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Presidency of Thomas Jefferson
After the increasing fracture of the Federalist Party, Jefferson was elected president. Jefferson supported agrarian policies, moderated federal power, and states' rights. His presidency also saw the Federalists' power gradually decrease. -
Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin
While invented earlier, in 1807 Eli Whitney's patent for a cotton gin was validated. As popularity increased, the cotton industry exploded, eventually becoming the backbone of the South. -
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Presidency of James Madison
Madison, a follower of Jefferson in many aspects, continued along the path of republicanism and limited government. He oversaw the inconclusive War of 1812 with Britain and afterwards felt the practical need for a stronger central government. -
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War of 1812
Because of continual British harassment of American trade and its impressment policy, relations between the two countries reached a boiling point, and Congress declared war. While the war prove indecisive, it gave a boost to American unity and public perception. -
Battle of New Orleans
While fought after peace had been technically signed, the Battle of New Orleans, a decisive American victory, gave Americans a postwar high and catapulted Andrew Jackson to the spotlight. -
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Presidency of James Monroe
The presidency of James Monroe brought in a period known as the "Era of Good Feelings" in which party politics and bickering were largely eliminated. He is also remembered for the promulgation of the Monroe Doctrine, which stated that the US would remain neutral in European affairs, but would not accept European further involvement in the Americas. -
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Presidency of John Quincy Adams
The Presidency of John Quincy Adams was characterized by an ambitious and involved federal government. Adams wished to dramatically increase spending and funding for domestic projects like roads and canals. However, Congress blocked most of his plans, and the "corrupt bargain" that won him the presidency began to renew political infighting. -
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Presidency of Andrew Jackson
The presidency of Andrew Jackson brought back the return of not only intense political fighting, but also the more democratic and anti federalist tendencies of the Jefferson era. A war veteran with views hard to pin, Jackson, on the one hand, bitterly opposed the renewal of the US National Bank, while at the same time harshly threatened South Carolina for its nullification of a tariff, seemingly placing federal power over state sovereignty. . -
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Presidency of Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was handpicked by Jackson to succeed him. However, while at times acclaimed for his policies, he was also criticized for his inaction during an economic crisis, which lost him reelection. -
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Presidency of William Henry Harrison
Harrison, the first candidate of the Whig Party to become President, died just a month after his inaugural speech, and thus also became the first President to die in office. -
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Presidency of John Tyler
To the great disappointment of the Whigs, John Tyler largely agreed with Harrison's platform, regarding such things as establishing a national bank unconstitutional. At the end of his presidency Tyler signed a law that would annex the Republic of Texas. -
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Presidency of James K. Polk
Polk, a democrat in a similar fashion to Jackson, sought to expand the United States. Polk oversaw the annexation of Texas into the US, as well as the Mexican-American War, in which America gained significant amounts of land. Following a campaign promise, Polk only served a single term. -
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Mexican-American War
War broke out between Mexico and the United States quickly after the US annexation of Texas, which Mexico still claimed. American forces readily defeated their Mexican counterparts, and Mexico City fell soon after. The conclusion of the war brought about a large territorial increase for the US. -
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Presidency of Zachary Taylor
The second US President to die in office, Zachary Taylor accomplished little during his small time as president. -
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Presidency of Milliard Fillmore
The last Whig President, Fillmore inherited a nation increasingly divided over the question of slavery. Since no clear solution was available, Fillmore helped ensure the passage of the Compromise of 1850, which delayed the Civil War. -
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Presidency of Franklin Pierce
Pierce become embroiled in the battle between North and South. Largely speaking, he failed to please either side, and the national schism grew wider. -
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Presidency of James Buchanan
Buchanan entered the scene as president when the nation most needed one. Unfortunately, his decision to accept the Dred Scott ruling and lobbying for Kansas to enter the Union as a slave state caused further divide. -
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Presidency of Abraham Lincoln
As Lincoln, the first Republican president, entered office, the South left the Union. Lincoln then, amid the chaos, had the difficult task of leading a nation to war against fellow Americans and on American soil. He also issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which legally freed the slave in Southern territory. Even though he lived to see the war drawing to an end, Lincoln was assassinated before the war officially ended. -
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American Civil War
The American Civil War rocked the nation to its foundation. Ignited largely over the question of slavery, the war ravaged the US population, economy, and social structure in a way unlike anything before or after. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Fought over a period of three days, the Battle of Gettysburg proved to be the turning point of the Civil War. Union forces held the line, and Confederate losses were irreplaceable. Afterwards, the Confederate Army under Lee would be on the defensive. -
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Presidency of Andrew Johnson
Johnson, a Democrat, was appointed Vice President on Lincoln's reelection bid in order to garner some Southern support. However, following Lincoln's assassination, Johnson wanted the South to largely reform on its own, while Republicans refused to seat Southern Democrats. -
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Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant
Former commnader of the Union forces, Grant's election gave him the great challenge of repairing the economic ruin of the South. Plagued with cabinet scandals and later an economic recession, Grant nevertheless guided the nation through an era of fractured unity and domestic upheaval.
