Presidents

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    George Washington

    George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia, United States. He was largely self-taught and received some schooling from tutors and in local schools. Washington served as a military officer in the British Army during the French and Indian War. He later became the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, leading the colonies to victory against Great Britain.
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    John Adams

    John Adams was born on October 30, 1735, in Braintree Massachusetts, United States. Adams graduated from Harvard College in 1755 and went on to study law. He played a crucial role in the American Revolutionary War as a political leader and diplomat. John Adams married Abigail Smith in 1764, and they had five children, including John Quincy Adams, who later became the sixth President of the United States. Adams was important in diplomatic efforts to secure French support for the American cause.
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    Thomas Jefferson

    Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, in Shadwell, Virginia. He attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he studied law. Thomas Jefferson was Governor of Virginia, Minister to France, Vice President of the United States under President John Adams. Jefferson married Martha Wayles Skelton in 1772. They had six children. Jefferson is perhaps best known for drafting the Declaration of Independence in 1776. He oversaw the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
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    James Madison

    James Madison was born in Port Conway, Virginia, USA.
    He attended the College of New Jersey. Madison did not serve in the military. He was the 4th President of the United States, Secretary of State under Thomas Jefferson, and a key figure in the drafting of the Constitution. He married Dolley Payne Todd Madison. Madison was instrumental in drafting the Constitution, co-authored The Federalist Papers, and was a leading figure in the Democratic-Republican Party.
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    James Monroe

    James Monroe was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, USA. He attended the College of William and Mary. Monroe served as a major in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was the 5th President of the United States, Secretary of State, Secretary of War, U.S. Senator, Governor of Virginia, and served in the Virginia House of Delegates. Monroe married Elizabeth Kortright in 1786. Monroe is famous for the Monroe Doctrine.
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    John Quincy Adams

    John Quincy Adams was born in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts, USA. He graduated from Harvard College in 1787. Adams did not serve in the military. He was the 6th President of the United States, Secretary of State, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, and served as a diplomat in various countries. Adams married Louisa Catherine Johnson in 1797. He played a significant role in negotiating the Treaty of Ghent, advocated against slavery, and defended free speech in Congress.
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    Andrew Jackson

    Andrew Jackson was born in the Waxhaws region. Jackson was largely self-taught. He served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and later rose to prominence during the War of 1812. Jackson served as the 7th President of the United States. He married Rachel Donelson in 1791. Other notable roles: Jackson's presidency was marked by a populist style, expansion of executive powers, and implementation of policies such as the Indian Removal Act, leading to the Trail of Tears.
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    Martin Van Buren

    Martin Van Buren was born in Kinderhook, New York, USA. He studied law and became a lawyer in 1803. Van Buren did not serve in the military. He was the 8th President of the United States, Vice President under Andrew Jackson, Secretary of State, and Governor of New York. Van Buren married Hannah Hoes in 1807. He played a key role in shaping the Democratic Party, faced economic challenges during his presidency, and remained active in politics until his death.
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    William Henry Harrison

    William Henry Harrison was born in Charles City County, Virginia, USA. He attended Hampden-Sydney College briefly. Harrison was a general in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812, known for the Battle of Tippecanoe. He served as the 9th President of the United States for only 31 days in 1841. Harrison married Anna Symmes in 1795. His presidency was cut short by his death from pneumonia, making it the shortest in U.S. history.
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    John Tyler

    John Tyler was born in Charles City County, Virginia, USA. He studied law at the College of William and Mary. Tyler did not serve in the military. He was the 10th President of the United States, succeeding after William Henry Harrison's death. Before his presidency, he served as Vice President. Tyler married Letitia Christian and later Julia Gardiner. Tyler's presidency saw the annexation of Texas, but he faced controversy and was expelled from the Whig Party.
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    James Polk

    James K. Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, USA. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Polk did not serve in the military. He was the 11th President of the United States, having previously served as Governor of Tennessee and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Polk married Sarah Childress in 1824. His presidency focused on westward expansion.
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    Zachary Taylor

    He's from Orange County, VA. Taylor received a basic education and aspired from a young age to join the military. Served in the War of 1812, Black Hawk War, and the Second Seminole War. An American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States. Had 6 kids, five daughters and one son.
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    Millard Fillmore

    Summer Hill, NY. Though he had little formal schooling, he studied diligently to become a lawyer. He became prominent in the Buffalo area as an attorney and politician, elected to the New York Assembly in 1828 and the House of Representatives in 1832.The Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1850. California becomes a free state, territories chose popular sovereignty, Uncle Tom's Cabin. He helped pass the Compromise of 1850 by gaining the support of Northern Whigs for the compromise.
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    Franklin Pierce

    Hillsborough, NH. Democrat (1853-1857), At fifteen, he entered Bowdoin College in Maine. Candidate from the North who could please the South. His success in securing the Gadsden Purchase was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the Ostend Manifesto, the Kansas Nebraska Act and "Bleeding Kansas." Passions over slavery had been further inflamed, and the North and South were more irreconcilable than before. He succeeded only in splitting the country further apart.
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    James Buchanan

    Cove Gap, PA. Buchanan attended the Old Stone Academy in Mercersburg and then Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. (1857-1861) The Confederate States of America are formed in 1861. He tried to maintain a balance between proslavery and antislavery factions, but his moderate views angered radicals in both North and South, and he was unable to forestall the secession of South Carolina on December 20, 1860. Lecompton Constitution supporter.
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    Abraham Lincoln

    Larue County, KY, he had maybe a year of formal schooling, The Emancipation Proclamation declared in 1862. The 13th Amendment is passed in 1865. Tried to gain national exposure by debates with Stephen A. Douglas. His attacks on slavery made him nationally known. He felt there was not an alternative to slavery and blacks were not prepared to live on equal terms as whites. Won presidency in November election. First President assassinated.
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    Andrew Johnson

    Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, Johnson was born into poverty and never attended school. The 13th Amendment is added to the Constitution in 1865 and the 14th Amendment is passed by Congress and added to the Constitution in 1868. House of Representatives impeaches the President in 1868 and the Senate acquits the president of the 11 articles of impeachment. In 1868 issued a unconditional pardon to those who participated in the southern rebellion. The 15th Amendment is passed in 1869.
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    Ulysses S. Grant

    Point Pleasant, Ohio, the first child of Jesse and Hannah Grant. he 15th Amendment is added to the Constitution Administrative inaction and political scandal involving members of his cabinet, including the Crédit Mobilier scandal and the Whiskey Ring conspiracy. He was more successful in foreign affairs, where he was aided by his secretary of state, Hamilton Fish. He supported amnesty for Confederate leaders and protection for the civil rights of former slaves.
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    Rutherford B. Hayes

    Delaware, OH. Educated at Kenyon College and Harvard Law School. His Fraudulency, he resumed gold payments, refused to expand currency, and didn't overhaul civil service as promised. Complained about treatment of blacks but did nothing to prevent it. He started an era of honesty. He played down the tariff issue. He resumed assumption of hold payments and vetoed bills to expand the currency. He was involved in the Customs House Dispute, Passed the Band Allison Act.
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    James Garfield

    The youngest of five children on November 19, 1831, in a log cabin in Orange Township, now Moreland Hills, Ohio. Got a college education from Williams College. Second president to ever be assassinated. He was assassinated 6 months after his inauguration.
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    Chester A. Arthur

    Arthur was born in Fairfield, Vermont. Graduated from Union College. An honorable man. Firmly believed in the spoils system but eventually demolished it, took Rutherford B. Hayes place when he was assassinated, Pendelton Act.
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    Grover Cleveland

    The only President to leave the White House and return for a second term four years later. Born on March 18, 1837, in Caldwell, New Jersey. Elementary education at the Fayetteville Academy and the Clinton Grammar School, opposing governmental favors to business but was noteworthy for railroad regulation and tariff reform. He had a strictly limited view of the government's role in both economic and social matters- limited government. Dawes Act and Pullman Strike.
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    Benjamin Harrison

    Born on August 20, 1833, in North Bend, Ohio. Attended Farmers College, a prep school in Cincinnati. His administration is best known for a series of legislation including the McKinley Tariff and federal spending that reached one billion dollars. Democrats attacked the "Billion Dollar Congress" and defeated the GOP in the 1890 mid-term elections, as well as defeating Harrison's bid for reelection in 1892. He is to date the only president from Indiana.
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    Grover Cleveland

    Born on March 18, 1837, in Caldwell, New Jersey. Cleveland received his elementary education at the Fayetteville Academy and the Clinton Grammar School. His presidency represented no sharp break with the conservative policies of his predecessors except in opposing governmental favors to business but was noteworthy for railroad regulation and tariff reform. He had a strictly limited view of the government's role in both economic and social matters limited government. Dawes Act and Pullman Strike.
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    William McKinley

    Niles, OH, studied hard at a school run by the Presbyterian seminary in his hometown of Poland, Ohio. The United States declares war on Spain in 1898, starting the Spanish-American war, although it ends in the same year with the Treaty of Paris. The United States annexes Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico.
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    Theodore Roosevelt

    New York, NY. graduated from Harvard College and briefly studied at Columbia Law School. Conservationism, trust-busting, Hepburn Act, safe food regulations, "Square Deal," Panama Canal, Great White Fleet, Nobel Peace Prize for negotiation of peace in Russo-Japanese War. "Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick"
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    William Howard Taft

    Cincinnati, OH. studied at the Cincinnati Law School. The 16th Amendment is passed by Congress in 1909 and added to the Constitution in 1912. The 17th Amendment is passed by Congress in 1912.
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    Woodrow Wilson

    Staunton, Virginia, earned his doctorate at Johns Hopkins. The 17th Amendment is added to the Constitution in 1913. In 1916 the Workingmen's Compensation Act, Federal Farm Loan Act. In 1917 the US buys the Virgin Islands from Denmark. The Zimmerman Note incident occurs in 1917.The Fourteen Points are proposed in 1918 and the Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versaille occur in 1919. In 1920 the Versaille Treaty is defeated by the Senate and the 19th Amendment is passed.
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    Warren G. Harding

    Warren Harding was born on November 2, 1865, in Blooming Grove, Ohio. Nicknamed "Winnie" as a small child. Entered Ohio Central College, from which he graduated with a B.S. degree, laissez-faire, little regard for gov't or presidency. return to normalcy after Wilson his progressive ideals. Office became corrupt: allowed drinking in prohibition, had an affair, surrounded himself w/ cronies Sec. of Interior leased gov't land w/ oil for $500,000 and took money himself. Died after 3 years in office.
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    Calvin Coolidge

    Plymouth Notch, Plymouth, VT. Attended the Black River Academy and then St. Johnsbury Academy before enrolling at Amherst College. taciturn; small gov't conservative; laissez faire ideology; in favor of immigration restriction (Immigration Act); reduced the tax burden; the Bonus Bill was passed over his veto; Revenue Act of 1924; Kellogg-Briand Pact.
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    Herbert Hoover

    Born on August 10, 1874, in West Branch, Iowa, one of the first graduates of the new Stanford University. The New York Stock Market Crashes October 29, 1929 "Black Tuesday". The 20th Amendment is passed and added and the 21st Amendment is passed by 1933.
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    Franklin D. Roosevelt

    Born on January 30, 1882, in the Hudson Valley town of Hyde Park, New York, to businessman James Roosevelt I and his second wife, Sara Ann Delano. Received a BA degree in history from Harvard in only three years. (1933-1937) and (1937-1941) and (1941-1945) and (1945) The 21st Amendment is added to the Constitution in 1933. Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt had five sons and a daughter, although one son died in infancy. FDR was not deeply involved in raising his children.
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    Harry S. Truman

    Born in Lamar, Missouri, in 1884. Grew up in Independence, and for 12 years prospered as a Missouri farmer. He went to France during World War I as a captain in the Field Artillery, graduated from Independence High School. Led the country through the last few months of World War II and made the controversial decision to use two atomic bombs against Japan. Truman was crucial in the implementation of the Marshall Plan, which greatly accelerated Western Europe's economic recovery. Created the CIA.
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    Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Born in Denison, Texas, and raised in Abilene, Kansas, graduated from Abilene High School. Modern Republicanism---didn't undo the New Deal of the Democrats. Called The Republican's Choice. He was the commander of the allied forces in Europe, the army chief-of-staff after the war, and the director of NATO for two years. Dwight displayed "grandfatherly good will". At the time of the integration of Central High he made the decision to send the 101st Airborne to Little Rock to protect the students.
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    John F. Kennedy

    Early life and education. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born outside Boston in Brookline, Massachusetts. Graduated from Harvard University. Cold war and the superpower rivalry and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Used the technology of the television to tell the public about the crisis and he allowed the leaders of the Soviet Union to withdraw their missiles. Building of the Berlin Wall, the space race, and early events of the Vietnamese war. He was assassinated.
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    Lyndon B. Johnson

    Born on August 27, 1908, near Stonewall, Texas, in a small farmhouse on the Pedernales River. Went to Southwest Texas State Teachers College (BS) Georgetown University. The 24th Amendment is added in 1964. In 1965 the 25th Amendment is passed and in 1967 it is added to the Constitution. Was a Politician teacher and his relatives were George Washington Baines (great-grandfather), Philip Bobbitt (nephew).
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    Richard M. Nixon

    Born on January 9, 1913, in what was then the township precinct of Yorba Linda, California, in a house built by his father, located on his family's lemon ranch. Duke University Law School in Durham, North Carolina. In 1971 the 26th Amendment was passed and added to the Constitution. Reduced troops in Vietnam and signed a peace treaty, ending US involvement in Vietnam. Normalized relations with China. Watergate Scandal. Resigned from office.
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    Gerald R. Ford

    Born in Omaha, Nebraska and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He pardoned Nixon of all crimes that he may have committed. Evacuated nearly 500,000 Americans and South Vietnamese from Vietnam, closing the war. We are heading toward rapid inflation. He runs again and debates Jimmy Carter. At the debate he is asked how he would handle the communists in eastern Europe and he said there were none and this apparently sealed his fate.
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    James Carter

    Born October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, at the Wise Sanitarium. Educated in the public school of Plains. Created the Department of Energy and the Department of Education. Boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow and his last year in office was marked by the takeover of the American embassy in Iran, fuel shortages, and the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, which caused him to lose to Ronald Regan in the next election.
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    Ronald Reagan

    Born on February 6, 1911, in a commercial building in Tampico, Illinois, graduated from Eureka College. ran on a campaign based on the common man and "populist" ideas. he participated in the McCarthy Communist scare. Iran released hostages on his Inauguration Day in 1980. He cut out many welfare and public works programs. His meetings with Gorbachev were the first steps to ending the Cold War. He was also responsible for the Iran-contra Affair which bought hostages with guns.
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    George H. W. Bush

    Milton, MA, attended Phillips Academy. Berlin wall comes down, Persian Gulf war against aggressive Saddam Hussein who invaded Kuwait. Became the Republican Party chairman in Harris County, Texas. George W. Bush and Laura Bush were married in 1977 and reside in Dallas and Crawford, Texas. They have twin daughters.
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    William J. Clinton

    Born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas, three months after his father died in a traffic accident. Graduated from Georgetown University. extended Palestinian self-rule and arranged timetables for Israeli withdrawal from disputed lands, was impeached due to the Monica Lewinski scandal and was later acquitted, cut spending; lowered taxes; decreased national debt. Children: Chelsea Clinton.
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    George W. Bush

    Born on July 6, 1946, at Grace-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut, graduated from Harvard Business School. neo-conservative, foreign policy dominated by war on terror, No child left behind, tax cuts, high deficits, major economic problems, proposed privatizing social security, opposed stem cell research/pro-life/carbon reductions/ international law, but wanted more domestic drilling to alleviate oil dependence, major contributions to HIV/AIDs.
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    Barack Obama

    Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He graduated from Columbia University in 1983 with a B.A. in political science and later worked as a community organizer in Chicago. Children: Malia Ann Obama, Sasha Obama. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African-American president in U.S. history. Senator representing Illinois from 2005 to 2008, as an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004, and as a community service organizer, civil rights lawyer, and university lecturer.
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    Donald Trump

    New York, NY Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Children: Barron Trump, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Tiffany Trump, Eric Trump. Received a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. He is the only American president to have no political or military service prior to his presidency, as well as the first to be charged with a felony after leaving office.
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    Joseph R. Biden Jr.

    Born: November 20, 1942 (age 81 years), Scranton, PA. Grandchildren: Navy Joan Roberts, Natalie Biden, Maisy Biden, Naomi Biden, Robert Biden II, Finnegan Biden. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden moved with his family to Delaware in 1953. He graduated from the University of Delaware before earning his law degree from Syracuse University. He was elected to the New Castle County Council in 1970 and to the U.S. Senate in 1972.