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George Washington
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia.
Washington was homeschooled
Washington served as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783).
Before president: Commander-in-Chief
Inauguration as the First President
Establishment of the Federal Judiciary
Creation of the Bill of Rights
Whiskey Rebellion
Neutrality Proclamation -
Period: to
Presidents
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John Adams
John Adams was born in Braintree, Massachusetts
Adams attended Harvard College
Adams did not serve in the military.
Before becoming president, Adams served as the Vice President
Adams was married to Abigail Adams, and they had five children
After leaving office, Adams retired to his farm in Quincy, Massachusetts -
Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson was born in Shadwell, Virginia.
attended the College of William and Mary, where he studied law and mathematics.
did not serve in the military.
Vice President of the United States
married to Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson
becoming president, Jefferson was one of the primary authors of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. -
James Madison
(1809-1817)
James Madison was born in Port Conway, Virginia.
attended the College of New Jersey
did not serve in the military.
Before becoming president, Madison served as the Secretary of State
Madison was married to Dolley Madison
Father of the Constitution -
James Monroe
James Monroe was born on April 28, 1758, in Westmoreland County, Virginia.
attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia
Monroe served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War
Monroe held various political offices before becoming president
Monroe was married to Elizabeth Kortright Monroe, and they had three children
Before becoming president, Monroe played a significant role in negotiating the Louisiana Purchase as Minister to France -
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was born on July 11, 1767, in Braintree
Adams attended schools in Europe
did not serve in the military
Minister to the Netherlands (1794-1797)
Minister to Prussia (1797-1801)
United States Senator from Massachusetts (1803-1808)
John Quincy Adams was the son of John Adams, the second President of the United States, and Abigail Adams.
As Secretary of State under President James Monroe, Adams played a key role in negotiating the Adams-Onís Treaty with Spain in 1819. -
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was born on March 15, 1767, in the Waxhaws
Jackson received very little formal education.
Andrew Jackson served in the military during the War of 1812
U.S. House of Representatives (1796-1797)
U.S. Senate (1797-1798, 1823-1825)
Governor of Florida Territory (1821)
Jackson was married to Rachel Donelson Jackson.
Battle of New Orleans (1815)
Indian Removal Act (1830) -
Marin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was born on December 5, 1782, in Kinderhook, New York.
Van Buren studied law and began practicing in 1803 after completing an apprenticeship.
did not serve in the military.
New York State Senator (1812-1820)
Attorney General of New York (1815-1819)
Martin Van Buren was married to Hannah Hoes Van Buren
Van Buren played a key role in the development of the Democratic Party and served as an advisor to President Andrew Jackson. -
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was born on February 9, 1773, in Charles City County, Virginia.
Harrison attended Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia but did not graduate.
Harrison had a distinguished military career. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of major general.
Delegate to the Northwest Territory's legislature
Harrison was married to Anna Tuthill Symmes
Harrison's presidency was brief, lasting only 31 days, as he died of pneumonia shortly after taking office. -
John Tyler
John Tyler was born on March 29, 1790, in Charles City County, Virginia.
Tyler attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia
did not serve in the military.
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates (1811-1816)
Tyler was married twice. His first wife, Letitia Christian
After leaving office, Tyler retired to his plantation -
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk was born in Pineville, North Carolina, United States.
Polk graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina
did not serve in the military.
Member of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee (1825-1839)
Governor of Tennessee (1839-1841)
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (1835-1839)
Polk was married to Sarah Childress Polk.
Polk was a key figure in the expansion of the United States during his presidency -
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was born on November 24, 1784, in Barboursville, Virginia
Taylor received little formal education and was largely self-taught.
Taylor had a distinguished military career before becoming president. He served in the United States Army for over 40 years
Before becoming president, Taylor had no prior political experience or elected offices.
Zachary Taylor was married to Margaret Mackall Smith Taylor, and they had six children together.
Taylor's leadership on mexican american -
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore was born on January 7, 1800, in a log cabin in Cayuga County, New York.
Fillmore largely self-educated and later attended a local academy in New Hope, New York
did not serve in the military.
Member of the United States House of Representatives
His first wife, Abigail Powers Fillmore
Fillmore was instrumental in negotiating the Compromise of 1850
Fillmore remained active in politics and ran for president again in 1856 as the nominee of the Know Nothing Party. -
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce was born on November 23, 1804, in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, United States.
Pierce attended Bowdoin College in Maine, graduating in 1824.
Franklin Pierce served in the military during the Mexican-American War.
Member of the United States House of Representatives from New Hampshire (1833–1837)
Franklin Pierce was married to Jane Means Appleton Pierce
Before becoming president, Pierce was involved in the politics of New Hampshire and served in the U.S. Congress. -
James Buchanan
James Buchanan was born on April 23, 1791, in Cove Gap, Pennsylvania, USA.
Buchanan attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1809.
did not serve in the military.
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
United States Minister to Russia
Buchanan was never married and had no children.
Before his presidency, Buchanan played a significant role in American politics, serving as a diplomat and a senator. -
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, in a log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky.
Lincoln's formal education was limited. He attended school for less than a year in total
Lincoln served in the Illinois Militia during the Black Hawk War in 1832
Member of the Illinois State Legislature
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Lincoln was married to Mary Todd Lincoln
Emancipation Proclamation (1863)
Civil War (1861-1865)
Gettysburg Address (1863)
Assassination (1865) -
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was born on December 29, 1808, in Raleigh, North Carolina
Johnson's formal education was limited. He learned to read and write as a child but received little formal schooling.
Andrew Johnson served as Military Governor of Tennessee during the Civil War but did not have a distinguished military career.
Andrew Johnson held several political offices
Andrew Johnson was married to Eliza McCardle Johnson -
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant on April 27, 1822
Grant attended the United States Military Academy at West Point
Grant served in the United States Army during the Mexican-American War
Grant did not hold any previous political offices before becoming President of the United States.
Grant married Julia Dent in 1848
Before and after his presidency, Grant was renowned for his military leadership during the Civil War. -
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes was born on October 4, 1822, in Delaware, Ohio, United States.
Hayes attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio
Yes, Rutherford B. Hayes served in the military during the Civil War.
Before becoming President, Hayes held various political positions, including U.S. Congressman from Ohio
Rutherford B. Hayes was married to Lucy Webb Hayes.
After leaving office, Hayes remained active in public life and was involved in various philanthropic endeavors -
James A. Garfield
James A. Garfield was born on November 19, 1831, near Orange Township, Ohio
Garfield worked hard to educate himself and eventually attended the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute
Garfield served as a Major General in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Before becoming President, Garfield served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 19th congressional district.
Garfield married Lucretia Rudolph in 1858
Garfield was assasinated -
Chester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur was born on October 5, 1829, in Fairfield, Vermont, United States.
Arthur attended Union College in Schenectady, New York, where he graduated in 1848.
Chester A. Arthur served during the Civil War but did not see active combat.
held several political positions.
married Ellen Lewis Herndon in 1859.
Before his presidency, Arthur's most significant role was as Collector of the Port of New York, where he was involved in civil service reform efforts. -
Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland was born on March 18, 1837, in Caldwell, New Jersey.
Cleveland did not attend college. He began his working life at the age of 16
Grover Cleveland did not serve in the military
Before becoming President, Cleveland served as the Mayor of Buffalo
Cleveland married Frances Folsom
Before his presidency, Cleveland earned a reputation as a reform-minded politician, particularly during his time as Mayor of Buffalo and Governor of New York -
Benjamin Harrison
: Benjamin Harrison was born on August 20, 1833, in North Bend, Ohio, United States.
He attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and graduated in 1852.
Benjamin Harrison served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Before becoming President, Benjamin Harrison held the position of U.S. Senator from Indiana from 1881 to 1887.
married to Caroline Scott Harrison.
During his presidency, Benjamin Harrison was known for his efforts to modernize the U.S. Navy -
Grover Cleveland
Second Term -
William McKinley
For his education, McKinley attended Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania
McKinley served in the Union Army during the Civil War
Before his presidency, McKinley served as the Governor of Ohio from 1892 to 1896.
McKinley married Ida Saxton in 1871, and they had two daughters, Katherine and Ida.
One of the most significant events during McKinley's presidency was the Spanish-American War in 1898, in the United States acquiring territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines -
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York City, New York, USA.
He attended Harvard University for his undergraduate studies.
Roosevelt served in the military during the Spanish-American War as part of the Rough Riders, a volunteer cavalry regiment.
Before becoming President, he served as the Governor of New York and as Vice President under William McKinley.
Roosevelt was married to Alice Hathaway Lee and later to Edith Kermit Carow. He had six children. -
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was born on September 15, 1857, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States.
Taft graduated from Yale College in 1878
Taft did not serve in the military.
Taft served as Solicitor General of the United States from 1890 to 1892. William Howard Taft was married to Helen "Nellie" Herron Taft
Taft is known for his role as a trust-buster during his tenure as President, enforcing antitrust laws and breaking up several major corporations. -
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson was born on December 28, 1856, in Staunton, Virginia, USA.
He attended Davidson College in North Carolina
Woodrow Wilson did not serve in the military.
Before becoming President, Wilson held several academic positions, including professor of history, political science, and law.
Wilson married Ellen Axson in 1885, and they had three daughters.
Before his presidency, Wilson was known for his work as an academic, particularly in the field of political science. -
Barack Obama
January 20, 2009 January 20, 2017
Barack Obama born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Obama graduated with a degree in political science, Obama did not serve military
Before becoming President, Obama served as a Senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008. Barack Obama is married to Michelle Obama, has two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
Before office:
2004 Democratic National Convention Speech
After office: Barack and Michelle Obama launched the Obama Foundation in 2014