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Appendix B Table of Biographical, Political, and Historical Data
George Washington, 1st President (1789–1797)
| 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.). |
John Adams, 2nd President (1797–1801)
| 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. |
Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President (1801–1809)
| 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. |
James Madison, 4th President (1809–1817)
| 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.). |
James Monroe, 5th President (1817–1825)
| 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.). |
John Quincy Adams, 6th President (1825–1829)
| 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. |
Andrew Jackson, 7th President (1829–1837)
| 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). |
Martin Van Buren, 8th President (1837–1841)
| 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 |
William Henry Harrison, 9th President (1841)
| 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.). |
John Tyler, 10th President (1841–1845)
| 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. |
James K. Polk, 11th President (1845–1849)
| 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.). |
Zachary Taylor, 12th President (1849–1850)
| 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). |
Millard Fillmore, 13th President (1850–1853)
| 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.) |
Franklin Pierce, 14th President (1853–1857)
| 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.) |
James Buchanan, 15th President (1857–1861)
| 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. |
Abraham Lincoln, 16th President (1861–1865)
| 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. |
Andrew Johnson, 17th President (1865–1869)
| 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.). |
Ulysses Simpson Grant, 18th President (1869–1877)
| 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 | | |
