Life | |
Birthdate: | 22 February 1732 |
Birthplace: | Westmoreland County, Va. |
Parents: | Augustine Washington, Mary Ball |
Religion: | Episcopalian |
College Education: | None |
Wife: | Martha Dandridge Custis |
Date of Marriage: | 6 January 1759 |
Children: | None |
Political Party: | Nonpartisan but generally sympathetic to Federalist positions |
Other Positions Held: | Member, Virginia House of Burgesses (1759–1774) |
Member, Continental Congress (1774–1775) | |
Commander, Continental Army (1775–1783) | |
Date of Inauguration: | 30 April 1789 |
End of Term: | 4 March 1797 |
Date of Death: | 14 December 1799 |
Place of Death: | Mount Vernon, Va. |
Place of Burial: | Mount Vernon, Va. |
Elections | |
ELECTION OF 1789 | |
Candidate | Electoral Vote |
George Washington | 69 |
John Adams | 34 |
Others | 35 |
ELECTION OF 1792 | |
Candidate | Electoral Vote |
George Washington | 132 |
John Adams | 77 |
George Clinton | 50 |
Others | 5 |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1796 | |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |
1st Congress (1789–1791) | |
Senate: | Fed. 17; Opposition 9 |
House: | Fed. 38; Opposition 26 |
2d Congress (1791–1793) | |
Senate: | Fed. 16; Dem.–Rep. 13 |
House: | Dem.–Rep. 33; Fed. 37 |
3d Congress (1793–1795) | |
Senate: | Fed. 17; Dem.–Rep. 13 |
House: | Dem.–Rep. 57; Fed. 48 |
4th Congress (1795–1797) | |
Senate: | Fed. 19; Dem.–Rep. 13 |
House: | Fed. 54; Dem.–Rep. 52 |
Vice President | |
John Adams (1789–1797) | |
Appointments | |
Cabinet Members | |
Thomas Jefferson, secretary of state (1790–1793) | |
Edmund Randolph, secretary of state (1794–1795) | |
Timothy Pickering, secretary of state (1795–1797) | |
Alexander Hamilton, secretary of the treasury (1789–1795) | |
Oliver Wolcott, Jr., secretary of the treasury (1795–1797) | |
Henry Knox, secretary of war (1789–1794) | |
Timothy Pickering, secretary of war (1795) | |
James McHenry, secretary of war (1796–1797) | |
Edmund Randolph, attorney general (1789–1794) | |
William Bradford, attorney general (1794–1795) | |
Charles Lee, attorney general (1795–1797) | |
Supreme Court Appointments | |
John Jay, chief justice (1789–1795) | |
John Rutledge (1789–1791) | |
William Cushing (1789–1810) | |
James Wilson (1789–1798) | |
John Blair (1789–1796) | |
James Iredell (1790–1798) | |
Thomas Johnson (1791–1793) | |
William Paterson (1793–1806) | |
Samuel Chase (1796–1811) | |
Oliver Ellsworth, chief justice (1796–1799) | |
Key Events | |
1789 | Establishment of Departments of State, War, and the Treasury and Office of the Attorney General; Federal Judiciary Act creates Supreme Court (24 Sept.). |
1790 | First U.S. census authorized (Mar.): population 3,929,214; Congress locates projected federal capital on Potomac (10 July) and authorizes building of a presidential residence (16 July); federal government assumes state Revolutionary War debts (4 Aug.). |
1791 | First Bank of the U.S. created (25 Feb.); Whiskey Tax passed (3 Mar.); Bill of Rights added to the Constitution (15 Dec.); plan of Federal City (Washington) laid out. |
1792 | U.S. Mint opens in Philadelphia; first U.S. political parties (Republican and Federalist) formed; cornerstone of White House laid (13 Oct.); Washington and John Adams reelected (5 Dec.). |
1793 | Washington issues Neutrality Proclamation (22 Apr.), warning Americans to avoid aiding either France or Great Britain in their war. |
1794 | Barbary states begin preying on American shipping; Neutrality Act (5 June) forbids enlisting in service of a foreign nation or fitting out foreign armed vessels); Whiskey Rebellion: protest by farmers objecting to whiskey tax, halted by state militias of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Massachusetts. |
1795 | Yazoo Land Fraud between Georgia legislators and 4 land companies for present–day Alabama and Mississippi; Pinckney's Treaty (27 Oct.) with Spain gives U.S. free navigation of Mississippi. |
1796 | Washington's Farewell Address (17 Sept.) warns against U.S. involvement in foreign disputes; Adams and Jefferson elected president and vice president (7 Dec.). |
Life | ||
Birthdate: | 30 October 1735 | |
Birthplace: | Braintree (now Quincy), Mass. | |
Parents: | John Adams, Susanna Boylston | |
Religion: | Unitarian | |
College Education: | Harvard College | |
Wife: | Abigail Smith | |
Date of Marriage: | 25 October 1764 | |
Children: | Abigail Amelia, John Quincy, Susanna, Charles, Thomas Boylston | |
Political Party: Federalist | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, Continental Congress (1774–1778) | |
Minister to France (1778–1779) | ||
Minister to Great Britain (1785–1788) | ||
Vice President (1789–1797) | ||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1797 | |
End of Term: | 4 March 1801 | |
Date of Death: | 4 July 1826 | |
Place of Death: | Quincy, Mass. | |
Place of Burial: | Quincy, Mass. | |
Elections | ||
ELECTION OF 1796 | ||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote |
John Adams | Fed. | 71 |
Thomas Jefferson | Dem.–Rep. | 68 |
Thomas Pinckney | Fed. | 59 |
Aaron Burr | Dem.–Rep. | 30 |
DEFEATED IN ELECTION OF 1800 BY THOMAS JEFFERSON | ||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | ||
5th Congress (1797–1799) | ||
Senate: | Fed. 20; Dem.–Rep. 12 | |
House: | Fed. 58; Dem.–Rep. 48 | |
6th Congress (1799–1801) | ||
Senate: | Fed. 19; Dem.–Rep. 13 | |
House: | Fed. 64; Dem.–Rep. 42 | |
Vice President | ||
Thomas Jefferson (1797–1801) | ||
Appointments | ||
Cabinet Members: | ||
Timothy Pickering, secretary of state (1797–1800) | ||
John Marshall, secretary of state (1800–1801) | ||
Oliver Wolcott, Jr., secretary of the treasury (1797–1800) | ||
Samuel Dexter, secretary of the treasury (1801) | ||
James McHenry, secretary of war (1797–1800) | ||
Samuel Dexter, secretary of war (1800–1801) | ||
Roger Griswold, secretary of war (1801) | ||
Charles Lee, attorney general (1797–1801) | ||
Theophilus Parsons, attorney general (1801) | ||
Benjamin Stoddert, secretary of the navy (1798–1801) | ||
Supreme Court Appointments: | ||
Bushrod Washington (1798–1829) | ||
Alfred Moore (1799–1804) | ||
John Marshall, chief justice (1801–1835) | ||
Key Events | ||
1797 | XYZ Affair: 3 commissioners sent to France to negotiate commerce and amity treaty; Adams discloses to Congress (3 Apr. 1798) refusal of French foreign affairs secretary Talleyrand to receive commissioners unless a loan was granted France and a bribe paid. | |
1798 | Eleventh Amendment prevents individual states from being sued without their consent (8 Jan.); Alien and Sedition Acts: Naturalization Act (18 June), Alien Act (6 July), Alien Enemies Act (6 July), and Sedition Act (14 July) impose severe restrictions on aliens; Kentucky (16 Nov. 1798, 22 Nov. 1799) and Virginia (24 Dec. 1798) resolutions protest Alien and Sedition Acts as unconstitutional and advocate state sovereignty; undeclared naval war ("Quasi–War") with France begins with French seizure of American merchantmen. | |
1799 | Logan Act (30 Jan.) prohibits correspondence with enemy foreign nations; Fries's Rebellion: armed resistance by Pennsylvania farmers led by John Fries to protest federal tax on land and houses, put down by federal troops. | |
1800 | U.S. population: 5,308,483 Harrison Land Act (10 May) facilitates individual land purchases; secret Treaty of San Ildefonso cedes Louisiana to France (1 Oct.); peace with France concluded by Convention of 1800 (30 Sept.); Adams moves into the still–unfinished White House (1 Nov.); Congress convenes in Washington, D.C., for first time (17 Nov.). | |
1801 | John Marshall becomes Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (31 Jan.); House of Representatives chooses Thomas Jefferson over Aaron Burr for president (17 Feb.), the election of 1800 having resulted in a tie vote in the electoral college. |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 13 April 1743 | ||
Birthplace: | Goochland (now Albemarle) County, Va. | ||
Parents: | Peter Jefferson, Jane Randolph | ||
Religion: | Deism | ||
College Education: | College of William and Mary | ||
Wife: | Martha Wayles Skelton | ||
Date of Marriage: | 1 January 1772 | ||
Children: | Martha, Maria, Lucy Elizabeth | ||
Political Party: | Democratic–Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, Virginia House of Burgesses (1769–1775) | ||
Member, Continental Congress (1775–1776; 1783–1785) | |||
Governor of Virginia (1779–1781) | |||
Secretary of State (1790–1793) | |||
Vice President (1797–1801) | |||
Rector, University of Virginia (1825–1826) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1801 | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1809 | ||
Date of Death: | 4 July 1826 | ||
Place of Death: | Charlottesville, Va. | ||
Place of Burial: | Charlottesville, Va. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1800 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | |
Thomas Jefferson | Dem.–Rep. | 73 | |
Aaron Burr | Dem.–Rep. | 73 | |
John Adams | Fed. | 65 | |
Charles C. Pinckney | Fed. | 64 | |
John Jay | Fed. | 1 | |
ELECTION OF 1804 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | |
Thomas Jefferson | Dem.–Rep. | 162 | |
Charles C. Pinckney | Fed. | 14 | |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1808 | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
7th Congress (1801–1803) | |||
Senate: | Dem.–Rep. 18; Fed. 13 | ||
House: | Dem.–Rep. 69; Fed. 36 | ||
8th Congress (1803–1805) | |||
Senate: | Dem.–Rep. 25; Fed. 9 | ||
House: | 102; Fed. 39 | ||
9th Congress (1805–1807) | |||
Senate: | Dem.–Rep. 27; Fed. 7 | ||
House: | Dem.–Rep. 116; Fed. 25 | ||
10th Congress (1807–1809) | |||
Senate: | Dem.–Rep. 28; Fed. 6 | ||
House: | Dem.–Rep. 118; Fed. 24 | ||
Vice Presidents | |||
Aaron Burr (1801–1805) | |||
George Clinton (1805–1809) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
James Madison, secretary of state (1801–1809) | |||
Samuel Dexter, secretary of the treasury (1801) | |||
Albert Gallatin, secretary of the treasury (1801–1809) | |||
Henry Dearborn, secretary of war (1801–1809) | |||
Levi Lincoln, attorney general (1801–1804) | |||
Robert Smith, attorney general (1805) | |||
John Breckenridge, attorney general (1805–1806) | |||
Caesar A. Rodney, attorney general (1807–1809) | |||
Benjamin Stoddert, secretary of the navy (1801) | |||
Robert Smith, secretary of the navy (1801–1809) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
William Johnson (1804–1834) | |||
Henry Brockholst Livingston (1806–1823) | |||
Thomas Todd (1807–1826) | |||
Key Events | |||
1801 | Jefferson becomes first president inaugurated in Washington, D.C. (4 Mar.). | ||
1803 | Supreme Court, in Marbury v. Madison, for the first time declares a congressional act unconstitutional (24 Feb.); U.S. purchases Louisiana (828,000 sq. miles) from France (2 May) for $15 million; Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explore the Far West (through 1806). | ||
1804 | Alexander Hamilton dies (12 July) from wounds suffered in duel with Aaron Burr the day before; Twelfth Amendment specifies separate ballots for president and vice president in electoral college (25 Sept.). | ||
1805 | Essex decision by British admiralty destroys principle of broken voyage; British begin seizing U.S. ships carrying French and Spanish goods; impressment by British ships is increased. | ||
1806 | Burr Conspiracy: Gen. James Wilkinson warns Jefferson of Burr's expedition allegedly to build a western empire from Spanish territories; Burr arrested (19 Feb. 1807) and acquitted of treason (1 Sept. 1807). | ||
1807 | Non–Importation Act (14 Dec.) put into effect against Britain; Robert Fulton's Clermont inaugurates commercial steam navigation, Embargo Act (22 Dec.) forbids U.S. ships to leave for foreign countries. | ||
1808 | Importation of slaves forbidden (1 Jan.); Madison elected president (7 Dec.). | ||
1809 | Non–Intercourse Act (1 Mar.) bans trade with Great Britain and France; Embargo Act repealed. |
Life | ||
Birthdate: | 16 March 1751 | |
Birthplace: | Port Conway, Va. | |
Parents: | James Madison, Nelly Conway | |
Religion: | Episcopalian; deist | |
College Education: | College of New Jersey, now Princeton University | |
Wife: | Dolley Payne Todd | |
Date of Marriage: | 15 September 1794 | |
Children: | None | |
Political Party: | Democratic–Republican | |
Other Positions Held: | Member, Virginia House of Delegates (1776–1780; 1784–1786; 1798–1800) | |
Member, Continental Congress (1780–1783; 1787–1788) | ||
Delegate to Constitutional Convention (1787) | ||
Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1789–1797) | ||
Secretary of State (1801–1809) | ||
Rector, University of Virginia (1826–1836) | ||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1809 | |
End of Term: | 4 March 1817 | |
Date of Death: | 28 June 1836 | |
Place of Death: | Montpelier, Va. | |
Place of Burial: | Montpelier, Va. | |
Elections | ||
ELECTION OF 1808 | ||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote |
James Madison | Dem.–Rep. | 122 |
Charles C. Pinckney | Fed. | 47 |
George Clinton | Dem.–Rep. | 6 |
ELECTION OF 1812 | ||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote |
James Madison | Dem.–Rep. | 128 |
DeWitt Clinton | Fed. | 89 |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1816 | ||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | ||
11th Congress (1809–1811) | ||
Senate: | Dem.–Rep. 28; Fed. 6 | |
House: | Dem.–Rep. 94; Fed. 48 | |
12th Congress (1811–1813) | ||
Senate: | Dem.–Rep. 30; Fed. 6 | |
House: | Dem.–Rep. 108; Fed. 36 | |
13th Congress (1813–1815) | ||
Senate: | Dem.–Rep. 27; Fed. 9 | |
House: | Dem.–Rep. 112; Fed. 68 | |
14th Congress (1815–1817) | ||
Senate: | Dem.–Rep. 25; Fed. 11 | |
House: | Dem.–Rep. 117; Fed. 65 | |
Vice Presidents | ||
George Clinton (1809–1812) | ||
Elbridge Gerry (1813–1814) | ||
Appointments | ||
Cabinet Members: | ||
Robert Smith, secretary of state (1809–1811) | ||
James Monroe, secretary of state (1811–1817) | ||
Albert Gallatin, secretary of the treasury (1809–1814) | ||
George W. Campbell, secretary of the treasury (1814) | ||
Alexander J. Dallas, secretary of the treasury (1814–1816) | ||
William H. Crawford, secretary of the treasury (1816–1817) | ||
William Eustis, secretary of war (1809–1812) | ||
John Armstrong, secretary of war (1813–1814) | ||
James Monroe, secretary of war (1814–1815) | ||
William H. Crawford, secretary of war (1815–1816) | ||
Caesar A. Rodney, attorney general (1809–1811) | ||
William Pinkney, attorney general (1812–1814) | ||
Richard Rush, attorney general (1814–1817) | ||
Paul Hamilton, secretary of the navy (1809–1812) | ||
William Jones, secretary of the navy (1813–1814) | ||
Benjamin W. Crowninshield, secretary of the navy (1815–1817) | ||
Supreme Court Appointments: | ||
Joseph Story (1811–1845) | ||
Gabriel Duvall (1812–1835) | ||
Key Events | ||
1810 | U.S. population: 7,239,881; Rambouillet Decree signed by Napoleon, ordering seizure of U.S. shipping in French ports; Macon's Bill No. 2 passes (1 May) to supplant Non–Intercourse Act; Florida annexed (27 Oct.). | |
1811 | Secret act passed (15 Jan.) authorizing president to take possession of East Florida. | |
1812 | Congress enacts embargo on Great Britain (4 Apr.); Vice President Clinton dies in office (20 Apr.); president authorized to raise 100,000 militia for 3 months; U.S. declares war on Great Britain (18 June) over freedom of the seas, impressment of seamen, and blockade of U.S. ports, beginning War of 1812; Madison elected president (2 Dec.) for second term. | |
1813 | Lord Castlereagh's proposal for peace negotiations reaches Washington (4 Nov.). | |
1814 | White House burned down to its stone walls by the British (24 Aug.); Treaty of Ghent (24 Dec.) ends War of 1812; U.S. rights to Newfoundland fisheries acknowledged, boundary commissions established; Hartford Convention convenes (15 Dec.), at which 26 New England delegates hold secret sessions to consider a convention to revise U.S. Constitution concerning states' rights in national emergencies. | |
1816 | Second Bank of United States established (10 Apr.); Monroe elected president (4 Dec.). |
Life | ||
Birthdate: | 28 April 1758 | |
Birthplace: | Westmoreland County, Va. | |
Parents: | Spence Monroe, Elizabeth Jones | |
Religion: | Episcopalian | |
College Education: | College of William and Mary | |
Wife: | Elizabeth Kortright | |
Date of Marriage: | 16 February 1786 | |
Children: | Eliza Kortright, Maria Hester | |
Political Party: | Democratic–Republican | |
Other Positions Held: | Member, Continental Congress (1783–1786) | |
U.S. Senator (1790–1794) | ||
Minister to France (1794–1796) | ||
Governor of Virginia (1799–1802; 1811) | ||
Secretary of State (1811–1817) | ||
Secretary of War (1814–1815) | ||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1817 | |
End of Term: | 3 March 1825 | |
Date of Death: | 4 July 1831 | |
Place of Death: | New York, N.Y. | |
Place of Burial: | Richmond, Va. | |
Elections | ||
ELECTION OF 1816 | ||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote |
James Monroe | Dem.–Rep. | 183 |
Rufus King | Fed. | 34 |
ELECTION OF 1820 | ||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote |
James Monroe | Dem.–Rep. | 231 |
John Quincy Adams | Ind. | 1 |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1824 | ||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | ||
15th Congress (1817–1819) | ||
Senate: | Dem.–Rep. 34; Fed. 10 | |
House: | Dem.–Rep. 141; Fed. 42 | |
16th Congress (1819–1821) | ||
Senate: | Dem.–Rep. 35; Fed. 7 | |
House: | Dem.–Rep.156; Fed. 27 | |
17th Congress (1821–1823) | ||
Senate: | Dem.–Rep. 44; Fed. 4 | |
House: | Dem.–Rep. 158; Fed. 25 | |
18th Congress (1823–1825) | ||
Senate: | Dem.–Rep. 44; Fed. 4 | |
House: | Dem.–Rep. 187; Fed. 26 | |
Vice President | ||
Daniel D. Tompkins (1817–1825) | ||
Appointments | ||
Cabinet Members: | ||
John Quincy Adams, secretary of state (1817–1825) | ||
William H. Crawford, secretary of the treasury (1817–1825) | ||
George Graham, secretary of war (1817) | ||
John C. Calhoun, secretary of war (1817–1825) | ||
Richard Rush, attorney general (1817) | ||
William Wirt, attorney general (1817–1825) | ||
Benjamin W. Crowninshield, secretary of the navy (1817–1818) | ||
Smith Thompson, secretary of the navy (1819–1823) | ||
Samuel L. Southard, secretary of the navy (1823–1825) | ||
Supreme Court Appointment: | ||
Smith Thompson (1823–1843) | ||
Key Events | ||
1817 | Rush–Bagot Agreement: an exchange of notes between the U.S. and Great Britain (28–29 Apr.) agreeing to limit naval power on the Great Lakes. | |
1818 | Convention of 1818 (20 Oct.) gives U.S. citizens fishing rights off Newfoundland and establishes Northwest boundary. | |
1819 | Panic of 1819: severe depression in which banks suspend specie payments and much western property turned over to Bank of the U.S.; Adams–On's Treaty (22 Feb.): Spain cedes Florida to U.S. along with claims to Pacific Northwest; McCullough v. Maryland: Supreme Court interprets implied powers of Congress (6 Mar.); Monroe becomes first president to ride on a steamboat (11 May). | |
1820 | U.S. population: 9,638,453 Missouri Compromise (3 Mar.): Maine admitted to Union as free state, Missouri admitted with no restrictions on slavery. | |
1821 | William Becknell outlines Santa Fe Trail; Monroe inaugurated for second term (5 Mar.) | |
1822 | Bill signed by Monroe reorganizing Latin American republics (4 May). | |
1823 | Monroe Doctrine (2 Dec.) lays down principles that European governments could not establish new colonies in Western Hemisphere and that interference in hemisphere internal affairs would be considered an act of aggression. | |
1824 | Henry Clay coins term "American system" (30–31 Mar.), hoping to check decline of U.S. industry through internal improvements and creation of a home market. | |
1825 | House of Representatives chooses John Quincy Adams as president (9 Feb.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 11 July 1767 | ||
Birthplace: | Braintree (now Quincy), Mass. | ||
Parents: | John Adams, Abigail Smith | ||
Religion: | Unitarian | ||
College Education: | Harvard College | ||
Wife: | Louisa Catherine Johnson | ||
Date of Marriage: | 26 July 1797 | ||
Children: | George Washington, John, Charles Francis, Louisa Catherine | ||
Political Party: | Democratic–Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Minister to the Netherlands (1794–1796) | ||
Minister to Germany (1796–1801) | |||
U.S. Senator (1803–1808) | |||
Minister to Russia (1809–1814) | |||
Minister to Great Britain (1815–1817) | |||
Secretary of State (1817–1825) | |||
Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1831–1848) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1825 | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1829 | ||
Date of Death: | 23 February 1848 | ||
Place of Death: | Washington, D.C. | ||
Place of Burial: | Quincy, Mass. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1824 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
John Quincy Adams | Dem.–Rep. | 84 | 30.5% |
Andrew Jackson | Dem.–Rep. | 99 | 43.9% |
William H. Crawford | Dem.–Rep. | 41 | 13.1% |
Henry Clay | Dem.–Rep. | 37 | 13.2% |
(ADAMS CHOSEN PRESIDENT BY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN THE ABSENCE OF A CANDIDATE WITH MORE THAN 50% OF THE POPULAR VOTE) | |||
DEFEATED IN ELECTION OF 1828 BY ANDREW JACKSON | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
19th Congress (1825–1827) | |||
Senate: | Admin. 26; Jacksonians 20 | ||
House: | Admin. 105; Jacksonians 97 | ||
20th Congress (1827–1829) | |||
Senate: | Jacksonians 28; Admin. 20 | ||
House: | Jacksonians 119; Admin. 94 | ||
Vice President | |||
John C. Calhoun (1825–1829) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Henry Clay, secretary of state (1825–1829) | |||
Richard Rush, secretary of the treasury (1825–1829) | |||
James Barbour, secretary of war (1825–1828) | |||
Peter B. Porter, secretary of war (1828–1829) | |||
William Wirt, attorney general (1825–1829) | |||
Samuel L. Southard, secretary of the navy (1825–1829) | |||
Supreme Court Appointment: | |||
Robert Trimble (1826–1828) | |||
Key Events | |||
1826 | John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, only presidents who signed Declaration of Independence, both die on fiftieth anniversary of its adoption (4 July); Treaty of Washington: Creek Indians cede lands in Georgia and are removed beyond Mississippi (1827–1829). | ||
1827 | Supreme Court rules that president has the final authority to call out the militia ( Martin v. Mott ). | ||
1828 | Jackson elected president (3 Dec.); Tariff of Abominations passed (19 May); South Carolina Resolves adopted (19 Dec.) declaring Tariff of Abominations unjust and unconstitutional. |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 15 March 1767 | ||
Birthplace: | Waxhaw, S.C. | ||
Parents: | Andrew Jackson, Elizabeth Hutchinson | ||
Religion: | Presbyterian | ||
College Education: | None | ||
Wife: | Rachel Donelson Robards | ||
Date of Marriage: | August 1791 | ||
Child: | Andrew (adopted) | ||
Political Party: | Democratic | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1796–1797) | ||
U.S. Senator (1797–1798; 1823–1825) | |||
Judge, Tennessee Supreme Court (1798–1804) | |||
Major General, U.S. Army (1814–1821) | |||
Governor of Florida Territory (1821) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1829 | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1837 | ||
Date of Death: | 8 June 1845 | ||
Place of Death: | Nashville, Tenn. | ||
Place of Burial: | Nashville, Tenn. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1828 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Andrew Jackson | Dem. | 178 | 56% |
John Quincy Adams | Nat. Rep. | 83 | 44% |
ELECTION OF 1832 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Andrew Jackson | Dem. | 219 | 55% |
Henry Clay | Nat. Rep. | 49 | 37% |
William Wirt | Anti–Masonic | 7 | 8% |
John Floyd | Nat. Rep. | 11 | 2% |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1836 | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
21st Congress (1829–1831) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 26; Nat. Rep. 22 | ||
House: | Dem. 139; Nat. Rep. 74 | ||
22d Congress (1831–1833) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 25; Nat. Rep. 21; others 2 | ||
House: | Dem. 141; Nat. Rep. 58; others 14 | ||
23d Congress (1833–1835) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 20; Nat. Rep. 20; others 8 | ||
House: | Dem. 147; Anti–Masonic 53; others 60 | ||
24th Congress (1835–1837) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 27; Whig 25 | ||
House: | Dem. 145; Whig 98 | ||
Vice Presidents | |||
John C. Calhoun (1829–1832) | |||
Martin Van Buren (1833–1837) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members | |||
Martin Van Buren, secretary of state (1829–1831) | |||
Edward Livingston, secretary of state (1831–1833) | |||
Louis McLane, secretary of state (1833–1834) | |||
John Forsyth, secretary of state (1834–1837) | |||
Samuel D. Ingham, secretary of the treasury (1829–1831) | |||
Louis McLane, secretary of the treasury (1831–1833) | |||
William J. Duane, secretary of the treasury (1833) | |||
Roger B. Taney, secretary of the treasury (1833–1834) | |||
Levi Woodbury, secretary of the treasury (1834–1837) | |||
John H. Eaton, secretary of war (1829–1831) | |||
Lewis Cass, secretary of war (1831–1836) | |||
Benjamin F. Butler, secretary of war (1837) | |||
John M. Berrien, attorney general (1829–1831) | |||
Roger B. Taney, attorney general (1831–1833) | |||
Benjamin F. Butler, attorney general (1833–1837) | |||
William T. Barry, postmaster general (1829–1835) | |||
Amos Kendall, postmaster general (1835–1837) | |||
John Branch, secretary of the navy (1829–1831) | |||
Levi Woodbury, secretary of the navy (1831–1834) | |||
Mahlon Dickerson, secretary of the navy (1834–1837) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
John McLean (1829–1861) | |||
Henry Baldwin (1830–1844) | |||
James M. Wayne (1835–1867) | |||
Roger B. Taney, chief justice (1836–1864) | |||
Philip P. Barbour (1836–1841) | |||
John Catron (1837–1865) | |||
Key Events | |||
1829 | Kitchen Cabinet, a small group of unofficial advisers, established by Jackson; postmaster general becomes Cabinet–level appointment. | ||
1830 | U.S. population: 12,866,020 Webster–Hayne Debate (19–27 Jan.) on interpretation of Constitution; Jackson escapes first assassination attempt on U.S. president (30 Jan.); Indian Removal Act passed (28 May), calling for resettlement of Indians west of Mississippi; north portico of White House completed. | ||
1831 | Cherokee Nation v. Georgia: appeal to Supreme Court by Cherokee to prevent Georgia from enforcing its laws in Cherokee nation, in which court rules Cherokee were not U.S. citizens or a foreign nation and the court lacked jurisdiction; Nat Turner's Rebellion (13–23 Aug.): insurrection by 100 blacks in Virginia, with 55 whites killed, and 20 blacks executed; French spoliation claims (4 July) made by U.S. citizens for losses sustained by French blockade of England. | ||
1832 | Bill to renew Bank of United States vetoed (10 July); South Carolina Nullification Ordinance (24 Nov.) nullifies tariffs acts of 1828 and 1832; Jackson issues proclamation (10 Dec.) asserting supremacy of federal government; Jackson elected for second term (5 Dec.). | ||
1833 | Force Act (2 Mar.) and a compromise tariff passed; South Carolina suspends ordinance of nullification (15 Mar.); piped running water replaces well water at White House (May). | ||
1834 | Bureau of Indian Affairs established (June) in Department of War. | ||
1836 | Texas settlers revolting against Mexican rule defeated at the siege of the Alamo (23 Feb.–6 Mar.), massacred at Goliad (27 Mar.), vanquish the Mexican army in Battle of San Jacinto (21 Apr.) under Sam Houston; Van Buren elected president (7 Dec.). | ||
1837 | Jackson reorganizes Republic of Texas (3 Mar.), following congressional resolutions (July 1836). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 5 December 1782 | ||
Birthplace: | Kinderhook, N.Y. | ||
Parents: | Abraham Van Buren, Maria Hoes Van Alen | ||
Religion: | Dutch Reformed | ||
College Education: | None | ||
Wife: | Hannah Hoes | ||
Date of Marriage: | 21 February 1807 | ||
Children: | Abraham, John, Martin, Smith Thompson | ||
Political Party: | Democratic | ||
Other Positions Held: | Attorney General of New York (1816–1819) | ||
U.S. Senator (1821–1828) | |||
Governor of New York (1829) | |||
Secretary of State (1829–1831) | |||
Vice President (1833–1837) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1837 | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1841 | ||
Date of Death: | 24 July 1862 | ||
Place of Death: | Kinderhook, N.Y. | ||
Place of Burial: | Kinderhook, N.Y. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1836 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Martin Van Buren | Dem. | 170 | 50.9% |
William H. Harrison | Whig | 73 | 36.6% |
Others | 51 | 12.4% | |
DEFEATED IN ELECTION OF 1840 BY WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
25th Congress (1837–1839) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 30; Whig 18; others 4 | ||
House: | Dem. 108; Whig 107; others 24 | ||
26th Congress (1839–1841) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 28; Whig 22 | ||
House: | Dem. 124; Whig 118 | ||
Vice President | |||
Richard M. Johnson (1837–1841) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
John Forsyth, secretary of state (1837–1841) | |||
Levi Woodbury, secretary of the treasury (1837–1841) | |||
Joel R. Poinsett, secretary of war (1837–1841) | |||
Benjamin F. Butler, attorney general (1837–1838) | |||
Felix Grundy, attorney general (1838–1839) | |||
Henry D. Gilpin, attorney general (1840–1841) | |||
Amos Kendall, postmaster general (1837–1840) | |||
John M. Niles, postmaster general (1840–1841) | |||
Mahlon Dickerson, secretary of the navy (1837–1838) | |||
James K. Paulding, secretary of the navy (1838–1841) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
John McKinley (1837–1852) | |||
Peter V. Daniel (1841–1860) | |||
Key Events | |||
1837 | Van Buren's inauguration is first at which "Hail to the Chief" is played (4 Mar.); Panic of 1837 begins with suspension of specie payments by New York banks (May). | ||
1838 | Trail of Tears: forced journey of Cherokee from Georgia to Oklahoma, in which 4,000 Indians die. | ||
1839 | Helderberg War: New York State militia put down farmers rioting against leasehold system. | ||
1840 | U.S. population: 17,069,453 |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 9 February 1773 | ||
Birthplace: | Berkeley, Va. | ||
Parents: | Benjamin Harrison, Elizabeth Bassett | ||
Religion: | Episcopalian | ||
College Education: | Hampden–Sidney College | ||
Wife: | Anna Tuthill Symmes | ||
Date of Marriage: | 25 November 1795 | ||
Children: | Elizabeth Bassett, John Cleves Symmes, Lucy Singleton, William Henry, John Scott, Benjamin, Mary Symmes, Carter Bassett, Anna Tuthill, James Findlay | ||
Political Party: | Whig | ||
Other Positions Held: | Governor of Indiana Territory (1800–1812) | ||
Brigadier General, U.S. Army (1812–1813) | |||
Major General, U.S. Army (1813–1814) | |||
Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1816–1819) | |||
U.S. Senator (1825–1828) | |||
Minister to Colombia (1828–1829) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1841 | ||
End of Term: | 4 April 1841 (died in office) | ||
Date of Death: | 4 April 1841 | ||
Place of Death: | Washington, D.C. | ||
Place of Burial: | North Bend, Ohio | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1840 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
William H. Harrison | Whig | 234 | 52.8% |
Martin Van Buren | Dem. | 60 | 46.8% |
James G. Birney | Liberty | 0 | 0.3% |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
27th Congress (1841–1843) | |||
Senate: | Whig 28; Dem. 22; others 2 | ||
House: | Whig 133; Dem. 102; others 6 | ||
Vice President | |||
John Tyler (1841) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Daniel Webster, secretary of state (1841) | |||
Thomas Ewing, secretary of the treasury (1841) | |||
John Bell, secretary of war (1841) | |||
John J. Crittenden, attorney general (1841) | |||
Francis Granger, postmaster general (1841) | |||
George E. Badger, secretary of the navy (1841) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
None | |||
Key Event | |||
1841 | Harrison becomes first president to die in office (4 Apr.). |
Life | |
Birthdate: | 29 March 1790 |
Birthplace: | Charles City County, Va. |
Parents: | John Tyler, Mary Marot Armistead Tyler |
Religion: | Episcopalian |
College Education: | College of William and Mary |
First Wife: | Letitia Christian (died 1842) |
Date of First Marriage: | 29 March 1813 |
Children from First Marriage: | Mary, Robert, John, Letitia, Elizabeth, Anne Contesse, Alice, Tazewell |
Second Wife: | Julia Gardiner |
Date of Second Marriage: | 26 June 1844 |
Children from Second Marriage: | David Gardiner, John Alexander, Julia, Lachlan, Lyon Gardiner, Robert Fitzwalter, Pearl |
Political Party: | Whig |
Other Positions Held: | Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1817–1821) |
Governor of Virginia (1825–1827) | |
U.S. Senator (1827–1836) | |
Vice President (1841) | |
Chairman, Washington Peace Conference (1861) | |
Date of Inauguration: | 6 April 1841 (succeeded to presidency on death of William Henry Harrison) |
End of Term: | 4 March 1845 |
Date of Death: | 18 January 1862 |
Place of Death: | Richmond, Va. |
Place of Burial: | Richmond, Va. |
Elections | |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1844 | |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |
27th Congress (1841–1843) | |
Senate: | Whig 28; Dem. 22; others 2 |
House: | Whig 133; Dem. 102; others 6 |
28th Congress (1843–1845) | |
Senate: | Whig 28; Dem. 25; other 1 |
House: | Dem. 142; Whig 79; other 1 |
Vice President | |
None | |
Appointments | |
Cabinet Members: | |
Daniel Webster, secretary of state (1841–1843) | |
Abel P. Upshur, secretary of state (1843–1844) | |
John C. Calhoun, secretary of state (1844–1845) | |
Thomas Ewing, secretary of the treasury (1841) | |
Walter Forward, secretary of the treasury (1841–1843) | |
John C. Spencer, secretary of the treasury (1843–1844) | |
George M. Bibb, secretary of the treasury (1844–1845) | |
John Bell, secretary of war (1841) | |
John McLean, secretary of war (1841) | |
John C. Spencer, secretary of war (1841–1843) | |
James M. Porter, secretary of war (1843–1844) | |
William Wilkins, secretary of war (1844–1845) | |
John J. Crittenden, attorney general (1841) | |
Hugh S. Legaré, attorney general (1841–1843) | |
John Nelson, attorney general (1843–1845) | |
Francis Granger, postmaster general (1841) | |
Charles A. Wickliffe, postmaster general (1841–1845) | |
George E. Badger, secretary of the navy (1841) | |
Abel P. Upshur, secretary of the navy (1841–1843) | |
David Henshaw, secretary of the navy (1843–1844) | |
Thomas W. Gilmer, secretary of the navy (1844) | |
John Y. Mason, secretary of the navy (1844–1845) | |
Supreme Court Appointment: | |
Samuel Nelson (1845–1872) | |
Key Events | |
1841 | Tyler becomes first president to come into office upon the death of a president (4 Apr.) and is first president to arrive in Washington by railroad for inauguration; Dorr's Rebellion: President Tyler offers military assistance to Rhode Island governor against malcontents led by Thomas W. Dorr protesting suffrage limitations; state militia quells rebellion (1842). |
1842 | Webster–Ashburton Treaty (9 Aug.): settles northeastern boundary dispute with England. |
1844 | Texas annexation treaty signed (12 Apr.); Treaty of Wanghia (3 July) opens 5 Chinese ports to U.S. ships; election of Polk (5 Nov.), whose nomination is first to be reported by telegraph. |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 2 November 1795 | ||
Birthplace: | Mecklenburg County, N.C. | ||
Parents: | Samuel Polk, Jane Knox | ||
Religion: | Presbyterian | ||
College Education: | University of North Carolina | ||
Wife: | Sarah Childress | ||
Date of Marriage: | 1 January 1824 | ||
Children: | None | ||
Political Party: | Democratic | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1825–1839; Speaker, 1835–1839) | ||
Governor of Tennessee (1839–1841) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1845 | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1849 | ||
Date of Death: | 15 June 1849 | ||
Place of Death: | Nashville, Tenn. | ||
Place of Burial: | Nashville, Tenn. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1844 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
James K. Polk | Dem. | 170 | 49.6% |
Henry Clay | Whig | 105 | 48.1% |
James G. Birney | Liberty | 0 | 2.3% |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1848 | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
29th Congress (1845–1847) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 31; Whig 25 | ||
House: | Dem. 143; Whig 77; others 6 | ||
30th Congress (1847–1849) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 36; Whig 21; other 1 | ||
House: | Whig 115; Dem. 108; others 4 | ||
Vice President | |||
George Mifflin Dallas (1845–1849) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
James Buchanan, secretary of state (1845–1849) | |||
Robert J. Walker, secretary of the treasury (1845–1849) | |||
William L. Marcy, secretary of war (1845–1849) | |||
John Y. Mason, attorney general (1845–1846) | |||
Nathan Clifford, attorney general (1846–1848) | |||
Isaac Toucey, attorney general (1848–1849) | |||
Cave Johnson, postmaster general (1845–1849) | |||
George Bancroft, secretary of the navy (1845–1846) | |||
John Y. Mason, secretary of the navy (1846–1849) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
Levi Woodbury (1845–1851) | |||
Robert C. Grier (1846–1870) | |||
Key Events | |||
1846 | Mexican War: United States declares war (11 May); orders Gen. Zachary Taylor to Rio Grande (28 May) to defend Texas; treaty with Great Britain passes Senate (18 June) and establishes Oregon boundary; central hot–air heating installed in White House. | ||
1848 | Gold discovered in California (24 Jan.), Mexican War ends with Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (2 Feb.); California gold rush begins; White House illuminated by gaslight for the first time; Seneca Falls convention for women's rights (19–20 July); Taylor elected president (4 Dec.). | ||
1849 | Department of Interior established (3 Mar.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 24 November 1784 | ||
Birthplace: | Orange County, Va. | ||
Parents: | Richard Taylor, Sarah Dabney Strother | ||
Religion: | Episcopalian | ||
College Education: | None | ||
Wife: | Margaret Mackall Smith | ||
Date of Marriage: | 21 June 1810 | ||
Children: | Anne Margaret Mackall, Sarah Knox, Octavia Pannill, Margaret Smith, Mary Elizabeth, Richard | ||
Political Party: | Whig | ||
Other Positions Held: | Brigadier General, U.S. Army (1838–1846) | ||
Major General, U.S. Army (1846–1849) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1849 | ||
End of Term: | 9 July 1850 (died in office) | ||
Date of Death: | 9 July 1850 | ||
Place of Death: | Washington, D.C. | ||
Place of Burial: | Jefferson County, Ky. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1848 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Zachary Taylor | Whig | 163 | 47.4% |
Lewis Call | Dem. | 127 | 42.5% |
Martin Van Buren | Free–Soil | 0 | 10.1% |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
31st Congress (1849–1851) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 35; Whig 25; others 2 | ||
House: | Dem. 112; Whig 109; others 9 | ||
Vice President | |||
Millard Fillmore (1849–1850) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
James Buchanan, secretary of state (1849) | |||
John M. Clayton, secretary of state (1849–1850) | |||
William M. Meredith, secretary of the treasury (1849–1850) | |||
George W. Crawford, secretary of war (1849–1850) | |||
Reverdy Johnson, attorney general (1849–1850) | |||
Jacob Collamer, postmaster general (1849–1850) | |||
William B. Preston, secretary of the navy (1849–1850) | |||
Thomas Ewing, secretary of the interior (1849–1850) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
None | |||
Key Events | |||
1850 | U.S. population: 23,191,876 Clayton–Bulwer Treaty (19 Apr.) calls for joint U.S.–British control of a canal across Central American isthmus; Nashville Convention (10 June) affirms legality of slavery by southern states; Taylor becomes second president to die in office (9 July). |
Life | |
Birthdate: | 7 January 1800 |
Birthplace: | Cayuga County, N.Y. |
Parents: | Nathaniel Fillmore, Phoebe Millard |
Religion: | Unitarian |
College Education: | None |
First Wife: | Abigail Powers (died 1853) |
Date of First Marriage: | 5 February 1826 |
Children from First Marriage: | Millard Powers, Mary Abigail |
Second Wife: | Caroline Carmichael McIntosh |
Date of Second Marriage: | 10 February 1858 |
Children from Second Marriage: | None |
Political Party: | Whig |
Other Positions Held: | Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1833–1835; 1837–1843) |
Vice President (1849–1850) | |
Date of Inauguration: | 10 July 1850 (succeeded to presidency on death of Zachary Taylor) |
End of Term: | 3 March 1853 |
Date of Death: | 8 March 1874 |
Place of Death: | Buffalo, N.Y. |
Place of Burial: | Buffalo, N.Y. |
Elections | |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1852 | |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |
32d Congress (1851–1853) | |
Senate: | Dem. 35; Whig 24; others 3 |
House: | Dem. 140; Whig 88; others 5 |
Vice President | |
None | |
Appointments | |
Cabinet Members: | |
John M. Clayton, secretary of state (1850) | |
Daniel Webster, secretary of state (1850–1852) | |
Edward Everett, secretary of state (1852–1853) | |
William M. Meredith, secretary of the treasury (1850) | |
Thomas Corwin, secretary of the treasury (1850–1853) | |
George W. Crawford, secretary of war (1850) | |
Charles M. Conrad, secretary of war (1850–1853) | |
John J. Crittenden, attorney general (1850–1853) | |
Nathan K. Hall, postmaster general (1850–1852) | |
Samuel D. Hubbard, postmaster general (1850–1852) | |
William A. Graham, secretary of the navy (1850–1852) | |
John P. Kennedy, secretary of the navy (1852–1853) | |
Thomas M. T. McKennan, secretary of the interior (1850) | |
Alex H. H. Stuart, secretary of the interior (1850–1853) | |
Supreme Court Appointment: | |
Benjamin R. Curtis (1851–1857) | |
Key Events | |
1850 | ompromise of 1850 (Sept.): 5 statutes admitting California as a free state, Texas and New Mexico with no restrictions, and including Fugitive Slave Act (18 Sept.), placing fugitive slave cases under federal jurisdiction. |
1851 | Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe published (20 Mar.); Pierce elected president (2 Nov.). |
1852 | ommodore Matthew C. Perry leaves on expedition to "open" Japan (Nov.) |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 23 November 1804 | ||
Birthplace: | Hillsborough (now Hillsboro), N.H. | ||
Parents: | Benjamin Pierce, Anna Kendrick | ||
Religion: | Episcopalian | ||
College Education: | Bowdoin College | ||
Wife: | Jane Means Appleton | ||
Date of Marriage: | 19 November 1834 | ||
Children: | Franklin, Frank Robert, Benjamin | ||
Political Party: | Democratic | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, New Hampshire legislature (1829–1833; Speaker, 1831–1832) | ||
Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1833–1837) | |||
U.S. Senator (1837–1842) | |||
Brigadier General, U.S. Army (1847) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1853 | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1857 | ||
Date of Death: | 8 October 1869 | ||
Place of Death: | Concord, N.H. | ||
Place of Burial: | Concord, N.H. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1852 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Franklin Pierce | Dem. | 254 | 50.9% |
Winfield Scott | Whig | 42 | 44.1% |
John P. Hale | Free–Soil | 0 | 5% |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1856 | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
33d Congress (1853–1855) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 38; Whig 22; others 2 | ||
House: | Dem. 159; Whig 71; others 4 | ||
34th Congress (1855–1857) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 40; Rep. 15; others 5 | ||
House: | Rep. 108; Dem. 83; others 43 | ||
Vice President | |||
William Rufus D. King (1853) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
William L. Marcy, secretary of state (1853–1857) | |||
James Guthrie, secretary of the treasury (1853–1857) | |||
Jefferson Davis, secretary of war (1853–1857) | |||
Caleb Cushing, attorney general (1853–1857) | |||
James Campbell, postmaster general (1853–1857) | |||
James C. Dobbin, secretary of the navy (1853–1857) | |||
Robert McClelland, secretary of the interior (1853–1857) | |||
Supreme Court Appointment: | |||
John A. Campbell (1853–1861) | |||
Key Events | |||
1853 | Gadsden Purchase (30 Dec.): settles boundary question with Mexico for $10 million; first convenient bathing facilities installed in White House living quarters. | ||
1854 | Kansas–Nebraska Act passed (30 May) permitting local option on slavery and repealing Missouri Compromise; Canadian Reciprocity Treaty (5 June) opens U.S. markets to Canada and grants U.S. fishing rights. | ||
1856 | Kansas Civil War (21 May–15 Sept.): between proslavery and antislavery forces; Buchanan elected president (4 Nov.) |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 23 April 1791 | ||
Birthplace: | Stony Batter, Pa. | ||
Parents: | James Buchanan, Elizabeth Speer | ||
Religion: | Presbyterian | ||
College Education: | Dickinson College | ||
Marital Status: | Never married | ||
Political Party: | Democratic | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1821–1831) | ||
Minister to Russia (1832–1834) | |||
U.S. Senator (1834–1845) | |||
Secretary of State (1845–1849) | |||
Minister to Great Britain (1853–1856) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1857 | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1861 | ||
Date of Death: | 1 June 1868 | ||
Place of Death: | Lancaster, Pa. | ||
Place of Burial: | Lancaster, Pa. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1856 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
James Buchanan | Dem. | 174 | 45.3% |
John C. Frémont | Rep. | 114 | 33.1% |
Millard Fillmore | Know–Nothing | 8 | 21.6% |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1860 | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
35th Congress (1857–1859) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 36; Rep. 20; others 8 | ||
House: | Dem.118; Rep. 92; others 26 | ||
36th Congress (1859–1861) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 36; Rep. 26; others 4 | ||
House: | Rep. 114; Dem. 92; others 31 | ||
Vice President | |||
John C. Breckinridge (1857–1861) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Lewis Cass, secretary of state (1857–1860) | |||
Jeremiah S. Black, secretary of state (1860–1861) | |||
Howell Cobb, secretary of the treasury (1857–1860) | |||
Philip F. Thomas, secretary of the treasury (1860–1861) | |||
John A. Dix, secretary of the treasury (1861) | |||
John B. Floyd, secretary of war (1857–1860) | |||
Joseph Holt, secretary of war (1861) | |||
Jeremiah S. Black, attorney general (1857–1860) | |||
Edwin M. Stanton, attorney general (1860–1861) | |||
Aaron V. Brown, postmaster general (1857–1859) | |||
Joseph Holt, postmaster general (1859–1861) | |||
Horatio King, postmaster general (1861) | |||
Isaac Toucey, secretary of the navy (1857–1861) | |||
Jacob Thompson, secretary of the interior (1857–1861) | |||
Supreme Court Appointment: | |||
Nathan Clifford (1858–1881) | |||
Key Events | |||
1857 | Dred Scott Case (6 Mar.): Supreme Court rules slaves are not U.S. citizens and cannot sue in federal courts; Panic of 1857 follows boom after Mexican War. | ||
1858 | Lincoln delivers "House Divided" speech (16 June); Lincoln–Douglas Debates (21 Aug.–15 Oct.). | ||
1859 | John Brown's Raid (16–18 Oct.): Brown seizes Harper's Ferry, Va., armory; captured by marine force under Col. Robert E. Lee; hanged for treason (2 Dec.); Comstock Lode of silver deposits discovered in Virginia City, Nev. | ||
1860 | U.S. population: 31,443,321 Davis Resolutions (2 Feb.): Jefferson Davis introduces in Senate slavery resolutions; Lincoln delivers Cooper Union speech (27 Feb.) on extension of slavery and popular sovereignty doctrine; Lincoln elected president (6 Nov.); South Carolina secedes from the Union (20 Dec.). | ||
1861 | Confederate States of America formed at Montgomery, Ala. (8 Feb.), and adopts constitution. |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 12 February 1809 | ||
Birthplace: | Hodgenville, Ky. | ||
Parents: | Thomas Lincoln, Nancy Hanks | ||
Religion: | No denomination | ||
College Education: | None | ||
Wife: | Mary Todd | ||
Date of Marriage: | 4 November 1842 | ||
Children: | Robert Todd, Edward Baker, William Wallace,Thomas ("Tad") | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, Illinois legislature (1834–1841) | ||
Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1847–1849) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1861 | ||
End of Term: | 15 April 1865 (assassinated by John Wilkes Booth) | ||
Date of Death: | 15 April 1865 | ||
Place of Death: | Washington, D.C. | ||
Place of Burial: | Springfield, Ill. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1860 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Abraham Lincoln | Rep. | 180 | 39.8% |
Stephen A. Douglas | Dem. | 12 | 29.5% |
John C. Breckinridge | Dem. | 72 | 18.1% |
John Bell | Constitutional Union | 39 | 12.6% |
ELECTION OF 1864 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Abraham Lincoln | Rep. | 212 | 55% |
George B. McClellan | Dem. | 21 | 45% |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
37th Congress (1861–1863) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 31; Dem. 10; others 8 | ||
House: | Rep. 105; Dem. 43; others 30 | ||
38th Congress (1863–1865) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 36; Dem. 9; others 5 | ||
House: | Rep. 102; Dem. 75; others 9 | ||
Vice Presidents | |||
Hannibal Hamlin (1861–1865) | |||
Andrew Johnson (1865) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
William H. Seward, secretary of state (1861–1865) | |||
Salmon P. Chase, secretary of the treasury (1861–1864) | |||
William P. Fessenden, secretary of the treasury (1864–1865) | |||
Hugh McCullough, secretary of the treasury (1865) | |||
Simon Cameron, secretary of war (1861–1862) | |||
Edwin M. Stanton, secretary of war (1862–1865) | |||
Edward Bates, attorney general (1861–1863) | |||
James Speed, attorney general (1864–1865) | |||
Montgomery Blair, postmaster general (1861–1864) | |||
William Dennison, postmaster general (1864–1865) | |||
Gideon Welles, secretary of the navy (1861–1865) | |||
Caleb B. Smith, secretary of the interior (1861–1862) | |||
John P. Usher, secretary of the interior (1863–1865) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
Noah H. Swayne (1862–1881) | |||
Samuel F. Miller (1862–1890) | |||
David Davis (1862–1877) | |||
Stephen J. Field (1863–1897) | |||
Salmon P. Chase, chief justice (1864–1873) | |||
Key Events | |||
1861 | Civil War begins with Confederate firing on Fort Sumter, S.C. (12 Apr.), and surrender of fort; Congress institutes income tax; Committee on Conduct of the War established (20 Dec.). | ||
1862 | Department of Agriculture established as federal agency (15 May); Homestead Act enacted (20 May), providing for citizens to acquire 160 acres of public land. | ||
1863 | Emancipation Proclamation (1 Jan.) grants freedom to slaves in rebelling states; antidraft riots in New York City (13–16 July). | ||
1865 | Confederate surrender to Union forces at Appomattox Courthouse (9 Apr.) ends Civil War; Lincoln assassinated (14 Apr.) by John Wilkes Booth. |
Life | |
Birthdate: | 29 December 1808 |
Birthplace: | Raleigh, N.C. |
Parents: | Jacob Johnson, Mary McDonough |
Religion: | No denomination |
College Education: | None |
Wife: | Eliza McCardle |
Date of Marriage: | 17 May 1827 |
Children: | Martha, Charles, Mary, Robert, Andrew |
Political Party: | Democratic (elected vice president on Republican ticket) |
Other Positions Held: | Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1843–1853) |
Governor of Tennessee (1853–1857) | |
U.S. Senator (1857–1862; 1875) | |
Brigadier General, U.S. Army (1862–1864) | |
Vice President (1865) | |
Date of Inauguration: | 15 April 1865 (succeeded to presidency on death of Abraham Lincoln) |
Acquittal of Impeachment Charges: | 26 May 1868 |
End of Term: | 4 March 1869 |
Date of Death: | 31 July 1875 |
Place of Death: | Carter's Station, Tenn. |
Place of Burial: | Greenville, Tenn. |
Elections | |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1868 | |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |
39th Congress (1865–1867) | |
Senate: | Unionists 42; Dem. 10 |
House: | Unionists 149; Dem. 42 |
40th Congress (1867–1869) | |
Senate: | Rep. 42; Dem. 11 |
House: | Rep. 143; Dem. 49 |
Vice President | |
None | |
Appointments | |
Cabinet Members: | |
William H. Seward, secretary of state (1865–1869) | |
Hugh McCullough, secretary of the treasury (1865–1869) | |
Edwin M. Stanton, secretary of war (1865–1868) | |
John M. Schofield, secretary of war (1868–1869) | |
James Speed, attorney general (1865–1866) | |
Henry Stanbery, attorney general (1866–1868) | |
William M. Evarts, attorney general (1868–1869) | |
William Dennison, postmaster general (1865–1866) | |
Alexander W. Randall, postmaster general (1866–1869) | |
Gideon Welles, secretary of the navy (1865–1869) | |
John P. Usher, secretary of the interior (1865) | |
James Harlan, secretary of the interior (1865–1866) | |
Orville H. Browning, secretary of the interior (1866–1869) | |
Supreme Court Appointments: | |
None | |
Key Events | |
1865 | Johnson is first president to come into office upon assassination of a president (15 Apr.); Reconstruction Proclamation (29 May–13 July) grants amnesty to Confederates who took oath of allegiance; Freedmen's bureau established (24 Nov.); Thirteenth Amendment ratified (18 Dec.) abolishing slavery; Ku Klux Klan established in Pulaski, Tenn. |
1866 | Supplementary Reconstruction Acts passed (23 Mar., 19 July), providing for registration of all qualified voters; U.S. agrees to purchase Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million (29 Mar.); Civil Rights Act (9 Apr.) bestows citizenship on blacks; Fourteenth Amendment submitted to states (16 June) for ratification, defines national citizenship, ratification necessary for states to be readmitted to Union; Patrons of Husbandry (Grangers) formed (4 Dec.) to promote agricultural interests; White House acquires a telegraph room. |
1867 | First Reconstruction Act (2 Mar.) divides South into 5 military districts subject to martial law and under military commanders. |
1868 | Impeachment trial of Johnson (24 Feb.–26 May): president impeached for removal of Stanton as secretary of war as violation of Tenure of Office Act (2 Mar. 1867), president acquitted; Fourteenth Amendment ratified (28 July); first federal 8–hour workday enacted; Grant elected president (3 Nov.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 27 April 1822 | ||
Birthplace: | Point Pleasant, Ohio | ||
Parents: | Jesse Root Grant, Hannah Simpson | ||
Religion: | Methodist | ||
College Education: | United States Military Academy | ||
Wife: | Julia Boggs Dent | ||
Date of Marriage: | 22 August 1848 | ||
Children: | Frederick Dent, Ulysses Simpson, Ellen Wrenshall, Jesse Root | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Major General, U.S. Army (1862–1864) | ||
Lieutenant General, U.S. Army (1864–1866) | |||
General of the Army (1866) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1869 | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1877 | ||
Date of Death: | 23 July 1885 | ||
Place of Death: | Mount McGregor, N.Y. | ||
Place of Burial: | New York, N.Y. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1868 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Ulysses S. Grant | Rep. | 214 | 52.7% |
Horatio Seymour | Dem. | 80 | 47.3% |
ELECTION OF 1872 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Ulysses S. Grant | Rep. | 286 | 55.6% |
Horace Greeley | Dem. | N/A | 43.9% |
(GREELEY DIED BETWEEN GENERAL ELECTION AND MEETING OF ELECTORAL COLLEGE) | |||
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1876 | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
41st Congress (1869–1871) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 56; Dem. 11 | ||
House: | Rep. 149; Dem. 63 | ||
42d Congress (1871–1873) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 52; Dem. 17; others 5 | ||
House: | Rep. 134; Dem. 104; others 5 | ||
43d Congress (1873–1875) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 49; Dem. 19; others 5 | ||
House: | Rep. 194; Dem. 92; others 14 | ||
44th Congress (1875–1877) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 45; Dem. 29; others 2 | ||
House: | Dem. 169; Rep. 109; others 14 | ||
Vice Presidents | |||
Schuyler Colfax (1869–1873) | |||
Henry Wilson (1873–1875) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Elihu B. Washburne, secretary of state (1869) | |||
Hamilton Fish, secretary of state (1869–1877) | |||
George S. Boutwell, secretary of the treasury (1869–1873) | |||
William A. Richardson, secretary of the treasury (1873–1874) | |||
Benjamin H. Bristow, secretary of the treasury (1874–1876) | |||
Lot M. Morrill, secretary of the treasury (1876–1877) | |||
John A. Rawlins, secretary of war (1869) | |||
William Tecumseh Sherman, secretary of war (1869) | |||
William W. Belknap, secretary of war (1869–1876) | |||
Alphonso Taft, secretary of war (1876) | |||
James D. Cameron, secretary of war (1876–1877) | |||
E. Rockwood Hoar, attorney general (1869–1870) | |||
Amos T. Akerman, attorney general (1870–1871) | |||
George H. Williams, attorney general (1871–1875) | |||
Edwards Pierrepont, attorney general (1875–1876) | |||
Alphonso Taft, attorney general (1876–1877) | |||
John A. Creswell, postmaster general (1869–1874) | |||
James W. Marshall, postmaster general (1874) | |||
Marshall Jewell, postmaster general (1874–1876) | |||
James N. Tyner, postmaster general (1876–1877) | |||
Adolph E. Borie, secretary of the navy (1869) | |||
George M. Robeson, secretary of the navy (1869–1877) | |||
Jacob D. Cox, secretary of the interior (1869–1870) | |||
Columbus Delano, secretary of the interior (1870–1875) | |||
Zachariah Chandler, secretary of the interior (1875–1877) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
William Strong (1870–1880) | |||
Joseph P. Bradley (1870–1892) | |||
Ward Hunt (1873–1882) | |||
Morrison R. Waite, chief justice (1874–1888) | |||
Key Events | |||
1869 | First transcontinental rail route completed (10 May); Black Friday (24 Sept.), an attempt by James Fisk, Jay Gould, and others to corner the U.S. gold supply. | ||
1870 | U.S. population: 39,818,449 Fifteenth Amendment ratified (30 Mar.), stating no citizen can be denied right to vote because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude; Justice Department created (22 June), headed by attorney general. | ||
1871 | Enforcement Acts provide federal election law (28 Feb.) and enforcement of Fourteenth Amendment (20 Apr.); Indian Appropriation Act decrees the federal government would not enter into any further Indian treaties; Civil Service Commission established (3 Mar.); Ku Klux Klan Act passes (20 Apr.) to enforce Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and permit president to declare martial law; Treaty of Washington (8 May) between U.S. and Britain lays down rules of maritime neutrality and submits Alabama Claims to arbitration (settled 14 Sept. 1872); Chicago Fire (8 Oct.) destroys 17,500 buildings, causes $200 million in property loss, and leaves 200-300 dead. | ||
1872 | Equal Rights party nominates first woman, Victoria Claflin Woodhull, for president and first black, Frederick Douglass, for vice president (10 May); Crédit Mobilier scandal erupts; Grant reelected (5 Nov.). | ||
1873 | Panic of 1873 in which 5,000 businesses fail; Coinage Act (12 Feb.) establishes gold standard. | ||
1875 | Whiskey Ring conspiracy of revenue officials to defraud government of internal revenue tax. | ||
1876 | Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone; Secretary of War Belknap impeached for receiving bribes for sale of Indian posts. |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 4 October 1822 | ||
Birthplace: | Delaware, Ohio | ||
Parents: | Rutherford Hayes, Sophia Birchard | ||
Religion: | Attended Methodist Church | ||
College Education: | Kenyon College; Harvard Law School | ||
Wife: | Lucy Ware Webb | ||
Date of Marriage: | 30 December 1852 | ||
Children: | Birchard Austin, James Webb Cook, Rutherford Platt, Joseph Thompson, George Crook, Fanny, Scott Russell, Manning Force | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Brigadier General, U.S. Army (1864–1865) | ||
Major General, U.S. Army (1865) | |||
Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1865–1867) | |||
Governor of Ohio (1868–1872; 1876–1877) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1877 | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1881 | ||
Date of Death: | 17 January 1893 | ||
Place of Death: | Fremont, Ohio | ||
Place of Burial: | Fremont, Ohio | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1876 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Rutherford B. Hayes | Rep. | 185 | 48% |
Samuel J. Tilden | Dem. | 184 | 51% |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1880 | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
45th Congress (1877–1879) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 39; Dem. 36; other 1 | ||
House: | Dem. 153; Rep. 140 | ||
46th Congress (1879–1881) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 42; Rep. 33; other 1 | ||
House: | Dem. 149; Rep. 130; others 14 | ||
Vice President | |||
William A. Wheeler (1877–1881) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
William M. Evarts, secretary of state (1877–1881) | |||
John Sherman, secretary of the treasury (1877–1881) | |||
George W. McCrary, secretary of war (1877–1879) | |||
Alexander Ramsey, secretary of war (1879–1881) | |||
Charles Devens, attorney general (1877–1881) | |||
David M. Key, postmaster general (1877–1880) | |||
Horace Maynard, postmaster general (1880–1881) | |||
Richard W. Thompson, secretary of the navy (1877–1881) | |||
Nathan Goff, Jr., secretary of the navy (1881) | |||
Carl Schurz, secretary of the interior (1877–1881) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
John Marshall Harlan (1877–1911) | |||
William B. Woods (1881–1887) | |||
Key Events | |||
1877 | Hayes becomes president after disputed election (4 Mar.); Lucy Webb Hayes becomes first First Lady with a college degree; Thomas Edison patents the phonograph; Reconstruction ends in the South; surrender of Chief Joseph in Nez Perce War (15 Oct.). | ||
1879 | White House acquires first telephone (10 May). | ||
1880 | U.S. population: 50,155,783 First typewriter arrives at White House (12 Feb.); Garfield elected president (2 Nov.); treaty with China (17 Nov.) limits immigration of Chinese laborers. |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 19 November 1831 | ||
Birthplace: | Orange, Ohio | ||
Parents: | Abram Garfield, Eliza Ballou | ||
Religion: | Disciples of Christ | ||
College Education: | Williams College | ||
Wife: | Lucretia Rudolph | ||
Date of Marriage: | 11 November 1858 | ||
Children: | Eliza Arabella, Harry Augustus, James Rudolph, Mary, Irvin McDowell, Abram, Edward | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | President, Hiram College (1857–1861) | ||
Ohio State Senator (1859–1861) | |||
Brigadier General, U.S. Army (1862–1863) | |||
Major General, U.S. Army (1863) | |||
Member, U.S. House of Representatives(1863–1880) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1881 | ||
End of Term: | 19 September 1881 (assassinated by Charles Guiteau) | ||
Date of Death: | 19 September 1881 | ||
Place of Death: | Elberon, N.J. | ||
Place of Burial: | Cleveland, Ohio | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1880 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
James A. Garfield | Rep. | 214 | 48.5% |
Winfield S. Hancock | Dem. | 155 | 48.1% |
James B. Weaver | Greenback–Labor | 0 | 3.4% |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
47th Congress (1881–1883) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 37; Dem. 37; other 1 | ||
House: | Rep. 147; Dem. 135; others 11 | ||
Vice President | |||
Chester A. Arthur (1881) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
James G. Blaine, secretary of state (1881) | |||
William Windom, secretary of the treasury (1881) | |||
Robert T. Lincoln, secretary of war (1881) | |||
Wayne MacVeagh, attorney general (1881) | |||
Thomas L. James, postmaster general (1881) | |||
William H. Hunt, secretary of the navy (1881) | |||
Samuel J. Kirkwood, secretary of the interior (1881) | |||
Supreme Court Appointment: | |||
Stanley Matthews (1881–1889) | |||
Key Event | |||
1881 Garfield assassinated (2 July) by Charles J. Guiteau. |
Life | |
Birthdate: | 5 October 1829 |
Birthplace: | Fairfield, Vt. |
Parents: | William Arthur, Malvina Stone |
Religion: | Episcopalian |
College Education: | Union College |
Wife: | Ellen Lewis Herndon |
Date of Marriage: | 25 October 1859 |
Children: | William Lewis Herndon, Chester Alan, Ellen Herndon |
Political Party: | Republican |
Other Positions Held: | Collector of the Port of New York (1871–1878) |
Vice President (1881) | |
Date of Inauguration: | 20 September 1881 (succeeded to presidency on death of James A. Garfield) |
End of Term: | 4 March 1885 |
Date of Death: | 18 November 1886 |
Place of Death: | New York, N.Y. |
Place of Burial: | Albany, N.Y. |
Elections | |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1884 | |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |
47th Congress (1881–1883) | |
Senate: | Rep. 37; Dem. 37; other 1 |
House: | Rep. 147; Dem. 135; others 11 |
48th Congress (1883–1885) | |
Senate: | Rep. 38; Dem. 36; others 2 |
House: | Dem. 197; Rep. 118; others 10 |
Vice President | |
None | |
Appointments | |
Cabinet Members: | |
James G. Blaine, secretary of state (1881) | |
Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, secretary of state (1881–1885) | |
William Windom, secretary of the treasury (1881) | |
Charles J. Folger, secretary of the treasury (1881–1884) | |
Walter Q. Gresham, secretary of the treasury (1884) | |
Hugh McCullough, secretary of the treasury (1884–1885) | |
Robert T. Lincoln, secretary of war (1881–1885) | |
Wayne MacVeagh, attorney general (1881) | |
Benjamin H. Brewster, attorney general (1882–1885) | |
Timothy O. Howe, postmaster general (1882–1883) | |
Frank Hatton, postmaster general (1883) | |
Walter Q. Gresham, postmaster general (1883–1884) | |
Frank Hatton, postmaster general (1884–1885) | |
William H. Hunt, secretary of the navy (1881–1882) | |
William E. Chandler, secretary of the navy (1882–1885) | |
Samuel J. Kirkwood, secretary of the interior (1881–1882) | |
Henry M. Teller, secretary of the interior (1882-1885) | |
Supreme Court Appointments: | |
Horace Gray (1882–1902) | |
Samuel Blatchford (1882–1893) | |
Key Events | |
1881 | Arthur becomes second president to come into office upon assassination of a president (20 Sept.). |
1882 | Peace treaty signed with Korea (22 May). |
1883 | Pendleton Act (16 Jan.) establishes Civil Service Commission and competitive examinations. |
1884 | Cleveland elected president (4 Nov.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 18 March 1837 | ||
Birthplace: | Caldwell, N.J. | ||
Parents: | Richard Falley Cleveland, Anne Neal | ||
Religion: | Presbyterian | ||
College Education: | None | ||
Wife: | Frances Folsom | ||
Date of Marriage: | 2 June 1886 | ||
Children: | Ruth, Esther, Marion, Richard Folsom, Francis Grover | ||
Political Party: | Democratic | ||
Other Positions Held: | Mayor of Buffalo, New York (1881–1882) | ||
Governor of New York (1883–1885) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1885 | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1889 | ||
Date of Death: | 24 June 1908 | ||
Place of Death: | Princeton, N.J. | ||
Place of Burial: | Princeton, N.J. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1884 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Grover Cleveland | Dem. | 219 | 48.5% |
James G. Blaine | Rep. | 182 | 48.2% |
Benjamin F. Butler | Greenback–Labor | 0 | 1.8% |
John P. St. John | Proh. | 0 | 1.5% |
DEFEATED IN ELECTION OF 1888 BY BENJAMIN HARRISON | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
49th Congress (1885–1887) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 43; Dem. 34 | ||
House: | Dem. 183; Rep. 140; others 2 | ||
50th Congress (1887–1889) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 39; Dem. 37 | ||
House: | Dem. 169; Rep. 152; others 4 | ||
Vice President | |||
Thomas A. Hendricks (1885) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Thomas F. Bayard, secretary of state (1885–1889) | |||
Daniel Manning, secretary of the treasury (1885–1887) | |||
Charles S. Fairchild, secretary of the treasury (1887–1889) | |||
William C. Endicott, secretary of war (1885–1889) | |||
Augustus Garland, attorney general (1885–1889) | |||
William F. Vilas, postmaster general (1885–1888) | |||
Don M. Dickinson, postmaster general (1888–1889) | |||
William C. Whitney, secretary of the navy (1885–1889) | |||
Lucius Q. C. Lamar, secretary of the interior (1885–1888) | |||
William F. Vilas, secretary of the interior (1888–1889) | |||
Norman J. Colman, secretary of agriculture (1889) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
Lucius Q. C. Lamar (1888–1893) | |||
Melville W. Fuller, chief justice (1888–1910) | |||
Key Events | |||
1886 | Presidential Succession Act (19 Jan.) delineates line of succession to presidency; Haymarket Riot erupts (4 May) in Chicago; Cleveland marries Frances Folsom (2 June), becomes first president to wed in the White House. | ||
1887 | Interstate Commerce Act (4 Feb.) gives federal government right to regulate transportation and business extending beyond state lines. | ||
1888 | Harrison elected president (6 Nov.), first grandson of a president to be elected. | ||
1889 | Department of Agriculture accorded Cabinet–level status (Feb.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 20 August 1833 | ||
Birthplace: | North Bend, Ohio | ||
Parents: | John Scott Harrison, Elizabeth Ramsey Irwin | ||
Religion: | Presbyterian | ||
College Education: | Miami University | ||
First Wife: | Caroline Lavina Scott (died 1892) | ||
Date of First Marriage: | 20 October 1853 | ||
Children from First Marriage: | Russell Benjamin, Mary Scott | ||
Second Wife: | Mary Scott Lord Dimmick | ||
Date of Second Marriage: | 6 April 1896 | ||
Child from Second Marriage: | Elizabeth | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Brigadier General, U.S. Army (1865) | ||
U.S. Senator (1881–1887) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1889 | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1893 | ||
Date of Death: | 13 March 1901 | ||
Place of Death: | Indianapolis, Ind. | ||
Place of Burial: | Indianapolis, Ind. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1888 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Benjamin Harrison | Rep. | 233 | 47.9% |
Grover Cleveland | Dem. | 168 | 48.6% |
Clinton B. Fisk | Proh. | 0 | 2.2% |
Anson J. Streeter | Union Labor | 0 | 1.3% |
DEFEATED IN ELECTION OF 1892 BY GROVER CLEVELAND | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
51st Congress (1889–891) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 39; Dem. 37 | ||
House: | Rep. 166; Dem. 159 | ||
52d Congress (1891–1893) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 47; Dem. 39; others 2 | ||
House: | Dem. 235; Rep. 88; others 9 | ||
Vice President | |||
Levi P. Morton (1889–1893) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
James G. Blaine, secretary of state (1889–1892) | |||
John W. Foster, secretary of state (1892–1893) | |||
William Windom, secretary of the treasury (1889–1891) | |||
Charles Foster, secretary of the treasury (1891–1893) | |||
Redfield Proctor, secretary of war (1889–1891) | |||
Stephen B. Elkins, secretary of war (1891–1893) | |||
William H. H. Miller, attorney general (1889–1893) | |||
John Wanamaker, postmaster general (1889–1893) | |||
Benjamin F. Tracy, secretary of the navy (1889–1893) | |||
John W. Noble, secretary of the interior (1889–1893) | |||
Jeremiah M. Rusk, secretary of agriculture (1889–1893) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
David J. Brewer (1889–1910) | |||
Henry B. Brown (1891–1906) | |||
George Shiras, Jr. (1892–1903) | |||
Howell E. Jackson (1893–1895) | |||
Key Events | |||
1889 | First Oklahoma land run (22 Apr.) by 50,000. | ||
1890 | U.S. population: 62,947,714 Sherman Antitrust Act (2 July) declares restraint of trade illegal; Messiah War: an outgrowth of Ghost Dance excitement among the Sioux in the badlands of South Dakota; Sitting Bull is killed while resisting arrest (15 Dec.); principal band of hostile Indians under Big Foot, camped at Wounded Knee Creek, surrender, but are massacred (28 Dec.); final fight between Indians and U.S. Army. | ||
1891 | Electric lighting comes to White House. | ||
1892 | State militia break up Homestead Steelworkers Strike (12 July); martial law declared in Coeur d'Alene silver mines in Idaho after violence between striking miners and strike breakers; Cleveland elected president (8 Nov.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 18 March 1837 | ||
Birthplace: | Caldwell, N.J. | ||
Parents: | Richard Falley Cleveland, Anne Neal | ||
Religion: | Presbyterian | ||
College Education: | None | ||
Wife: | Frances Folsom | ||
Date of Marriage: | 2 June 1886 | ||
Children: | Ruth, Esther, Marion, Richard Folsom, Francis Grover | ||
Political Party: | Democratic | ||
Other Positions Held: | Mayor of Buffalo, New York (1881–1882) | ||
Governor of New York (1883–1885) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1893 | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1897 | ||
Date of Death: | 24 June 1908 | ||
Place of Death: | Princeton, N.J. | ||
Place of Burial: | Princeton, N.J. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1892 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Grover Cleveland | Dem. | 277 | 46.1% |
Benjamin Harrison | Rep. | 145 | 43% |
James Weaver | Populist | 22 | 8.5% |
John Bidwell | Proh. | 0 | 2.2% |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1896 | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
53d Congress (1893–1895) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 44; Rep. 38; others 3 | ||
House: | Dem. 218; Rep. 127; others 11 | ||
54th Congress (1895–1897) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 43; Dem. 39; others 6 | ||
House: | Rep. 244; Dem. 105; others 7 | ||
Vice President | |||
Adlai E. Stevenson (1893–1897) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Walter Q. Gresham, secretary of state (1893–1895) | |||
Richard Olney, secretary of state (1895–1897) | |||
John G. Carlisle, secretary of the treasury (1893–1897) | |||
Daniel S. Lamont, secretary of war (1893–1897) | |||
Richard Olney, attorney general (1893–1895) | |||
Judson Harmon, attorney general (1895–1897) | |||
Wilson S. Bissell, postmaster general (1893–1895) | |||
William L. Wilson, postmaster general (1895–1897) | |||
Hilary A. Herbert, secretary of the navy (1893–1897) | |||
Hoke Smith, secretary of the interior (1893–1896) | |||
David R. Francis, secretary of the interior (1896–1897) | |||
Julius Sterling Morton, secretary of agriculture (1893–1897) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
Edward D. White (1894–1921) | |||
Rufus W. Peckham (1896–1909) | |||
Key Events | |||
1893 | Panic of 1893 with failure of 4,000 banks and 14,000 commercial businesses; Diplomatic Appropriation Act (Mar.) creates rank of ambassador; Thomas Francis Bayard appointed U.S. ambassador to Great Britain (Apr.). | ||
1894 | Pullman Strike (11 May–20 July): 4,000 members of American Railway Union strike Pullman Palace Car Company and defy blanket injunction prohibiting interference with trains, quelled by federal troops; Edison's kinetoscope has first public showing in New York City. | ||
1896 | Supreme Court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson upholds legality of separate but equal facilities for races; McKinley elected president (3 Nov.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 29 January 1843 | ||
Birthplace: | Niles, Ohio | ||
Parents: | William McKinley, Nancy Campbell Allison | ||
Religion: | Methodist | ||
College Education: | Allegheny College | ||
Wife: | Ida Saxton | ||
Date of Marriage: | 25 January 1871 | ||
Children: | Katherine, Ida | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1877–1883) | ||
Governor of Ohio (1892–1896) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1897 | ||
End of Term: | 14 September 1901 (assassinated by Leon Czolgosz) | ||
Date of Death: | 14 September 1901 | ||
Place of Death: | Buffalo, N.Y. | ||
Place of Burial: | Canton, Ohio | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1896 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
William McKinley | Rep. | 271 | 51.1% |
William J. Bryan | Dem. | 176 | 47.7% |
ELECTION OF 1900 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
William McKinley | Rep. | 292 | 51.7% |
William J. Bryan | Dem./Populist | 155 | 45.5% |
John C. Woolley | Proh. | 0 | 1.5% |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
55th Congress (1897–1899) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 47; Dem. 34; others 7 | ||
House: | Rep. 204; Dem. 113; others 40 | ||
56th Congress (1899–1901) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 53; Dem. 26; others 8 | ||
House: | Rep. 185; Dem. 163; others 9 | ||
57th Congress (1901–1903) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 55; Dem. 31; others 4 | ||
House: | Rep. 197; Dem. 151; others 9 | ||
Vice Presidents | |||
Garret Augustus Hobart (1897–1899) | |||
Theodore Roosevelt (1901) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
John Sherman, secretary of state (1897–1898) | |||
William R. Day, secretary of state (1898) | |||
John Hay, secretary of state (1898–1901) | |||
Lyman J. Gage, secretary of the treasury (1897–1901) | |||
Russell A. Alger, secretary of war (1897–1899) | |||
Elihu Root, secretary of war (1899–1901) | |||
Joseph McKenna, attorney general (1897–1898) | |||
John W. Griggs, attorney general (1898–1901) | |||
Philander C. Knox, attorney general (1901) | |||
James A. Gary, postmaster general (1897–1898) | |||
Charles E. Smith, postmaster general (1898–1901) | |||
John D. Long, secretary of the navy (1897–1901) | |||
Cornelius N. Bliss, secretary of the interior (1897) | |||
Ethan A. Hitchcock, secretary of the interior (1898–1901) | |||
James Wilson, secretary of agriculture (1897–1901) | |||
Supreme Court Appointment: | |||
Joseph McKenna (1898–1925) | |||
Key Events | |||
1898 | Spanish–American War: U.S. battleship Maine explodes in Havana harbor, Cuba (15 Feb.); U.S. declares independence of Cuba (25 Apr.) and that state of war existed with Spain since 21 Apr.; Treaty of Paris (10 Dec.) establishes independence of Cuba, cedes Puerto Rico and Guam to U.S., and U.S. purchases Philippines for $20 million. | ||
1899 | First Hague Conference (18 May-29 July) establishes Permanent Court of Arbitration; Open Door Policy enunciated affirming U.S. commercial and industrial rights in China; McKinley becomes first president to ride in an automobile (Nov.). | ||
1900 | U.S. population: 75,994,575 Boxer Rebellion: antiforeign uprising in China by secret society of Boxers (June); McKinley reelected (6 Nov.); Gen. Arthur MacArthur captures thousands (Nov.) of Filipino revolutionaries battling troops of U.S. military government (revolutionaries surrender in 1902); Samoan Partition Treaty (2 Dec.): islands divided between Germany, Great Britain, and U.S. | ||
1901 | Platt amendment adopted (2 Mar.), outlining U.S.–Cuban relations and agreements; McKinley assassinated (6 Sept.) by Leon Czolgosz. |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 27 October 1858 | ||
Birthplace: | New York, N.Y. | ||
Parents: | Theodore Roosevelt, Martha Bulloch | ||
Religion: | Dutch Reformed Church | ||
College Education: | Harvard College | ||
First Wife: | Alice Hathaway Lee (died 1884) | ||
Date of First Marriage: | 27 October 1880 | ||
Child from First Marriage: | Alice Lee | ||
Second Wife: | Edith Kermit Carow | ||
Date of Second Marriage: | 2 December 1886 | ||
Children from Second Marriage: | Theodore, Kermit, Ethel Carow, Archibald Bulloch, Qeuentin | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, New York legislature (1882–1884) | ||
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (1897–1898) | |||
Governor of New York (1899–1901) | |||
Vice President (1901) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 14 September 1901 (succeeded to presidency on death of William McKinley) | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1909 | ||
Date of Death: | 6 January 1919 | ||
Place of Death: | Oyster Bay, N.Y. | ||
Place of Burial: | Oyster Bay, N.Y. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1904 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Theodore Roosevelt | Rep. | 336 | 56.4% |
Alton B. Parker | Dem. | 140 | 37.6% |
Eugene V. Debs | Soc. | 0 | 3.0% |
Silas C. Swallow | Proh. | 0 | 1.9% |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1908 | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
57th Congress (1901–1903) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 55; Dem. 31; others 4 | ||
House: | Rep. 197; Dem. 151; others 9 | ||
58th Congress (1903–1905) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 57; Dem. 33 | ||
House: | Rep. 208; Dem. 178 | ||
59th Congress (1905–1907) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 57; Dem. 33 | ||
House: | Rep. 250; Dem. 136 | ||
60th Congress (1907–1909) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 61; Dem. 31 | ||
House: | Rep. 222; Dem. 164 | ||
Vice President | |||
Charles W. Fairbanks (1905–1909) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
John Hay, secretary of state (1901–1905) | |||
Elihu Root, secretary of state (1905–1909) | |||
Robert Bacon, secretary of state (1909) | |||
Lyman J. Gage, secretary of the treasury (1901–1902) | |||
Leslie M. Shaw, secretary of the treasury (1902–1907) | |||
George B. Cortelyou, secretary of the treasury (1907–1909) | |||
Elihu Root, secretary of war (1901–1904) | |||
William Howard Taft, secretary of war (1904–1908) | |||
Luke E. Wright, secretary of war (1908–1909) | |||
Philander C. Knox, attorney general (1901–1904) | |||
William H. Moody, attorney general (1904–1906) | |||
Charles J. Bonaparte, attorney general (1906–1909) | |||
Charles E. Smith, postmaster general (1901–1902) | |||
Henry C. Payne, postmaster general (1902–1904) | |||
Robert J. Wynne, postmaster general (1904–1905) | |||
George B. Cortelyou, postmaster general (1905–1907) | |||
George von L. Meyer, postmaster general (1907–1909) | |||
John D. Long, secretary of the navy (1901–1902) | |||
William H. Moody, secretary of the navy (1902–1904) | |||
Paul Morton, secretary of the navy (1904–1905) | |||
Charles J. Bonaparte, secretary of the navy (1905–1906) | |||
Victor H. Metcalf, secretary of the navy (1906–1908) | |||
Truman H. Newberry, secretary of the navy (1908–1909) | |||
Ethan A. Hitchcock, secretary of the interior (1901–1907) | |||
James R. Garfield, secretary of the interior (1907–1909) | |||
James Wilson, secretary of agriculture (1901–1909) | |||
George B. Cortelyou, secretary of commerce and labor (1903–1904) | |||
Victor H. Metcalf, secretary of commerce and labor (1904–1906) | |||
Oscar S. Straus, secretary of commerce and labor (1906–1909) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
Oliver Wendell Holmes (1902–1932) | |||
William R. Day (1903–1922) | |||
William H. Moody (1906–1910) | |||
Key Events | |||
1901 | Roosevelt becomes third president to come into office upon assassination of a president (14 Sept.). | ||
1902 | Reclamation Act (June) authorizes president to retain public lands as part of public domain and to construct irrigation works in western states. | ||
1903 | Department of Commerce and Labor established (14 Feb.); U.S. warships stand by to protect U.S. interests as Panama revolts against Colombia; Panama independence recognized (6 Nov.); Hay–Bunau–Varilla Treaty (13 Nov.) provides for construction and operation of canal in Panama; Wright brothers' first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C. (17 Dec.). | ||
1904 | Theodore Roosevelt elected president (8 Nov.); Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine pronounced (6 Dec.) to prevent intervention in Latin America by European creditors. | ||
1905 | Taft–Katsura Memorandum (29 July): U.S.–Japanese cooperation agreement for "maintenance of peace in Far East." | ||
1906 | Algeciras Conference (16 Jan.): U.S. obtains privileged position in Morocco; Theodore Roosevelt awarded Nobel Prize for peace; San Francisco earthquake and fire (18–21 Apr.) kills 700. | ||
1907 | Gentlemen's Agreement (24 Feb.): U.S. and Japan agree to exclude further Japanese laborers from emigrating to U.S.; Panic of 1907; second Hague Peace Conference (15 June–18 Oct.). | ||
1908 | Henry Ford introduces Model T (1 Oct.); Taft elected president (3 Nov.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 15 September 1857 | ||
Birthplace: | Cincinnati, Ohio | ||
Parents: | Alphonso Taft, Louisa Maria Torrey | ||
Religion: | Unitarian | ||
College Education: | Yale College; Cincinnati Law School | ||
Wife: | Helen Herron | ||
Date of Marriage: | 19 June 1886 | ||
Children: | Robert Alphonso, Helen Herron, Charles Phelps | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Judge, Ohio Superior Court (1887–1890) | ||
U.S. Solicitor General (1890–1892) | |||
U.S. Circuit Court Judge (1892–1900) | |||
Governor–General, Philippines (1901–1904) | |||
Secretary of War (1904–1908) | |||
Law Professor, Yale University (1913–1921) | |||
Chief Justice, U.S. Supreme Court (1921–1930) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1909 | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1913 | ||
Date of Death: | 8 March 1930 | ||
Place of Death: | Washington, D.C. | ||
Place of Burial: | Arlington, Va. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1908 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
William Howard Taft | Rep. | 321 | 51.6% |
William J. Bryan | Dem. | 162 | 43.1% |
Eugene V. Debs | Soc. | 0 | 2.8% |
Eugene W. Chafin | Proh. | 0 | 1.7% |
DEFEATED IN ELECTION OF 1912 BY WOODROW WILSON | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
61st Congress (1909–1911) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 61; Dem. 32 | ||
House: | Rep. 219; Dem. 172 | ||
62d Congress (1911–1913) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 51; Dem. 41 | ||
House: | Dem. 228; Rep. 161; others 1 | ||
Vice President | |||
James S. Sherman (1909–1912) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Philander C. Knox, secretary of state (1909–1913) | |||
Franklin MacVeagh, secretary of the treasury (1909–1913) | |||
Jacob W. Dickinson, secretary of war (1909–1911) | |||
Henry L. Stimson, secretary of war (1911–1913) | |||
George W. Wickersham, attorney general (1909–1913) | |||
Frank H. Hitchcock, postmaster general (1909–1913) | |||
George von L. Meyer, secretary of the navy (1909–1913) | |||
Richard A. Ballinger, secretary of the interior (1909–1911) | |||
Walter L. Fisher, secretary of the interior (1911–1913) | |||
James Wilson, secretary of agriculture (1909–1913) | |||
Charles Nagel, secretary of commerce and labor (1909–1913) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
Horace H. Lurton (1910–1914) | |||
Charles Evans Hughes (1910–1916) | |||
Edward D. White, chief justice (1910–1921) (promoted from associate justice) | |||
Willis Van Devanter (1911–1937) | |||
Joseph R. Lamar (1911–1916) | |||
Mahlon Pitney (1912–1922) | |||
Key Events | |||
1909 | Robert E. Peary reaches North Pole (6 Apr.); National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) founded; Taft converts the White House stables into a garage and acquires 4 automobiles. | ||
1910 | U.S. population: 91,972,266. Mann–Elkins Act (18 June) places telephone, telegraph, cable, and wireless companies under Interstate Commerce Commission jurisdiction. | ||
1912 | Lodge Corollary (2 Aug.), first application of Monroe Doctrine to Asian nation, prevents Japanese purchase of land in Baja California; marines arrive in Nicaragua (14 Aug.) to support Adolpho Díaz government; token force withdraws in 1925, last marines leave in 1933; Wilson elected president (5 Nov.). | ||
1913 | Sixteenth Amendment ratified (25 Feb.), establishing federal income tax; on last day as president, Taft signs legislation creating Department of Commerce and Department of Labor to replace Department of Commerce and Labor (4 Mar.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 28 December 1856 | ||
Birthplace: | Staunton, Va. | ||
Parents: | Joseph Ruggles Wilson, Jessie Janet Woodrow | ||
Religion: | Presbyterian | ||
College Education: | Princeton University; University of Virginia Law | ||
School: | Johns Hopkins University | ||
First Wife: | Ellen Louise Axson (died 1914) | ||
Date of First Marriage: | 24 June 1885 | ||
Children from First Marriage: | Margaret Woodrow, Jessie Woodrow, Eleanor Randolph | ||
Second Wife: | Edith Bolling Galt | ||
Date of Second Marriage: | 18 December 1915 | ||
Children from Second Marriage: | None | ||
Political Party: | Democratic | ||
Other Positions Held: | President, Princeton University (1902–1910) | ||
Governor of New Jersey (1911–1913) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1913 | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1921 | ||
Date of Death: | 3 February 1924 | ||
Place of Death: | Washington, D.C. | ||
Place of Burial: | National Cathedral, Washington, D.C. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1912 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Woodrow Wilson | Dem. | 435 | 41.9% |
Theodore Roosevelt | Prog. | 88 | 27.4% |
William Howard Taft | Rep. | 8 | 23.2% |
Eugene V. Debs | Soc. | 0 | 6.0% |
Eugene W. Chafin | Proh. | 0 | 1.5% |
ELECTION OF 1916 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Woodrow Wilson | Dem. | 277 | 49.4% |
Charles E. Hughes | Rep. | 254 | 46.2% |
A. L. Benson | Soc. | 0 | 3.2% |
J. Frank Hanly | Proh. | 0 | 1.2% |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1920 | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
63d Congress (1913–1915) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 51; Rep. 44; other 1 | ||
House: | Dem. 291; Rep. 127; others 17 | ||
64th Congress (1915–1917) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 56; Rep. 40 | ||
House: | Dem. 230; Rep. 196; others 9 | ||
65th Congress (1917–1919) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 53; Rep. 42 | ||
House: | Dem. 216; Rep. 210; others 6 | ||
66th Congress (1919–1921) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 49; Dem. 47 | ||
House: | Rep. 240; Dem. 190; others 3 | ||
Vice President | |||
Thomas R. Marshall (1913–1921) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
William Jennings Bryan, secretary of state (1913–1915) | |||
Robert Lansing, secretary of state (1915–1920) | |||
Bainbridge Colby, secretary of state (1920–1921) | |||
William Gibbs McAdoo, secretary of the treasury (1913–1918) | |||
Carter Glass, secretary of the treasury (1918–1920) | |||
David F. Houston, secretary of the treasury (1920–1921) | |||
Lindley M. Garrison, secretary of war (1913–1916) | |||
Newton D. Baker, secretary of war (1916–1921) | |||
James C. McReynolds, attorney general (1913–1914) | |||
Thomas W. Gregory, attorney general (1914–1919) | |||
A. Mitchell Palmer, attorney general (1919–1921) | |||
Albert S. Burleson, postmaster general (1913–1921) | |||
Josephus Daniels, secretary of the navy (1913–1921) | |||
Franklin K. Lane, secretary of the interior (1913–1920) | |||
John B. Payne, secretary of the interior (1920–1921) | |||
David F. Houston, secretary of agriculture (1913–1920) | |||
Edwin T. Meredith, secretary of agriculture (1920–1921) | |||
William C. Redfield, secretary of commerce (1913–1919) | |||
Joshua W. Alexander, secretary of commerce (1919–1921) | |||
William B. Wilson, secretary of labor (1913–1921) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
James C. McReynolds (1914–1941) | |||
Louis D. Brandeis (1916–1939) | |||
John H. Clarke (1916–1922) | |||
Key Events | |||
1913 | Wilson holds first presidential press conference (15 Mar.); Wilson appears before Congress in person to deliver an address, breaking long–standing precedent (8 Apr.); Seventeenth Amendment ratified (31 May), providing for direct election of U.S. Senators; Underwood Tariff significantly reduces tariff rates; Federal Reserve System established (23 Dec.). | ||
1914 | Wilson proclaims U.S. neutrality in European war (4 Aug.); Panama Canal opened (15 Aug.). | ||
1915 | First transcontinental telephone conversation (25 Jan.); Lusitania sinks (7 May) with loss of 128 Americans after attack by German submarine; U.S. marines occupy Haiti after civil war (28 July); treaty signed by Haitian senate (16 Sept.) makes island nation virtual U.S. protectorate. | ||
1916 | British steamer Sussex attacked by German submarine (24 Mar.), and 2 Americans injured; by executive order an official presidential flag is adopted (29 May); treaty signed for purchase of Danish West Indies (4 Aug.); Wilson reelected (7 Nov.); resistance in Dominican Republic to U.S. customs receivership leads to martial law (29 Nov.) with government headed by U.S. Navy officer. | ||
1917 | Wilson's "Peace without victory" speech (22 Jan.); Germany informs U.S. of resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare (31 Jan.); Wilson severs diplomatic relations with Germany (3 Feb.); Zimmermann note of German guarantees to Mexico published (1 Mar.); U.S. enters World War I with declaration of war on Germany (6 Apr.); federal government takes over railroads (26 Dec.). | ||
1918 | Wilson's Fourteen Points (8 Jan.) state U.S. terms of peace with Germany; Sedition Act (16 May) provides heavy penalties for hindering war effort; armistice declared (11 Nov.), ending World War I; Wilson becomes first president to leave American soil while in office, going to Europe to plan the peace (4 Dec.); major outbreak of influenza kills thousands. | ||
1919 | Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition) ratified (19 Jan.); first transatlantic flight by navy seaplane (8-27 May); Treaty of Versailles signed (28 June); Boston Police Strike (9 Sept.): Boston militia restores order, entire Massachusetts militia called out by Gov. Calvin Coolidge; Wilson suffers series of debilitating strokes (Sept.–Oct.). | ||
1920 | U.S. population: 105,710,620 Red Scare: 2,700 Communists arrested (Jan.-May); Senate refuses to ratify Versailles Treaty (19 Mar.); Nineteenth Amendment gives right to vote to women (20 Aug.); Harding elected president (2 Nov.); presidential election results first reported by radio (station KDKA, Pittsburgh). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 2 November 1865 | ||
Birthplace: | Corsica (now Blooming Grove), Ohio | ||
Parents: | George Tryon Harding, Phoebe Elizabeth Dickerson | ||
Religion: | Baptist | ||
College Education: | Ohio Central College | ||
Wife: | Florence Kling De Wolfe | ||
Date of Marriage: | 8 July 1891 | ||
Children: | None | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Editor, Marion (Ohio) Star (1884–1910) | ||
Ohio State Senator (1899–1903) | |||
Lieutenant Governor of Ohio (1903–1905) | |||
U.S. Senator (1915–1921) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1921 | ||
End of Term: | 2 August 1923 (died in office) | ||
Date of Death: | 2 August 1923 | ||
Place of Death: | San Francisco, Calif. | ||
Place of Burial: | Marion, Ohio | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1920 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Warren G. Harding | Rep. | 404 | 60.4% |
James M. Cox | Dem. | 127 | 34.2% |
Eugene V. Debs | Soc. | 0 | 3.4% |
P. P. Christensen | Farmer–Labor | 0 | 1.0% |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
67th Congress (1921–1923) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 59; Dem. 37 | ||
House: | Rep. 301; Dem. 131; other 1 | ||
68th Congress (1923–1925) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 51; Dem. 43; others 2 | ||
House: | Rep. 225; Dem. 205; others 5 | ||
Vice President | |||
Calvin Coolidge (1921–1923) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Charles Evans Hughes, secretary of state (1921–1923) | |||
Andrew W. Mellon, secretary of the treasury (1921–1923) | |||
John W. Weeks, secretary of war (1921–1923) | |||
Harry M. Daugherty, attorney general (1921–1923) | |||
Will H. Hays, postmaster general (1921–1922) | |||
Hubert Work, postmaster general (1922–1923) | |||
Harry S. New, postmaster general (1923) | |||
Edwin Denby, secretary of the navy (1921–1923) | |||
Albert B. Fall, secretary of the interior (1921–1923) | |||
Hubert Work, secretary of the interior (1923) | |||
Henry C. Wallace, secretary of agriculture (1921–1923) | |||
Herbert C. Hoover, secretary of commerce (1921–1923) | |||
James J. Davis, secretary of labor (1921–1923) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
William Howard Taft, chief justice (1921–1930) | |||
George Sutherland (1922–1938) | |||
Pierce Butler (1922–1939) | |||
Edward T. Sanford (1923–1930) | |||
Key Events | |||
1921 | Harding, the first president who could drive an automobile, becomes first to ride to his inauguration in one (4 Mar.); Washington Naval Conference convenes (12 Nov.) to deal with arms race and Pacific security. | ||
1922 | Five–Power Naval Treaty (29 Mar.) puts 10–year moratorium on ship construction, fixes ship tonnage ratio, restricts submarine use during war and outlaws poison gas; second Central American Conference convenes (4 Dec.) to settle issues between Nicaragua and Honduras. | ||
1923 | Harding dies (2 Aug.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 4 July 1872 | ||
Birthplace: | Plymouth Notch, Vt. | ||
Parents: | John Calvin Coolidge, Victoria Josephine Moor | ||
Religion: | Congregationalist | ||
College Education: | Amherst College | ||
Wife: | Grace Anna Goodhue | ||
Date of Marriage: | 4 October 1905 | ||
Children: | John, Calvin | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, Massachusetts Senate (1912–1915; President, 1914–1915) | ||
Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (1916–1918) | |||
Governor of Massachusetts (1919–1920) | |||
Vice President (1921–1923) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 3 August 1923 (succeeded to presidency on death of Warren G. Harding) | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1929 | ||
Date of Death: | 5 January 1933 | ||
Place of Death: | Northampton, Mass. | ||
Place of Burial: | Plymouth Notch, Vt. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1924 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Calvin Coolidge | Rep. | 382 | 54.0% |
John W. Davis | Dem. | 136 | 28.8% |
Robert M. La Follette | Prog. | 13 | 16.6% |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1928 | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
68th Congress (1923–1925) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 51; Dem. 43; others 2 | ||
House: | Rep. 225; Dem. 205; others 5 | ||
69th Congress (1925–1927) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 56; Dem. 39; other 1 | ||
House: | Rep. 247; Dem. 183; others 4 | ||
70th Congress (1927–1929) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 49; Dem. 46; other 1 | ||
House: | Rep. 237; Dem. 195; others 3 | ||
Vice President | |||
Charles G. Dawes (1925–1929) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Charles Evans Hughes, secretary of state (1923–1925) | |||
Frank B. Kellogg, secretary of state (1925–1929) | |||
Andrew W. Mellon, secretary of the treasury (1923–1929) | |||
John W. Weeks, secretary of war (1923–1925) | |||
Dwight F. Davis, secretary of war (1925–1929) | |||
Harry M. Daugherty, attorney general (1923–1924) | |||
Harlan Fiske Stone, attorney general (1924–1925) | |||
John G. Sargent, attorney general (1925–1929) | |||
Harry S. New, postmaster general (1923–1929) | |||
Edwin Denby, secretary of the navy (1923–1924) | |||
Curtis D. Wilbur, secretary of the navy (1924–1929) | |||
Hubert Work, secretary of the interior (1923–1928) | |||
Roy O. West, secretary of the interior (1928–1929) | |||
Henry C. Wallace, secretary of agriculture (1923–1924) | |||
Howard M. Gore, secretary of agriculture (1924–1925) | |||
William M. Jardine, secretary of agriculture (1925–1929) | |||
Herbert C. Hoover, secretary of commerce (1923–1928) | |||
William F. Whiting, secretary of commerce (1928–1929) | |||
James J. Davis, secretary of labor (1923–1929) | |||
Supreme Court Appointment: | |||
Harlan Fiske Stone (1925–1946) | |||
Key Events | |||
1923 | Coolidge sworn in as president upon death of Harding (3 Aug.); Teapot Dome Oil Scandal: corruption under Harding administration unearthed by Senate investigation over illegal leases of naval oil reserves at Teapot Dome, Wyo., and Elk Hills, Calif. | ||
1924 | Snyder Act (2 June) declares all U.S. Indians citizens; Coolidge elected president (4 Nov.). | ||
1925 | First national congress of the Ku Klux Klan in Washington, D.C. (8 Aug.). | ||
1926 | Civilian Aviation Act (2 Nov.) establishes bureau in Department of Commerce to map airways and provide flying regulations. | ||
1927 | Charles A. Lindbergh makes first solo nonstop transatlantic flight (20-21 May), from New York to Paris. | ||
1928 | Merchant Marine (Jones–White) Act (22 May) passes to encourage private shipping; Kellogg–Briand Pact signed (27 Aug.) by 15 nations, renouncing war as an instrument of national policy; Hoover elected president (6 Nov.). | ||
1929 | Kellogg–Briand Pact ratified by U.S. Senate (15 Jan.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 10 August 1874 | ||
Birthplace: | West Branch, Iowa | ||
Parents: | Jesse Clark Hoover, Hulda Randall Minthorn | ||
Religion: | Quaker | ||
College Education: | Stanford University | ||
Wife: | Lou Henry | ||
Date of Marriage: | 10 February 1899 | ||
Children: | Herbert Clark, Allan Henry | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Relief administrator in Europe (1914–1919) | ||
U.S. Food Administrator (1917–1919) | |||
Secretary of Commerce (1921–1928) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1929 | ||
End of Term: | 4 March 1933 | ||
Date of Death: | 20 October 1964 | ||
Place of Death: | New York, N.Y. | ||
Place of Burial: | West Branch, Iowa | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1928 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Herbert C. Hoover | Rep. | 444 | 58.2% |
Alfred E. Smith | Dem. | 87 | 40.9% |
DEFEATED IN ELECTION OF 1932 BY FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
71st Congress (1929–1931) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 56; Dem. 39; other 1 | ||
House: | Rep. 267; Dem. 167; other 1 | ||
72d Congress (1931–1933) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 48; Dem. 47; other 1 | ||
House: | Rep. 220; Dem. 214; other 1 | ||
Vice President | |||
Charles Curtis (1929–1933) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Henry L. Stimson, secretary of state (1929–1933) | |||
Andrew W. Mellon, secretary of the treasury (1929–1932) | |||
Ogden L. Mills, secretary of the treasury (1932–1933) | |||
James W. Good, secretary of war (1929) | |||
Patrick J. Hurley, secretary of war (1929–1933) | |||
William D. Mitchell, attorney general (1929–1933) | |||
Walter F. Brown, postmaster general (1929–1933) | |||
Charles F. Adams, secretary of the navy (1929–1933) | |||
Ray Lyman Wilbur, secretary of the interior (1929–1933) | |||
Arthur M. Hyde, secretary of agriculture (1929–1933) | |||
Robert P. Lamont, secretary of commerce (1929–1932) | |||
Roy D. Chapin, secretary of commerce (1932–1933) | |||
James J. Davis, secretary of labor (1929–1930) | |||
William N. Doak, secretary of labor (1930–1933) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
Charles Evans Hughes, chief justice (1930–1941) (promoted from | |||
associate justice) | |||
Owen J. Roberts (1930–1945) | |||
Benjamin N. Cardozo (1932–1938) | |||
Key Events | |||
1929 | Panic of 1929 results from stock market crash (29 Oct.). | ||
1930 | U.S. population: 122,775,046 "Star–Spangled Banner" becomes national anthem (3 Mar.); Smoot–Hawley Tariff (June) raises duties to prohibitive levels on 890 articles. | ||
1931 | Scottsboro Case: 8 of 9 black teenagers convicted and sentenced to death for allegedly raping 2 white women (Supreme Court overturns convictions in 1935 and evidence is released in 1966 proving innocence of "Scottsboro Boys"). | ||
1932 | Reconstruction Finance Corp. established (2 Feb.) with $2 billion to advance loans to failing banks, building and loan societies, and insurance companies; Bonus March on Washington (May–July): 15,000 World War I veterans seek economic relief from Congress and are driven away by U.S. tanks, infantry, and cavalry; Roosevelt elected president (8 Nov.), having been first presidential nominee to address the convention that nominated him (Democratic, 2 July). | ||
1933 | Twentieth Amendment ratified (6 Feb.), advancing date of future presidential inaugurations to 20 Jan. |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 30 January 1882 | ||
Birthplace: | Hyde Park, N.Y. | ||
Parents: | James Roosevelt, Sara Delano | ||
Religion: | Episcopalian | ||
College Education: | Harvard College | ||
Wife: | (Anna) Eleanor Roosevelt | ||
Date of Marriage: | 17 March 1905 | ||
Children: | Anna Eleanor, James, Franklin, Elliott, Franklin Delano, John Aspinwall | ||
Political Party: | Democratic | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, New York Senate (1910–1913) | ||
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (1913–1920) | |||
Governor of New York (1929–1933) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 4 March 1933 | ||
End of Term: | 12 April 1945 (died in office) | ||
Date of Death: | 12 April 1945 | ||
Place of Death: | Warm Springs, Ga. | ||
Place of Burial: | Hyde Park, N.Y. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1932 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Franklin D. Roosevelt | Dem. | 472 | 57.4% |
Herbert C. Hoover | Rep. | 59 | 39.7% |
Norman Thomas | Soc. | 0 | 2.2% |
ELECTION OF 1936 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Franklin D. Roosevelt | Dem. | 523 | 60.8% |
Alfred M. Landon | Rep. | 8 | 36.5% |
William Lemke | Union | 0 | 1.9% |
ELECTION OF 1940 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Franklin D. Roosevelt | Dem. | 449 | 54.8% |
Wendell Willkie | Rep. | 82 | 44.8% |
ELECTION OF 1944 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Franklin D. Roosevelt | Dem. | 432 | 53.5% |
Thomas E. Dewey | Rep. | 99 | 46.0% |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
73d Congress (1933–1935) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 60; Rep. 35; other 1 | ||
House: | Dem. 310; Rep. 117; others 5 | ||
74th Congress (1935–1937) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 69; Rep. 25; others 2 | ||
House: | Dem. 319; Rep. 103; others 10 | ||
75th Congress (1937–1939) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 76; Rep. 16; others 4 | ||
House: | Dem. 331; Rep. 89; others 13 | ||
76th Congress (1939–1941) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 69; Rep. 23; others 4 | ||
House: | Dem. 261; Rep. 164; others 4 | ||
77th Congress (1941–1943) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 66; Rep. 28; others 2 | ||
House | Dem. 268; Rep. 162; others 5 | ||
78th Congress (1943–1945) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 58; Rep. 37; other 1 | ||
House: | Dem. 218; Rep. 208; others 4 | ||
79th Congress (1945–1947) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 56; Rep. 38; other 1 | ||
House: | Dem. 242; Rep. 190; others 2 | ||
Vice Presidents | |||
John Nance Garner (1933–1941) | |||
Henry A. Wallace (1941–1945) | |||
Harry S. Truman (1945) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Cordell Hull, secretary of state (1933–1944) | |||
Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., secretary of state (1944–1945) | |||
W. H. Woodin, secretary of the treasury (1933) | |||
Henry Morgenthau, Jr., secretary of the treasury (1934–1945) | |||
George H. Dren, secretary of war (1933–1936) | |||
Harry H. Woodring, secretary of war (1936–1940) | |||
Henry L. Stimson, secretary of war (1940–1945) | |||
Homer S. Cummings, attorney general (1933–1939) | |||
Frank Murphy, attorney general (1939–1940) | |||
Robert H. Jackson, attorney general (1940–1941) | |||
Francis Biddle, attorney general (1941–1945) | |||
James A. Farley, postmaster general (1933–1940) | |||
Frank C. Walker, postmaster general (1941–1945) | |||
Claude A. Swanson, secretary of the navy (1933–1939) | |||
Charles Edison, secretary of the navy (1939) | |||
Frank Knox, secretary of the navy (1940–1944) | |||
James V. Forrestal, secretary of the navy (1944–1945) | |||
Harold L. Ickes, secretary of the interior (1933–1945) | |||
Henry A. Wallace, secretary of agriculture (1933–1940) | |||
Claude R. Wickard, secretary of agriculture (1940–1945) | |||
Daniel C. Roper, secretary of commerce (1933–1938) | |||
Harry L. Hopkins, secretary of commerce (1938–1940) | |||
Jesse H. Jones, secretary of commerce (1940–1945) | |||
Henry A. Wallace, secretary of commerce (1945) | |||
Frances Perkins, secretary of labor (1933–1945) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
Hugo L. Black (1937–1971) | |||
Stanley F. Reed (1938–1957) | |||
Felix Frankfurter (1939–1962) | |||
William O. Douglas (1939–1975) | |||
Frank Murphy (1940–1949) | |||
James F. Byrnes (1941–1942) | |||
Harlan Fiske Stone, chief justice (1941–1946) (promoted from associate justice) | |||
Robert H. Jackson (1941–1954) | |||
Wiley B. Rutledge (1943–1949) | |||
Key Events | |||
1933 | Good Neighbor Policy announced (4 Mar.) by Roosevelt to improve relations with Latin America; Roosevelt launches New Deal legislation: Emergency Banking Relief Act (9 Mar.), Civilian Conservation Corps (31 Mar.), Agricultural Adjustment Act (12 May), Federal Emergency Relief Act (12 May), Tennessee Valley Authority (18 May), Federal Securities Act (27 May), National Industrial Recovery Act (16 June), Civil Works Administration (8 Nov.); U.S. comes off gold standard (30 Apr.); U.S. recognizes USSR (16 Nov.); with ratification of Twenty–first Amendment, Prohibition ends (5 Dec.). | ||
1934 | Export–Import Bank established (2 Feb.); Securities and Exchange Act passes (6 June); Federal Communications Commission established (19 June). | ||
1935 | A second New Deal announced by Roosevelt (4 Jan.) for social reform: Soil Conservation Act (27 Apr.), Works Progress Administration (11 May), National Labor Relations Act (5 July), Social Security Act (14 Aug.), Public Utilities Act (28 Aug.); Huey Long (the "Kingfish") assassinated in Baton Rouge (Sept.). | ||
1936 | Roosevelt signs second neutrality bill (29 Feb.), banning loans to countries at war; Merchant Marine Act (26 June) creates U.S. Maritime Commission. | ||
1937 | Neutrality Act (1 May) prohibits export of arms and ammunition to belligerent nations and the use of U.S. ships for carrying munitions and war materials into belligerent zones; Amelia Earhart lost on round–the–world flight (2 July); U.S. Senate rejects "court–packing" plan by Roosevelt (22 July). | ||
1938 | House Committee to investigate Un–American Activities formed (26 May); Civil Aeronautics Act passed (23 June), establishes Civil Aeronautics Authority to supervise nonmilitary air transport; Fair Labor Standards (Wages and Hours) Act passes (25 June). | ||
1939 | At opening of New York World's Fair, Roosevelt becomes first president to be televised (30 Apr.); Executive Office of the President established (1 July); U.S. proclaims neutrality in European hostilities (5 Sept.); Roosevelt declares limited national emergency (8 Sept.); Neutrality Act of 1939 passes (4 Nov.) authorizing "cash and carry" sale of arms to belligerents. | ||
1940 | U.S. population 131,669,275 National Defense Research Committee established (15 June) with Vannevar Bush as chairman; embargo on exports of scrap iron and steel to non–Western Hemisphere nations except Great Britain (26 Sept.); Roosevelt reelected for record third term (5 Nov.); Office of Production Management established (20 Dec.); Roosevelt calls for production effort to make U.S. "arsenal of democracy" (29 Dec.). | ||
1941 | Lend–Lease bill passes (11 Mar.), for lending goods and services to democratic countries in return for services; secret U.S.–British talks in Washington, D.C. (27 Jan.–29 Mar.), produce war plan ABC–1 and set "Germany first" priority in event of war with Germany and Japan; Roosevelt declares unlimited national emergency (27 May); German and Italian consulates ordered closed (6 June); Atlantic Charter formulated (14 Aug.) by Roosevelt and Churchill outlining war aims; Japanese attack (7 Dec.) on Pearl Harbor cripples Pacific fleet; U.S. enters World War II with declarations of war on Japan (8 Dec.) and Germany (11 Dec.). | ||
1942 | U.S. signs UN Declaration (1 Jan.); Roosevelt orders (19 Feb.) relocation of Japanese–Americans to interior internment camps; first Moscow Conference (12-15 Aug.): U.S., Soviet Union, and Great Britain decide not to open second front in Europe; Manhattan Project to develop atomic bomb placed under command of Leslie R. Groves (31 Aug.). | ||
1943 | Casablanca Conference (14–24 Jan.): Roosevelt and Churchill decide that war would be fought to "unconditional surrender"; first Cairo Conference (22–26 Nov.): Roosevelt and Churchill confer with Chiang Kai–shek regarding war in Far East. | ||
1944 | Operation Overlord (D day): massive Allied landings (6 June) on Normandy beaches; Bretton Woods Conference (1–22 July) establishes International Monetary Fund; Dumbarton Oaks Conference (21 Aug.–7 Oct.) establishes basis for UN Charter. | ||
1945 | Yalta Conference (4–11 Feb.), Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin plan defeat of Germany; United Nations Conference (25 Apr.-26 June) in San Francisco drafts UN Charter; death of Roosevelt (12 Apr.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 8 May 1884 | ||
Birthplace: | Lamar, Mo. | ||
Parents: | John Anderson Truman, Martha Ellen Young | ||
Religion: | Baptist | ||
College Education: | None | ||
Wife: | Elizabeth Virginia ("Bess") Wallace | ||
Date of Marriage: | 28 June 1919 | ||
Child: | Margaret | ||
Political Party: | Democratic | ||
Other Positions Held: | Judge, Jackson County (Mo.) Court (1922–1924;1926–1934) | ||
U.S. Senator (1935–1945) | |||
Vice President (1945) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 12 April 1945 (succeeded to presidency on deathof Franklin D. Roosevelt) | ||
End of Term: | 20 January 1953 | ||
Date of Death: | 26 December 1972 | ||
Place of Death: | Kansas City, Mo. | ||
Place of Burial: | Independence, Mo. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1948 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Harry S. Truman | Dem. | 303 | 49.5% |
Thomas E. Dewey | Rep. | 189 | 45% |
J. Strom Thurmond | States' Rights | 39 | 2.4% |
Henry A. Wallace | Prog. | 0 | 2.4% |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1952 | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
79th Congress (1945–1947) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 56; Rep. 38; other 1 | ||
House: | Dem. 242; Rep. 190; others 2 | ||
80th Congress (1947–1949) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 51; Dem. 45 | ||
House: | Rep. 245; Dem. 188; other 1 | ||
81st Congress (1949–1951) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 54; Rep. 42 | ||
House: | Dem. 263; Rep. 171; other 1 | ||
82d Congress (1951–1953) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 49; Rep. 47 | ||
House: | Dem. 234; Rep. 199; other 1 | ||
Vice President | |||
Alben W. Barkley (1949–1953) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., secretary of state (1945) | |||
James F. Byrnes, secretary of state (1945–1947) | |||
George C. Marshall, secretary of state (1947–1949) | |||
Dean G. Acheson, secretary of state (1949–1953) | |||
Henry Morgenthau, Jr., secretary of the treasury (1945) | |||
Frederick M. ("Fred") Vinson, secretary of the treasury (1945–1946) | |||
John W. Snyder, secretary of the treasury (1946–1953) | |||
Henry L. Stimson, secretary of war (1945) | |||
Robert P. Patterson, secretary of war (1945–1947) | |||
Kenneth C. Royall, secretary of war (1947) | |||
James V. Forrestal, secretary of defense (1947–1949) | |||
Louis A. Johnson, secretary of defense (1949–1950) | |||
George C. Marshall, secretary of defense (1950–1951) | |||
Robert A. Lovett, secretary of defense (1951–1953) | |||
Francis Biddle, attorney general (1945) | |||
Tom C. Clark, attorney general (1945–1949) | |||
J. Howard McGrath, attorney general (1949–1952) | |||
James P. McGranery, attorney general (1952–1953) | |||
Frank C. Walker, postmaster general (1945) | |||
Robert E. Hannegan, postmaster general (1945–1947) | |||
Jesse M. Donaldson, postmaster general (1947–1953) | |||
James V. Forrestal, secretary of the navy (1945–1947) | |||
Harold L. Ickes, secretary of the interior (1945–1946) | |||
Julius A. Krug, secretary of the interior (1946–1949) | |||
Oscar L. Chapman, secretary of the interior (1949–1953) | |||
Claude R. Wickard, secretary of agriculture (1945) | |||
Clinton P. Anderson, secretary of agriculture (1945–1948) | |||
Charles F. Brannan, secretary of agriculture (1948–1953) | |||
Henry A. Wallace, secretary of commerce (1945–1946) | |||
W. Averell Harriman, secretary of commerce (1946–1948) | |||
Charles Sawyer, secretary of commerce (1948–1953) | |||
Frances Perkins, secretary of labor (1945) | |||
Lewis B. Schwellenbach, secretary of labor (1945–1948) | |||
Maurice J. Tobin, secretary of labor (1948–1953) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
Harold H. Burton (1945–1958) | |||
Frederick M. ("Fred") Vinson, chief justice (1946–1953) | |||
Tom C. Clark (1949–1967) | |||
Sherman Minton (1949–1956) | |||
Key Events | |||
1945 | Truman becomes president upon death of Roosevelt (12 Apr.); Germany surrenders (7 May); European Advisory Commission (5 June) establishes German occupation zones; Potsdam Conference (17 July–2 Aug.): Truman, Stalin, and Churchill plan future of postwar Europe; U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima (6 Aug.) and Nagasaki (9 Aug.); Japan surrenders (15 Aug.), ending World War II. | ||
1946 | Atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in Pacific (1 July); Philippines given independence (4 July); Atomic Energy Act (1 Aug.) passes control of atomic energy to new Atomic Energy Commission. | ||
1947 | Truman Doctrine (12 Mar.): first U.S. attempt to contain Communism; aid to Greece and Turkey approved (22 May); Marshall Plan proposed (5 June) to aid Europe in postwar economic recovery; National Security Act passes (26 July), establishing National Security Council and Central Intelligence Agency; Department of Defense supersedes Department of War and Department of the Navy; Truman delivers first presidential address telecast from the White House (5 Oct.). | ||
1948 | USSR blockades Berlin's Allied sectors (1 Apr.); British and U.S. planes' aerial supply operation sustains West; Truman signs Foreign Assistance Act for European Recovery Program (2 Apr.); Truman reelected president (2 Nov.). | ||
1949 | Berlin Blockade lifted (12 May); North Atlantic Treaty Organization established (24 Aug.) by U.S., Canada, and 10 European nations; a complete reconstruction of the White House begins (12 Dec.); Trumans reside in nearby Blair House. | ||
1950 | U.S. population: 150,697,361 U.S. recalls (14 Jan.) consular officials from China after consulate general seized in Peking; H–bomb production authorized (31 Jan.); NSC–68 memorandum calls for massive increase in military spending to face Soviet threat (April); North Koreans cross 38th parallel into South Korea (25 June), provoking Korean War; UN command in Korea formed (7 July) with Gen. MacArthur designated commander (8 July); amphibious Inchon landing (15 Sept.) leads to recapture of Seoul (26 Sept.). | ||
1951 | Twenty–second Amendment limits presidential terms (26 Feb.); Julius and Ethel Rosenberg found guilty (29 Mar.) as spies and sentenced to death (executed 1953); MacArthur removed in Korea by Truman over strategy disagreements (11 Apr.); armistice negotiations begin (10 July). | ||
1952 | Reconstructed White House ready for occupancy (27 Mar.); Truman seizes steel mills (8 Apr.) to prevent strike; seizure ruled unconstitutional (2 June); Eisenhower elected president (4 Nov.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 14 October 1890 | ||
Birthplace: | Denison, Tex. | ||
Parents: | David Jacob Eisenhower, Ida Elizabeth Stover | ||
Religion: | Presbyterian | ||
College Education: | United States Military Academy | ||
Wife: | Marie ("Mamie") Geneva Doud | ||
Date of Marriage: | 1 July 1916 | ||
Children: | Doud Dwight, John Sheldon Doud | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Brigadier General, U.S. Army (1941–1942) | ||
Major General, U.S. Army (1942–1943) | |||
General, U.S. Army, and Supreme Allied Commander (1943–1945) | |||
Chief of Staff, U.S. Army (1945–1948) | |||
President, Columbia University (1948–1953) | |||
Supreme Commander, NATO forces in Europe (1951–1952) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 20 January 1953 | ||
End of Term: | 20 January 1961 | ||
Date of Death: | 28 March 1969 | ||
Place of Death: | Washington, D.C. | ||
Place of Burial: | Abilene, Kans. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1952 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Dwight D. Eisenhower | Rep. | 442 | 55.1% |
Adlai E. Stevenson | Dem. | 89 | 44.4% |
ELECTION OF 1956 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Dwight D. Eisenhower | Rep. | 457 | 57.6% |
Adlai E. Stevenson | Dem. | 73 | 42.1% |
INELIGIBLE TO RUN IN ELECTION OF 1960 | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
83d Congress (1953–1955) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 48; Dem. 47; other 1 | ||
House: | Rep. 221; Dem. 211; others 1 | ||
84th Congress (1955–1957) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 48; Rep. 47; other 1 | ||
House: | Dem. 232; Rep. 203 | ||
85th Congress (1957–1959) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 49; Rep. 47 | ||
House: | Dem. 233; Rep. 200 | ||
86th Congress (1959–1961) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 64; Rep. 34 | ||
House: | Dem. 283; Rep. 153 | ||
Vice President | |||
Richard M. Nixon (1953–1961) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
John Foster Dulles, secretary of state (1953–1959) | |||
Christian A. Herter, secretary of state (1959–1961) | |||
George M. Humphrey, secretary of the treasury (1953–1957) | |||
Robert B. Anderson, secretary of the treasury (1957–1961) | |||
Charles E. Wilson, secretary of defense (1953–1957) | |||
Neil H. McElroy, secretary of defense (1957–1959) | |||
Thomas S. Gates, secretary of defense (1959–1961) | |||
Herbert Brownell, Jr., attorney general (1953–1957) | |||
William P. Rogers, attorney general (1958–1961) | |||
Arthur E. Summerfield, postmaster general (1953–1961) | |||
Douglas McKay, secretary of the interior (1953–1956) | |||
Frederick A. Seaton, secretary of the interior (1956–1961) | |||
Ezra Taft Benson, secretary of agriculture (1953–1961) | |||
Sinclair Weeks, secretary of commerce (1953–1958) | |||
Frederick H. Mueller, secretary of commerce (1953–1961) | |||
Martin P. Durkin, secretary of labor (1953) | |||
James P. Mitchell, secretary of labor (1953–1961) | |||
Oveta Culp Hobby, secretary of health, education, and welfare (1953–1955) | |||
Marion B. Folsom, secretary of health, education, and welfare (1955–1958) | |||
Arthur S. Flemming, secretary of health, education, and welfare (1958–1961) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
Earl Warren, chief justice (1953–1969) | |||
John M. Harlan (1955–1971) | |||
William J. Brennan, Jr. (1956–1990) | |||
Charles E. Whittaker (1957–1962) | |||
Potter Stewart (1958–1981) | |||
Key Events | |||
1953 | Department of Health, Education, and Welfare established; hostilities halted in Korea (26 July). | ||
1954 | McCarthy–Army Hearings (22 Apr.-17 June): investigation by Sen. Joseph McCarthy into charges army was lax in ferreting out Communist spies; Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, bans racial segregation (17 May); Southeast Asia Treaty Organization formed (8 Sept.) by 8 nations. | ||
1955 | Eisenhower holds first televised news conference (19 Jan.); military advisers dispatched to South Vietnam to train army (23 Feb.); Supreme Court orders desegregation "with all deliberate speed" (31 May); black boycott of Montgomery, Ala., bus system inspired by Rosa Parks's refusal to sit at back of bus (1 Dec.). | ||
1956 | 1st transatlantic cable in operation (25 Sept.); Suez Crisis: Israel invasion of Gaza Strip and the Sinai (29 Oct.) is followed by British and French attacks on Egypt; U.S. leads efforts for a cease–fire (in effect 2 Nov.). | ||
1957 | Arkansas National Guard called in (4 Sept.) to bar black students from integrating Little Rock High School; federal court orders Guardsmen removed; federal troops sent in (24 Sept.) and Arkansas National Guard put under federal command; Civil Rights Act (9 Sept.): first since Reconstruction, establishes Civil Rights Commission; Soviets launch Sputnik 1 (4 Oct.) and Sputnik 2 (3 Nov.), first artificial satellites. | ||
1959 | Alaska (3 Jan.) and Hawaii (21 Aug.) admitted as states; Communist Fidel Castro seizes power in Cuba (Jan.); St. Lawrence Seaway opens (25 Apr.); Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev engages in "Kitchen Debate" with Vice President Nixon during 10–day tour of U.S. (Sept.). | ||
1960 | U.S. population: 179,323,175 Congress approves voting rights act (21 Apr.) and civil rights act (6 May); U.S. U–2 reconnaissance plane shot down over USSR (1 May); Kennedy and Nixon on television engage in first presidential candidate debates (26 Sept., 7, 13, and 21 Oct.); Kennedy elected president (8 Nov.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 29 May 1917 | ||
Birthplace: | Brookline, Mass. | ||
Parents: | Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Rose Fitzgerald | ||
Religion: | Roman Catholic | ||
College Education: | Harvard College | ||
Wife: | Jacqueline Lee Bouvier | ||
Date of Marriage: | 12 September 1953 | ||
Children: | Caroline Bouvier, John Fitzgerald, Patrick Bouvier | ||
Political Party: | Democratic | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1947–1953) | ||
U.S. Senator (1953–1960) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 20 January 1961 | ||
End of Term: | 22 November 1963 (assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald) | ||
Date of Death: | 22 November 1963 | ||
Place of Death: | Dallas, Tex. | ||
Place of Burial: | Arlington, Va. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1960 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
John F. Kennedy | Dem. | 303 | 49.9% |
Richard M. Nixon | Rep. | 219 | 49.6% |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
87th Congress (1961–1963) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 65; Rep. 35 | ||
House: | Dem. 263; Rep. 174 | ||
88th Congress (1963–1965) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 67; Rep. 33 | ||
House: | Dem. 258; Rep. 177 | ||
Vice President | |||
Lyndon B. Johnson (1961–1963) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Dean Rusk, secretary of state (1961–1963) | |||
C. Douglas Dillon, secretary of the treasury (1961–1963) | |||
Robert S. McNamara, secretary of defense (1961–1963) | |||
Robert F. Kennedy, attorney general (1961–1963) | |||
J. Edward Day, postmaster general (1961–1963) | |||
John A. Gronouski, Jr., postmaster general (1963) | |||
Stewart L. Udall, secretary of the interior (1961–1963) | |||
Orville L. Freeman, secretary of agriculture (1961–1963) | |||
Luther H. Hodges, secretary of commerce (1961–1963) | |||
Arthur J. Goldberg, secretary of labor (1961–1962) | |||
W. Willard Wirtz, secretary of labor (1962–1963) | |||
Abraham A. Ribicoff, secretary of health, education, and welfare (1961–1962) | |||
Anthony J. Celebrezze, secretary of health, education, and welfare (1962–1963) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
Byron R. White (1962–1993) | |||
Arthur J. Goldberg (1962–1965) | |||
Key Events | |||
1961 | Twenty–third Amendment ratified (3 Apr.), granting District of Columbia the vote in presidential elections; Bay of Pigs Invasion (17 Apr.): failed CIA–backed invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles; Cmdr. Alan B. Shepard in first U.S. manned suborbital space flight (5 May). | ||
1962 | Lt. Col. John Glenn is first American in orbit (20 Feb.); first U.S. communications satellite launched (July); federal troops and Mississippi National Guard assist in admitting black student James Meredith into University of Mississippi (30 Sept.–10 Oct.); Cuban missile crisis: buildup of Soviet missiles in Cuba revealed (22 Oct.), Cuba quarantined, USSR removes missiles. | ||
1963 | U.S., USSR, and Great Britain agree (25 July) on nuclear test ban treaty, barring all but underground tests; 200,000 people demonstrate for equal rights for blacks in Washington (28 Aug.); hot–line communications installed between Moscow and White House (30 Aug.); South Vietnamese president Diem assassinated (2 Nov.); Kennedy assassinated in Dallas by Lee Harvey Oswald (22 Nov.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 27 August 1908 | ||
Birthplace: | Stonewall, Tex. | ||
Parents: | Sam Ealy Johnson, Jr., Rebekah Baines | ||
Religion: | Disciples of Christ | ||
College Education: | Southwest Texas State Teachers College | ||
First Lady: | Claudia Alta ("Lady Bird") Taylor | ||
Date of Marriage: | 17 November 1934 | ||
Children: | Lynda Bird, Luci Baines | ||
Political Party: | Democratic | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1937–1949) | ||
U.S. Senator (1949-1961; Democratic Leader, 1953–1961) | |||
Vice President (1961–1963) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 22 November 1963 (succeeded to presidency on death of John F. Kennedy) | ||
End of Term: | 20 January 1969 | ||
Date of Death: | 22 January 1973 | ||
Place of Death: | San Antonio, Tex. | ||
Place of Burial: | Johnson City, Tex. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1964 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Lyndon B. Johnson | Dem. | 486 | 61.1% |
Barry M. Goldwater | Rep. | 52 | 38.5% |
DID NOT RUN IN ELECTION OF 1968 | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
88th Congress (1963–1965) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 67; Rep. 33 | ||
House: | Dem. 258; Rep. 177 | ||
89th Congress (1965–1967) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 68; Rep. 32 | ||
House: | Dem. 295; Rep. 140 | ||
90th Congress (1967–1969) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 64; Rep. 36 | ||
House: | Dem. 246; Rep. 187 | ||
Vice President | |||
Hubert H. Humphrey (1965–1969) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Dean Rusk, secretary of state (1963–1969) | |||
C. Douglas Dillon, secretary of the treasury (1963–1965) | |||
Henry H. Fowler, secretary of the treasury (1965–1968) | |||
Joseph W. Barr, secretary of the treasury (1968–1969) | |||
Robert S. McNamara, secretary of defense (1963–1968) | |||
Clark M. Clifford, secretary of defense (1968–1969) | |||
Robert F. Kennedy, attorney general (1963–1964) | |||
Nicholas deB. Katzenbach, attorney general (1965–1966) | |||
Ramsey Clark, attorney general (1967–1969) | |||
John A. Gronouski, Jr., postmaster general (1963–1965) | |||
Lawrence F. O'Brien, postmaster general (1965–1968) | |||
W. Marvin Watson, postmaster general (1968–1969) | |||
Stewart L. Udall, secretary of the interior (1963–1969) | |||
Orville L. Freeman, secretary of agriculture (1963–1969) | |||
Luther H. Hodges, secretary of commerce (1963–1965) | |||
John T. Connor, secretary of commerce (1965–1967) | |||
Alexander B. Trowbridge, secretary of commerce (1967–1968) | |||
C. R. Smith, secretary of commerce (1968–1969) | |||
W. Willard Wirtz, secretary of labor (1963–1969) | |||
Anthony J. Celebrezze, secretary of health, education, and welfare (1963–1965) | |||
John W. Gardner, secretary of health, education, and welfare (1965–1968) | |||
Wilbur J. Cohen, secretary of health, education, and welfare (1968–1969) | |||
Robert C. Weaver, secretary of housing and urban development (1966–1968) | |||
Robert C. Wood, secretary of housing and urban development (1969) | |||
Alan S. Boyd, secretary of transportation (1966–1969) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
Abe Fortas (1965–1969) | |||
Thurgood Marshall (1967–1991) | |||
Key Events | |||
1963 | Johnson becomes fourth president to come into office upon death of a president (22 Nov.). | ||
1964 | Twenty–fourth Amendment ratified (23 Jan.), banning the poll tax in federal elections; Panamanian riots lead to severing of diplomatic relations with U.S. (9 Jan.) and U.S. offers to negotiate new canal treaty (18 Dec.); Civil Rights Act (29 June) bans discrimination; Sen. Margaret Chase Smith of Maine becomes first woman whose name is placed in nomination at convention of major political party (Republican, 15 July); Gulf of Tonkin resolution (7 Aug.) authorizes Johnson to "repel any army attack" in Vietnam and number U.S. forces increases through 1968; War on Poverty Bill passes (11 Aug.); Warren Commission report (27 Sept.) concludes Oswald was lone assassin of Kennedy; Johnson elected president (3 Nov.). | ||
1965 | Lady Bird Johnson becomes first First Lady to participate in husband's inaugural ceremony (20 Jan.); continuous bombing of North Vietnam begins (7 Feb.) by order of Johnson; Voting Rights Act (6 Aug.); establishment of Medicare and Department of Housing and Urban Development. | ||
1966 | Department of Transportation established (15 Oct.). | ||
1967 | Riots by blacks (July) put down by federal troops and National Guardsmen; Twenty–fifth Amendment ratified, dealing with presidential disability and succession (10 Feb.); Thurgood Marshall becomes first African American named a justice of the Supreme Court (13 June). | ||
1968 | Tet Offensive by North Vietnamese (30 Jan.); Martin Luther King, Jr., assassinated (4 Apr.) by James Earl Ray; peace talks on Vietnam open in Paris (10 May); Sen. Robert F. Kennedy assassinated (5 June) by Sirhan Sirhan; U.S. bombing halted in Vietnam (31 Oct.); Richard Nixon elected president (5 Nov.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 9 January 1913 | ||
Birthplace: | Yorba Linda, Calif. | ||
Parents: | Francis Anthony Nixon, Hannah Milhous | ||
Religion: | Quaker | ||
College Education: | Whittier College; Duke University Law School | ||
Wife: | Thelma Catherine ("Pat") Ryan | ||
Date of Marriage: | 21 June 1940 | ||
Children: | Patricia ("Tricia"), Julie | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1947–1951) | ||
U.S. Senator (1951–1953) | |||
Vice President (1953–1961) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 20 January 1969 | ||
End of Term: | 9 August 1974 (resigned office) | ||
Date of Death: | 22 April 1994 | ||
Place of Death: | New York, N.Y. | ||
Place of Burial: | Yorba Linda, Calif. | ||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1968 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Richard Nixon | Rep. | 301 | 43.4% |
Hubert H. Humphrey | Dem. | 191 | 42.7% |
George C. Wallace | Amer. Ind. | 46 | 13.5% |
ELECTION OF 1972 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Richard Nixon | Rep. | 520 | 60.6% |
George S. McGovern | Dem. | 17 | 37.5% |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
91st Congress (1969–1971) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 57; Rep. 43 | ||
House: | Dem. 245; Rep. 189 | ||
92d Congress (1971–1973) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 54; Rep. 44; others 2 | ||
House: | Dem. 254; Rep. 180 | ||
93d Congress (1973–1975) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 56; Rep. 42; others 2 | ||
House: | Dem. 239; Rep. 192; other 1 | ||
Vice Presidents | |||
Spiro T. Agnew (1969–1973) | |||
Gerald R. Ford (1973–1974) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
William P. Rogers, secretary of state (1969–1973) | |||
Henry A. Kissinger, secretary of state (1973–1974) | |||
David M. Kennedy, secretary of the treasury (1969–1971) | |||
John B. Connally, Jr., secretary of the treasury (1971–1972) | |||
George P. Shultz, secretary of the treasury (1972–1974) | |||
William E. Simon, secretary of the treasury (1974) | |||
Melvin R. Laird, secretary of defense (1969–1973) | |||
Elliot L. Richardson, secretary of defense (1973) | |||
James R. Schlesinger, secretary of defense (1973–1974) | |||
John N. Mitchell, attorney general (1969–1972) | |||
Richard G. Kleindienst, attorney general (1972–1973) | |||
Elliot L. Richardson, attorney general (1973) | |||
William B. Saxbe, attorney general (1974) | |||
Wilton M. Blount, postmaster general (1969–1971) | |||
Walter J. Hickel, secretary of the interior (1969-1970) | |||
Rogers C. B. Morton, secretary of the interior (1971–1974) | |||
Clifford M. Hardin, secretary of agriculture (1969–1971) | |||
Earl L. Butz, secretary of agriculture (1971–1974) | |||
Maurice H. Stans, secretary of commerce (1969–1972) | |||
Peter G. Peterson, secretary of commerce (1972–1973) | |||
Frederick B. Dent, secretary of commerce (1973–1974) | |||
George P. Shultz, secretary of labor (1969–1970) | |||
James D. Hodgson, secretary of labor (1970–1973) | |||
Peter J. Brennan, secretary of labor (1973–1974) | |||
Robert H. Finch, secretary of health, education, and welfare (1969–1970) | |||
Elliot L. Richardson, secretary of health, education, and welfare (1970–1973) | |||
Caspar W. Weinberger, secretary of health, education, and welfare (1973–1974) | |||
George W. Romney, secretary of housing and urban development (1969–1973) | |||
James T. Lynn, secretary of housing and urban development (1973–1974) | |||
John A. Volpe, secretary of transportation (1969–1973) | |||
Claude S. Brinegar, secretary of transportation (1973–1974) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
Warren Earl Burger, chief justice (1969–1986) | |||
Harry A. Blackmun (1970–1994) | |||
Lewis F. Powell, Jr. (1972–1987) | |||
William H. Rehnquist (1972–) | |||
Key Events | |||
1969 | Stonewall riot in Greenwich Village in New York City marks beginning of gay rights movement (27 June); Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., take man's first walk on the moon (20 July). | ||
1970 | U.S. population: 203,235,298 Ohio National Guard kills 4 students at Kent State University, Ohio (4 May), following burning of ROTC building. | ||
1917 | Establishment of U.S. Postal Service removes postmaster general from Cabinet; Twenty–sixth Amendment lowers voting age to 18 (30 June); Communist China admitted to UN (25 Oct.), Nationalist China ousted; massive bombing of North Vietnam (Dec.). | ||
1972 | Nixon visits Peking (21 Feb.), Moscow (22 May.), first for a U.S. president; North Vietnamese attack in force across demilitarized zone (30 Mar.) and U.S. bombs Hanoi and Haiphong (15 Apr.); break–in of Democratic National Party Headquarters at Watergate (17 June); ABM Treaty between U.S. and USSR enters into force (3 Oct.); Nixon reelected (7 Nov.). | ||
1973 | Supreme Court rules in Roe v. Wade (Jan.) that states cannot categorically ban abortion; cease–fire effective in Vietnam (28 Jan.); China and U.S. agree (22 Feb.) to establish liaison offices in each country; Vice President Agnew resigns (10 Oct.), pleading no contest to tax–evasion charges; Gerald Ford becomes first appointed vice president (12 Oct.); ban by Middle East Oil nations on exports to U.S. (19-21 Oct., lifted 18 Mar. 1974); War Powers Act (7 Nov.) sets 60–day limit on presidential commitment of troops unless Congress authorizes continued action. | ||
1974 | House Judiciary Committee recommends 3 articles of impeachment against Nixon (24–30 July), approved by Congress; Nixon resigns (9 Aug.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 14 July 1913 | ||
Birthplace: | Omaha, Nebr. | ||
Parents: | Leslie Lynch King, Dorothy Ayer Gardner | ||
Religion: | Episcopalian | ||
College Education: | University of Michigan; Yale University Law School | ||
Wife: | Elizabeth ("Betty") Bloomer Warren | ||
Date of Marriage: | 15 October 1948 | ||
Children: | Michael Gerald, John ("Jack") Gardner, Steven Meigs, Susan Elizabeth | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1949–1973; Republican Leader, 1965–1973) | ||
Vice President (1973–1974) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 9 August 1974 (succeeded to presidency on resignation of Richard Nixon) | ||
End of Term: | 20 January 1977 | ||
Resides in Rancho Mirage, Calif. | |||
Elections | |||
DEFEATED IN ELECTION OF 1976 BY JIMMY CARTER | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
93d Congress (1973–1975) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 56; Rep. 42; others 2 | ||
House: | Dem. 239; Rep. 192; other 1 | ||
94th Congress (1975–1977) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 61; Rep. 37; others 2 | ||
House: | Dem. 291; Rep. 144 | ||
Vice President | |||
Nelson A. Rockefeller (1974–1977) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Henry A. Kissinger, secretary of state (1974–1977) | |||
William E. Simon, secretary of the treasury (1974–1977) | |||
James R. Schlesinger, secretary of defense (1974–1975) | |||
Donald H. Rumsfeld, secretary of defense (1975–1977) | |||
William B. Saxbe, attorney general (1974–1975) | |||
Edward H. Levi, attorney general (1975–1977) | |||
Rogers C. B. Morton, secretary of the interior (1974–1975) | |||
Stanley K. Hathaway, secretary of the interior (1975) | |||
Thomas S. Kleppe, secretary of the interior (1975–1977) | |||
Earl L. Butz, secretary of agriculture (1974–1976) | |||
John A. Knebel, secretary of agriculture (1976–1977) | |||
Frederick B. Dent, secretary of commerce (1974–1975) | |||
Rogers C. B. Morton, secretary of commerce (1975) | |||
Elliot L. Richardson, secretary of commerce (1976–1977) | |||
Peter J. Brennan, secretary of labor (1974–1975) | |||
John T. Dunlop, secretary of labor (1975–1976) | |||
William J. Usery, Jr., secretary of labor (1976–1977) | |||
Caspar W. Weinberger, secretary of health, education, and welfare (1974–1975) | |||
F. David Mathews, secretary of health, education, and welfare (1975–1977) | |||
James T. Lynn, secretary of housing and urban development (1974–1975) | |||
Carla Anderson Hills, secretary of housing and urban development (1975–1977) | |||
Claude S. Brinegar, secretary of transportation (1974–1975) | |||
William T. Coleman, Jr., secretary of transportation (1975–1977) | |||
Supreme Court Appointment: | |||
John Paul Stevens (1975–) | |||
Key Events | |||
1974 | Ford becomes president upon resignation of Nixon (9 Aug.); Nixon pardoned (8 Sept.). | ||
1975 | U.S. civilians evacuated from Saigon (29 Apr.), Communists overrun country; Mayaguez incident (15 May): merchant ship is rescued from Cambodians by U.S. Navy and marines; Rockefeller Commission reveals (10 June) illegal CIA operations. | ||
1976 | United States celebrates bicentennial (4 July); Viking 2 lands on Mars (3 Sept.); President Ford escapes two assassination attempts (5, 22 Sept.); Carter elected president. |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 1 October 1924 | ||
Birthplace: | Plains, Ga. | ||
Parents: | James Earl Carter, (Bessie) Lillian Gordy | ||
Religion: | Baptist | ||
College Education: | United States Naval Academy | ||
Wife: | Rosalynn Smith | ||
Date of Marriage: | 7 July 1946 | ||
Children: | John William ("Jack"), James Earl ("Chip"), Donnel Jeffrey ("Jeff"), Amy Lynn | ||
Political Party: | Democratic | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, Georgia Senate (1963–1967) | ||
Governor of Georgia (1971–1975) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 20 January 1977 | ||
End of Term: | 20 January 1981 | ||
Resides in Atlanta, Ga. | |||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1976 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Jimmy Carter | Dem. | 297 | 50.1% |
Gerald R. Ford | Rep. | 240 | 47.9% |
DEFEATED IN ELECTION OF 1980 BY RONALD REAGAN | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
95th Congress (1977–1979) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 61; Rep. 38; other 1 | ||
House: | Dem. 292; Rep. 143 | ||
96th Congress (1979–1981) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 58; Rep. 41; other 1 | ||
House: | Dem. 276; Rep. 157 | ||
Vice President | |||
Walter F. Mondale (1977–1981) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Cyrus R. Vance, secretary of state (1977–1980) | |||
Edmund S. Muskie, secretary of state (1980–1981) | |||
W. Michael Blumenthal, secretary of the treasury (1977–1979) | |||
G. William Miller, secretary of the treasury (1979–1981) | |||
Harold Brown, secretary of defense (1977–1981) | |||
Griffin B. Bell, attorney general (1977–1979) | |||
Benjamin R. Civiletti, attorney general (1979–1981) | |||
Cecil D. Andrus, secretary of the interior (1977–1981) | |||
Bob S. Bergland, secretary of agriculture (1977–1981) | |||
Juanita M. Kreps, secretary of commerce (1977–1979) | |||
Philip M. Klutznick, secretary of commerce (1980–1981) | |||
Ray Marshall, secretary of labor (1977–1981) | |||
Joseph A. Califano, Jr., secretary of health, education, and welfare (1977–1979) | |||
Patricia Roberts Harris, secretary of health, education, and welfare (1979–1981) | |||
Patricia Roberts Harris, secretary of housing and urban development (1977–1979) | |||
Moon Landrieu, secretary of housing and urban development (1979–1981) | |||
Brock Adams, secretary of transportation (1977–1979) | |||
Neil Goldschmidt, secretary of transportation (1979–1981) | |||
James R. Schlesinger, secretary of energy (1977–1979) | |||
Charles W. Duncan, secretary of energy (1979–1981) | |||
Shirley M. Hufstedler, secretary of education (1979–1981) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
None | |||
Key Events | |||
1977 | Carter holds first presidential call–in broadcast (5 Mar.); Department of Energy created (4 Aug.); Carter pardons approximately 10,000 Vietnam draft evaders. | ||
1978 | Congress votes (18 Apr.) to turn over Panama Canal to Panama in 1999; Humphrey–Hawkins Full Employment Act (15 Oct.) sets goals for reducing unemployment. | ||
1979 | Nuclear reactor accident at Three Mile Island, Pa. (28 Mar.); Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services established (17 Oct.), superseding Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; 63 Americans taken hostage at U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran (4 Nov.). | ||
1980 | U.S. population: 226,504,825 U.S. retaliates against Soviet invasion of Afghanistan with grain embargos (4 Jan.); military mission fails (24 Apr.) in attempt to rescue American hostages in Iran, with 8 killed and 5 wounded; Reagan elected president (4 Nov.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 6 February 1911 | ||
Birthplace: | Tampico, Ill. | ||
Parents: | John Edward ("Jack") Reagan, Nelle Clyde Wilson | ||
Religion: | Episcopalian | ||
College Education: | Eureka College | ||
First Wife: | Jane Wyman (divorced 1949) | ||
Date of First Marriage: | 24 January 1940 | ||
Children from First Marriage: | Maureen Elizabeth, Michael Edward (adopted) | ||
Second Wife: | Nancy Davis | ||
Date of Second Marriage: | 4 March 1952 | ||
Children from Second Marriage: | Patricia ("Patti") Ann, Ronald ("Skip") Prescott | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | President, Screen Actors Guild (1947–1952; 1959–1960) | ||
Governor of California (1967–1975) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 20 January 1981 | ||
End of Term: | 20 January 1989 | ||
Resides in Bel Air, Los Angeles, Calif. | |||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1980 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Ronald Reagan | Rep. | 489 | 50.9% |
Jimmy Carter | Dem. | 49 | 41.2% |
John B. Anderson | Ind. | 0 | 7.9% |
ELECTION OF 1984 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Ronald Reagan | Rep. | 525 | 59% |
Walter Mondale | Dem. | 13 | 41% |
INELIGIBLE TO RUN IN ELECTION OF 1988 | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
97th Congress (1981–1983) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 53; Dem. 46; other 1 | ||
House: | Dem. 242; Rep. 189 | ||
98th Congress (1983–1985) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 54; Dem. 46 | ||
House: | Dem. 268; Rep. 167 | ||
99th Congress (1985–1987) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 53; Dem. 47 | ||
House: | Dem. 253; Rep. 182 | ||
100th Congress (1987–1989) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 55; Rep. 45 | ||
House: | Dem. 258; Rep. 177 | ||
Vice President | |||
George Bush (1981–1989) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Alexander M. Haig, secretary of state (1981–1982) | |||
George P. Shultz, secretary of state (1982–1989) | |||
Donald T. Regan, secretary of the treasury (1981–1985) | |||
James A. Baker III, secretary of the treasury (1985–1988) | |||
Nicholas F. Brady, secretary of the treasury (1988–1989) | |||
Caspar W. Weinberger, secretary of defense (1981–1987) | |||
Frank C. Carlucci, secretary of defense (1987–1989) | |||
William French Smith, attorney general (1981–1985) | |||
Edwin Meese III, attorney general (1985–1988) | |||
Richard L. Thornburgh, attorney general (1988–1989) | |||
James G. Watt, secretary of the interior (1981–1983) | |||
William P. Clark, secretary of the interior (1983–1985) | |||
Donald P. Hodel, secretary of the interior (1985–1989) | |||
John R. Block, secretary of agriculture (1981–1986) | |||
Richard E. Lyng, secretary of agriculture (1986–1989) | |||
Malcolm Baldrige, secretary of commerce (1981–1987) | |||
C. William Verity, Jr., secretary of commerce (1987–1989) | |||
Raymond J. Donovan, secretary of labor (1981–1985) | |||
William E. Brock III, secretary of labor (1985–1987) | |||
Ann D. McLaughlin, secretary of labor (1987–1989) | |||
Samuel R. Pierce, Jr., secretary of housing and urban development (1981–1989) | |||
Andrew L. Lewis, secretary of transportation (1981–1983) | |||
Elizabeth H. Dole, secretary of transportation (1983–1987) | |||
James H. Burnley IV, secretary of transportation (1987–1989) | |||
James B. Edwards, secretary of energy (1981–1982) | |||
Donald P. Hodel, secretary of energy (1982–1985) | |||
John S. Herrington, secretary of energy (1985–1989) | |||
Terrel H. Bell, secretary of education (1981–1985) | |||
William J. Bennett, secretary of education (1985–1988) | |||
Lauro F. Cavazos, secretary of education (1988–1989) | |||
Richard S. Schweiker, secretary of health and human services (1981–1983) | |||
Margaret M. Heckler, secretary of health and human services (1983–1985) | |||
Otis R. Bowen, secretary of health and human services (1985–1989) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
Sandra Day O'Connor (1981–) | |||
William H. Rehnquist, chief justice (1986–) (promoted from associate justice) | |||
Antonin Scalia (1986–) | |||
Anthony M. Kennedy (1988–) | |||
Key Events | |||
1981 | American hostages released in Iran on day of Reagan's inauguration (20 Jan.); Reagan survives assassination attempt (30 Mar.); space shuttle Columbia launched, the first reusable spacecraft (12 Apr.); Reagan appoints Sandra Day O'Connor first woman justice of the Supreme Court (7 July); largest tax cut in nation's history passes (29 July); federal air traffic controllers strike and are dismissed by Reagan (5 Aug.). | ||
1982 | Equal Rights Amendment defeated after 10 years without sufficient ratifications. | ||
1983 | U.S. peacekeeping force in Lebanon attacked at marine headquarters with truck bomb (23 Oct.); U.S. invades Grenada (25 Oct.). | ||
1984 | Democrat Geraldine Ferraro 1st woman chosen as vice presidential candidate for major political party; Reagan reelected president (6 Nov.). | ||
1985 | $1.5 million appropriated (Mar.) for development of MX missile; hijackers seize Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro (7 Oct.). | ||
1986 | Space shuttle Challenger explodes (28 Jan.) shortly after takeoff, killing 7 aboard; U.S. war planes strike Libya in retaliation for Libyan bombing of West Berlin disco (5 Apr.); Congress passes comprehensive Tax Reform Act (Sept.); U.S. and USSR reach agreement on worldwide ban of medium–range missiles (18 Sept.); Iran–Contra scandal emerges (3 Nov.). | ||
1987 | First trillion–dollar U.S. budget; 37 sailors killed aboard USS Stark by Iraqi missile in Persian Gulf (27 May); Congressional hearings into Iran–Contra scandal (July): Col. Oliver North and Adm. John Poindexter involved in sale of arms to Iran and use of profits to support rebels in Nicaragua; Wall Street crashes (19 Oct.); U.S. and USSR sign INF Treaty dismantling some missiles. | ||
1988 | Gen. Manuel Noriega indicted in Florida (4 Feb.) for drug trafficking; more than 1 million illegal aliens apply for amnesty (4 May); Bush elected president (8 Nov.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 12 June 1924 | ||
Birthplace: | Milton, Mass. | ||
Parents: | Prescott Sheldon Bush, Dorothy Walker | ||
Religion: | Episcopalian | ||
College Education: | Yale College | ||
Wife: | Barbara Pierce | ||
Date of Marriage: | 6 January 1945 | ||
Children: | George Walker, Robin, John Ellis ("Jeb"), Neil Mallon, Marvin Pierce, Dorothy Pierce | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Member, U.S. House of Representatives (1967–1971) | ||
Ambassador to United Nations (1971–1973) | |||
Chairman, Republican National Committee (1973–1974) | |||
Chief U.S. Liaison, People's Republic of China (1974–1975) | |||
Director, Central Intelligence Agency (1976–1977) | |||
Vice President (1981–1989) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 20 January 1989 | ||
End of Term: | 20 January 1993 | ||
Resides in Houston, Tex. | |||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1988 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
George Bush | Rep. | 426 | 53.4% |
Michael S. Dukakis | Dem. | 111 | 45.6% |
DEFEATED IN ELECTION OF 1992 BY BILL CLINTON | |||
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
101st Congress (1989–1991) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 55; Rep. 45 | ||
House: | Dem. 260; Rep. 175 | ||
102d Congress (1991–1993) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 56; Rep. 44 | ||
House: | Dem. 267; Rep. 167; other | ||
Vice President | |||
J. Danforth ("Dan") Quayle (1989–1993) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
James A. Baker III, secretary of state (1989–1992) | |||
Lawrence S. Eagleburger, secretary of state (1992–1993) | |||
Nicholas F. Brady, secretary of the treasury (1989–1993) | |||
Richard B. Cheney, secretary of defense (1989–1993) | |||
Richard L. Thornburgh, attorney general (1989–1991) | |||
William Barr, attorney general (1991–1993) | |||
Manuel Lujan, Jr., secretary of the interior (1989–1993) | |||
Clayton K. Yeutter, secretary of agriculture (1989–1991) | |||
Edward R. Madigan, secretary of agriculture (1991–1993) | |||
Robert A. Mosbacher, secretary of commerce (1989–1992) | |||
Barbara A. Franklin, secretary of commerce (1992–1993) | |||
Elizabeth H. Dole, secretary of labor (1989–1991) | |||
Lynn Martin, secretary of labor (1991–1993) | |||
Jack F. Kemp, secretary of housing and urban development (1989–1993) | |||
Samuel K. Skinner, secretary of transportation (1989–1992) | |||
Andrew H. Card, secretary of transportation (1992–1993) | |||
James Watkins, secretary of energy (1989–1993) | |||
Lauro F. Cavazos, secretary of education (1989–1990) | |||
Lamar Alexander, secretary of education (1991–1993) | |||
Louis W. Sullivan, secretary of health and human services (1989–1993) | |||
Edward J. Derwinski, secretary of veterans affairs (1989–1992) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments: | |||
David H. Souter (1990–) | |||
Clarence Thomas (1991–) | |||
Key Events | |||
1989 | Largest oil spill in U.S. history (24 Mar.) from the Exxon Valdez in Prince Edward Sound; Col. Oliver North convicted of obstruction of Congress in Iran–Contra scandal (4 May); legislation passes (9 Aug.) intended to rescue savings and loan industry; 20,000 U.S. troops occupy Panama to apprehend Noriega (20 Dec.–3 Jan. 1990); Department of Veterans Affairs established; while flying in Air Force One, Bush uses a fax machine to transmit a veto message to Congress. | ||
1990 | U.S. population: 248,709,873 Iraq invades Kuwait (2 Aug.); UN coalition forces including 450,000 U.S. troops stationed in Saudi Arabia to prevent subsequent Iraqi invasion; Clean Air Act passes (15 Nov.): comprehensive plan to reduce 50% of annual level of emissions. | ||
1991 | Aerial bombing of Iraq begins (17 Jan.); coalition defeats Iraq in ground war (24–27 Feb.); Iraq accepts UN cease–fire terms (3 Mar.); U.S. and USSR sign START I Treaty; dissolution of Soviet Union (25 Dec.). | ||
1992 | An all–white Los Angeles jury acquits 4 L.A. police officers of wrongdoing (29 Apr.) in 1991 beating of Rodney King, a black man, provoking widespread riots; Americans with Disabilities Act takes effect; Clinton elected president (3 Nov.); U.S. troops provide humanitarian aid to famine–stricken Somalia (Dec.–Jan. 1993); Bush pardons former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and other high–level Reagan administration Iran–Contra scandal figures (24 Dec.); Twenty–seventh Amendment fixes congressional salaries during each term. |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 19 August 1946 | ||
Birthplace: | Hope, Ark. | ||
Parents: | William Jefferson Blythe 3d, Virginia Cassidy | ||
Religion: | Baptist | ||
College Education: | Georgetown University; Rhodes Scholar, Oxford University, England; Yale University Law School | ||
Wife: | Hillary Diane Rodham | ||
Date of Marriage: | 11 October 1975 | ||
Child: | Chelsea | ||
Political Party: | Democratic | ||
Other Positions Held: | Law Professor, University of Arkansas (1973–1976) | ||
Attorney General of Arkansas (1977–1979) | |||
Governor of Arkansas (1979–1981; 1983–1992) | |||
Date of Inauguration: | 20 January 1993 | ||
Acquittal of Impeachment Charges: | 12 February 1999 | ||
End of term: | 20 January 2001 | ||
Resides in Chappaqua, New York | |||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 1992 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Bill Clinton | Dem. | 370 | 43% |
George Bush | Rep. | 168 | 37% |
H. Ross Perot | Ind. | 0 | 19% |
ELECTION OF 1996 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
Bill Clinton | Dem. | 379 | 49% |
Robert J. Dole | Rep. | 159 | 41% |
H. Ross Perot | Reform | 0 | 8% |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
103d Congress (1993–1995) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 56; Rep. 44 | ||
House: | Dem. 258; Rep. 176; other 1 | ||
104th Congress (1995–1997) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 52; Dem. 48 | ||
House: | Rep. 230; Dem. 204; other 1 | ||
105th Congress (1997–) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 55; Dem. 45 | ||
House: | Rep. 226; Dem. 208; other 1 | ||
106th Congress (1999–2001) | |||
Senate: | Rep. 54; Dem. 46 | ||
House: | Rep. 222; Dem. 208; other 1 | ||
Vice President | |||
Albert A. Gore, Jr. (1993–2001) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Warren M. Christopher, secretary of state (1993–1997) | |||
Madeleine K. Albright, secretary of state (1997–2001) | |||
Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr., secretary of the treasury (1993–1994) | |||
Robert E. Rubin, secretary of the treasury (1995–2001) | |||
Les Aspin, secretary of defense (1993–1994) | |||
William Perry, secretary of defense (1994–1997) | |||
William S. Cohen, secretary of defense (1997–2001) | |||
Janet Reno, attorney general (1993–2001) | |||
Bruce Babbitt, secretary of the interior (1993–2001) | |||
Mike Espy, secretary of agriculture (1993–1994) | |||
Daniel R. Glickman, secretary of agriculture (1995-) | |||
Ronald H. Brown, secretary of commerce (1993–1996) | |||
Mickey Kantor, secretary of commerce (1996–1997) | |||
William M. Daley, secretary of commerce (1997–2000) | |||
Norman Y. Mineta, secretary of commerce (2000–2001) | |||
Robert B. Reich, secretary of labor (1993–1997) | |||
Alexis Herman, secretary of labor (1997–2001) | |||
Donna E. Shalala, secretary of health and human services (1993–2001) | |||
Henry G. Cisneros, secretary of housing and urban development (1993–1997) | |||
Andrew Cuomo, secretary of housing and urban development (1997–2001) | |||
Federico F. Peña, secretary of transportation (1993–1997) | |||
Rodney E. Slater, secretary of transportation (1997–2001) | |||
Hazel R. O'Leary, secretary of energy (1993–1997) | |||
Federico F. Peña, secretary of energy (1997–1998) | |||
William Richardson, secretary of energy (1998–2001) | |||
Richard W. Riley, secretary of education (1993–2001) | |||
Jesse Brown, secretary of veterans affairs (1993–1998) | |||
Togo D. West, Jr., secretary of veterans affairs (1998–2001) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments | |||
Ruth Bader Ginsberg (1993–) | |||
Stephen G. Breyer (1994–) | |||
Key Events | |||
1993 | Clinton invites E–mail messages from the public (Feb.); Congress approves North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico, removing some protectionist trade measures (17–21 Nov.). | ||
1994 | Clinton health care reform plans rejected by Congress; in midterm elections Republicans win control of both houses of Congress for first time in forty years (9 Nov.). | ||
1995 | U.S. restores full diplomatic relations with Vietnam; NATO peacekeeping forces help maintain cease–fire in war–stricken Bosnia; two blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue adjoining the White House closed to vehicular traffic (20 May); congressional Whitewater hearings investigate possible wrongdoing by Bill and Hillary Clinton in business deal involving a failed Arkansas savings–and–loan. | ||
1996 | Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown and 32 others killed in an airplane crash near Dubrovnik, Croatia (3 Apr.); Clinton signs welfare reform legislation (23 Aug.); Clinton reelected president (5 Nov.). | ||
1997 | Clinton inaugurated (20 Jan.) | ||
1998 | Clinton is first elected president impeached by the House of Representatives (19 Dec.). | ||
1999 | Clinton acquitted by the United States Senate in impeachment trial (12 Feb.). | ||
2000 | George W. Bush elected president over Vice President Al Gore (7 Nov.). | ||
2001 | United States Supreme Court disbars Clinton, prohibiting him from arguing in front of the Court (1 Oct.). |
Life | |||
Birthdate: | 6 July 1946 | ||
Birthplace: | New Haven, Conn. | ||
Parents: | George Herbert Walker Bush, Barbara Pierce | ||
Religion: | Methodist | ||
College Education: | Yale University; Harvard Business School | ||
Wife: | Laura Welsh Bush | ||
Date of Marriage: | 5 Nov. 1977 | ||
Children: | Barbara and Jenna (twins) | ||
Political Party: | Republican | ||
Other Positions Held: | Oil company executive (1976–1988) | ||
Part-owner, Texas Rangers baseball club (1989–1993) | |||
Governor of Texas (1995–2001) | |||
Date of inauguration: | 20 January 2001 | ||
Resides in Washington, D.C. | |||
Elections | |||
ELECTION OF 2000 | |||
Candidate | Party | Electoral Vote | Pop. Vote |
George W. Bush | Republican | 271 | 50,455,156 |
Albert A. Gore, Jr. | Democrat | 269 | 50,992,335 |
POLITICAL COMPOSITION OF CONGRESS | |||
107th Congress (2001–) | |||
Senate: | Dem. 50; Rep. 49 other 1 | ||
House: | Rep. 222 ; Dem. 211; other 1 | ||
Vice President | |||
Richard Cheney (2001–) | |||
Appointments | |||
Cabinet Members: | |||
Colin Powell, secretary of state (2001–) | |||
Paul H. O'Neill, secretary of the treasury (2001–) | |||
Donald H. Rumsfeld, secretary of defense (2001–) | |||
John Ashcroft, attorney general (2001–) | |||
Gale A. Norton, secretary of the interior (2001–) | |||
Ann M. Veneman, secretary of agriculture (2001–) | |||
Donald Evans, secretary of commerce (2001–) | |||
Elaine Chao, secretary of labor (2001–) | |||
Tommy G. Thompson, secretary of health and human services (2001–) | |||
Melquiades Rafael Martinez, secretary of housing and urban development (2001–) | |||
Norman Y. Mineta, secretary of transportation (2001–) | |||
Spencer Abraham, secretary of energy (2001–) | |||
Roderick Paige, secretary of education (2001–) | |||
Anthony J. Principi, secretary of veterans affairs (2001–) | |||
Supreme Court Appointments | |||
None through June 2002 | |||
Key Events | |||
2001 | New York City and Washington, D.C., attacked by hijacked aircraft, destroying the World Trade Center and damaging the Pentagon, killing thousands (11 Sept.); Bush targets the Al Qaida ("The Base") terrorist network led by Saudi expatriate Osama Bin Laden as the mastermind behind the attacks; United States and Britain attack Afghanistan in an effort to destroy the Al Qaida network and the ruling Taliban regime in Afghanistan. | ||
2002 | During the State of the Union address (29 Jan.) Bush states that the fight against terrorism will extend globally. After terrorism and backlash in Israel, Bush tells Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon to withdraw armed forces from Palestinian cities. |
Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: