Transcript What you NEED to know about U.S. Presidents

What you NEED to know
about U.S. Presidents
USHG Regents Review
George Washington (1st)





1789-1797
No political party
Set precedents: cabinet, 2 term tradition
Domestic Policy: Strengthened the federal
government (Whiskey Rebellion); against
political parties
Foreign Policy: Proclamation of Neutrality
Thomas Jefferson (3rd)




1801-1809
Democratic-Republican
Domestic Policy: favored a limited federal
government, opposed Alien and Sedition
Acts, opposed Hamilton’s Federalist Party,
opposed national bank
Foreign Policy: purchased Louisiana
Territory from France, doubled the size of
the U.S.
James Monroe (5th)



1817-1825
National Republican
Foreign Policy: the Monroe Doctrine –
warned Europe to stay out of affairs in
Western Hemisphere – continued
policy of isolationism.
Andrew Jackson (7th)




1829-1837
Democrat
Domestic Policy: used presidential
veto power more than any other
president (national bank), supported
Indian Removal Act, used the spoils
system
Trail of Tears
Abraham Lincoln (16th)








1861-1865
Republican
His election caused Southern secession from the
union and began the Civil War
Increased Presidential powers during war:
suspended habeas corpus, spent $ without
Congressional approval
Emancipation Proclamation – more symbolic than
effective.
# 1 goal: PRESERVE THE UNION
Believed secession was constitutionally impossible
Reconstruction Plans: reunify as a country ASAP
Andrew Johnson (17th)





1865-1869
Republican
Reconstruction Plans – very lenient on
former confederates
Impeached by the House of
Representatives because they did not
like his Reconstruction policies
(acquitted)
13th and 14th Amendments ratified
during his presidency
William McKinley (24th)




1897-1901
Republican
Foreign Policy: period of
expansionism and imperialism
Spanish-American War
Theodore Roosevelt (25th)







1901-1909
Republican
Progressive – program called the Square
Deal
Domestic Policy: trust-buster,
conservationist, reformer
Foreign Policy: “Big Stick Policy” – use
force when necessary (strong navy)
Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
– U.S. is the police power in Latin America
Panama Canal built
William H. Taft (26th)





1909-1913
Republican
Progressive President
Domestic Policy: continued business
regulation of Progressive Era
Foreign Policy: “Dollar Diplomacy” –
emphasized US business investment
in Latin America
Woodrow Wilson (27th)






1913-1921
Democrat
Progressive President – program called
“New Freedom”
Domestic Policy: economic reform (Clayton
Antitrust Act, Federal Reserve Act)
Foreign Policy: World War I (“make the
world safe for democracy”), 14 Points,
League of Nations
Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles in
favor of isolationist policies
Calvin Coolidge (29th)




1923-1929
Republican
Domestic Policy: Laissez-Faire toward
business.
“Coolidge Prosperity”
Herbert Hoover (30th)





1929-1933
Republican
Domestic Policy: dealt with problems of the
Great Depression – trickle down theory
Opposed direct relief to people, used
government resources to try to help
businesses, asked people for voluntary
help.
Used federal troops to put down the “bonus
army” of WWI veterans.
Franklin D Roosevelt (31st)





1933-1945 (only Pres. to serve more than 2 terms)
Democrat
Domestic Policy: plan for the Great Depression- the
New Deal. Called for direct relief, expanded the power
of the federal government, created “alphabet
agencies” – New Deal was criticized as too extreme by
conservatives
Responded with “court-packing scheme” when Supreme
Court struck down his programs
Foreign Policy: President during WWII – from “cash
and carry” to the lend/lease act; “good neighbor policy”,
supported Japanese internment camps.
Harry Truman (32nd)




1945-1953
Democrat
Domestic Policy: desgregated the armed
forces and the federal government
Foreign Policy: made decision to drop
atomic bombs on Japan, Began the policy of
containment (Truman Doctrine, Marshall
Plan) during the Cold War, Entered Korean
War
Dwight D. Eisenhower (33rd)




1953-1961
Republican
Domestic Policy: Federal Interstate
Highway Act, sent troops to Little
Rock, Arkansas to enforce
desegregation
Foreign Policy: Eisenhower Doctrine –
pledged to support any middle eastern
country trying to fight off communism
John F. Kennedy (34th)




1961-1963
Democrat (the New Frontier)
Domestic Policy: supported efforts in space
exploration, dealt minimally with civil rights
issues with little success (suggested civil
rights bill).
Foreign Policy: The Alliance for Progress
(containment in Latin America), the Peace
Corps, Bay of Pigs invasion, Cuban Missile
Crisis, sent military “advisors” to Vietnam
Lyndon B. Johnson (35th)





1963-1969
Democrat
Domestic Policy: The Great Society – War
on Poverty, Civil Rights Act of 1964
Foreign Policy: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
expanded Vietnam War
Division over war – he decides not to seek
reelection in 1968
Richard M. Nixon (36th)





1969-1974
Republican
Domestic Policy: “New Federalism” –
worked to decrease Great Society programs
and social welfare
Foreign Policy: “Vietnamization” policy,
increased bombings in Vietnam, Cambodia,
and Laos, détente in Cold War (visited
China and USSR)
WATERGATE: Only President to resign
from office
Gerald R. Ford (37th)





1974-1977
Republican
Was House Minority Leader when he was
appointed Vice President after Spiro
Agnew’s resignation. Became President
after Nixon’s. Only President to serve who
was never on a ballot.
Domestic Policy: pardoned Nixon
Foreign Policy: Helsinki Accords
Jimmy Carter (38th)




1977-1981
Democrat
Domestic Policy: dealt with problems of
stagflation and oil shortages, asked people
to voluntarily cut back on energy usage.
Foreign Policy: focus on human rights,
Panama Canal Treaty, Camp David Accords
was biggest success, Iranian Hostage Crisis
was biggest failure
Ronald Reagan (39th)




1981-1989
Republican
Domestic Policy: conservative on social
issues; supply-side economic policy
(Reagonomics)
Foreign Policy: planned a nuclear defense
strategy- strategic defense initiative (SDI)
nicknamed “star wars”, signed arms control
agreements with USSR
George H.W. Bush (40th)




1989-1993
Republican
Domestic Policy: raised taxes to deal
with inherited budget deficit and
national debt
Foreign Policy: Cold War ended; led
U.S. into Persian Gulf War against Iraq
in 1991.
William Clinton (41st)





1993-2000
Democrat
Domestic Policy: focus on health care reform and
social security reform, and reducing the national
debt, NAFTA
Foreign Policy: sent troops to Serbia, Bosnia, Haiti
to secure human rights and peace
Impeached by the House of Representatives on
charges of perjury and obstruction of justice –
acquitted by the Senate.
George W. Bush (42nd)





2001-2009
Republican
Won presidency after election dispute and
Supreme Court decision in Bush v Gore.
Domestic Policy: tax cuts, NCLB, social
security reform
Foreign Policy: war on terror, invasions of
Afghanistan (al Qauda extremists) and Iraq
(Sadam Hussein and WMDs)
Barack H. Obama (43rd)





2009Democrat
First African-American President
Domestic Policy – stimulus package
for economic recovery
Foreign Policy – scaled back troops in
Iraq, increase troop levels in
Afghanistan