presidents. Some of them are much more well known than others, and while some of them have done more memorable things, each one is remembered for something special.
1. George Washington
George Washington was the very first president of the United States, and he was present when the Bill of Rights was adopted.
2. John Adams
John Adams was responsible for passing the Alien and Sedition Acts.
3. Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the nation and was involved with the Louisiana Purchase. He also helped to pass the law that made importing slaves illegal.
4. James Madison
James Madison declared war on England after they attacked US ships that were headed to France.
5. James Monroe
James Monroe instituted the Monroe Doctrine.
6. John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams repealed the Gag Rule.
7. Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson authorized the Indian Removal Act and signed the Treaty of New Echota.
8. Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren continued to force the relocation of Cherokee people, and was president during the country’s first depression, known as the Panic of 1837.
9. William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was only president for one month. He gave a long inaugural speech in the middle of winter, caught pneumonia, and died one month later.
10. John Tyler
John Tyler vetoed banking bills that the Whigs wanted. His cabinet resigned because of this.
11. James Polk
James Polk helped settle a dispute with Britain over the Oregon Territory. He also signed the Treaty of 1848.
12. Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor signed the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty.
13. Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore signed the Fugitive Slave Act and the Compromise of 1850.
14. Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce adopted the Gadsden Purchase, the Kansas Nebraska Act and the Ostend Manifesto.
15. James Buchanan
James Buchanan was president when the Confederate States of America were created.
16. Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln helped lead the country through the Civil War, and he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that freed all slaves.
17. Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson pardoned anyone who participated in the southern rebellion.
18. Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant added the 15th Amendment to the Constitution.
19. Rutherford Hayes
Rutherford Hayes was president when the troops withdrew from the south, which ended Reconstruction.
20. James Garfield
James Garfield is known for removing corruption from the US post office.
21. Chester Alan Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur signed the Pendleton Act.
22 & 24. Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland signed the Presidential Succession Act, Interstate Commerce Act, Anti-Polygamy Act,Dawes Severalty Act and Tenure of Office Act.
23. Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison is most known for having the US spending deficit reach over one billion dollars.
25. William McKinley
William McKinley was president during the Spanish American War.
26. Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was president when the Panama Canal was acquired. He also signed the Hepburn Act and created food regulations.
27. William Taft
William Taft was president when the 16th and 17th Amendments were passed.
28. Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson signed the Underwood Tariff Act, the Federal Reserve Act, the Clayton Antitrust Act, and the Workingmen’s Compensation Act. The 18th and 19th Amendments are passed, and the US enters World War I.
29. Warren Harding
Warren Harding is known for having a corrupt office. He drank during prohibition, had an affair, and took money from the government.
30. Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge signed the Immigration Act and he helped to reduce the tax burden.
31. Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover was president when the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began.
32. Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt is most known for starting the economic relief programs known as the New Deal. He was also the president during World War II.
33. Harry Truman
Harry Truman decided to use atomic bombs during World War II. He also implemented the Marshall Plan.
34. Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne to Little Rock.
35. John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. He was also the first president to publicly speak to the citizens through a television broadcast.
36. Lyndon Johnson
Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act.
37. Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon signed a peace treaty that ended the US involvement in the Vietnam War. He is most known for his actions in the Watergate Scandal.
38. Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon and removed Americans and South Vietnamese from Vietnam.
39. James Carter
James Carter created the Department of Education and the Department of Energy.
40. Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan is known for creating Reaganomics, the Iran-contra Affair, and trying to end the Cold War.
41. George Bush
George Bush was president when the Berlin Wall came down and during the Persian Gulf War.
42. Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton is known for decreasing the national debt and lowering taxes. He signed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. He is most known though for the scandal with Monica Lewinski.
43. George W. Bush
George W. Bush was president during the September 11th Attacks, which started the War on Afghanistan and Iraq War. He also started the “No Child Left Behind” ideals.
44. Barack Obama
Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Affordable Care Act. He also sent in the troops to catch and kill Osama bin Laden.
Kathryn Thompson is a straight-A student when it comes to history. She enjoys learning and writing about the presidents of the United States of America in her spare time.
