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Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln came into office as the southern states were declaring succession, which was the start of the Civil War. He was commander-in-chief of the Union army, and issued the Emancipation Proclamation, effectively freeing the slaves and the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln was re-elected in 1865, and assassinated the same year by John Wilkes Booth. -
Andrew Johnson
Johnson was vice president under Lincoln, and succeeded him when he was assassinated. He was a Democrat (Lincoln was Republican) and his policies differed with Lincoln's. Republicans felt Johnson was hurting Reconstruction, so they tried him for impeachment, but he was aquitted. -
James Garfield
James Garfield supported African American rights and civil service reform. He made notable appointments to his cabinet, but was shot four months into his presidency by Charles Guiteau. Garfield lived for 80 days after this, but was unable to do much in this time, as he was badly wounded. -
Chester Arthur
Arthur became president after the assassination of James Garfield, as his vice-president. He passed the Pendleton Act, regulating civil service jobs, and enforced it. Still, Garfield faced oppostion from Garfield's mainly Republican cabinet, and failed to be renominated in 1884. -
Grover Cleveland
Cleveland is the only president to serve 2 non-consecutive terms in office, as both the 22nd and 24th president of the U.S. He reformed government, attempted to lower tarriffs, and supported civil rights. In his second term, he was faced with the Panic of 1893 and labor strikes. -
William McKinley
McKinley led the U.S. to its victory in the Spanish-American War. His "Open Door" policy led to increased trade with other nations, and he raised tarriffs. Shortly into his second term, McKinley was shot by a group of conspiritors, and died of the gangrene it caused on September 14. -
Theodore Roosevelt
As McKinley's vice president, Roosevelt took office immedietely after his death. "Teddy" was popular with Americans because of his outgoing, animated personality, as well as his "Square Deal" for workers and employers, and trustbusting campaign. Roosevelt promoted Taft in 1908, but then ran against him due to their difference in policies that arroused. -
Woodrow Wilson
Wilson was a major leader of the progressive movement; in his first term he passed the Federal Reserve Act, lowered tarrifs, and continued trustbusting. Wilson oversaw the U.S. 's decision to enter World War One, despite opposition, and was essential in the creation and signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Groups like the National Woman's Party advocated for womens' suffrage to Wilson, until the Nineteenth Amendment was eventually passed. -
Warren G.Hardng
Harding's presidency was riddled with scandals and corruption of bribery, most notably the Teapot-Dome scandal. Harding did however make multiple attempts to to aid veterans, lowered unemployment, and aided civil rights. He quite suddenly became infected with a respiratory illness, and he died of a possible stroke on August 2nd, 1923, in San Francisco. -
Calvin Coolidge
Nicknamed "Silent Cal", Coolidge was known for being a man of few words. He took office immediately after the of his predecessor, Warren G. Harding. Coolidge accomplished little in the rest of Harding's term, but was re-elected in 1924 and helped farmers, reduced income tax, and supported civil rights.
