The Dark Side of The White House Quiz

Answer: Removed a Cabinet member without Senate approval

Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) was the 17th President. He assumed office after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865. During his presidency he was impeached for violating the Tenure of Office Act which restricted the president from removing a cabinet member without Senate approval. He was acquitted by a single vote and was allowed to stay in office.

Answer: Teapot Dome scandal

Warren G. Harding (1921-1923) was the 29th President. His presidency was marred with scandals, the most infamous of which was the Teapot Dome scandal. Albert Bacon Hall, Harding's Secretary of the Interior, was convicted of accepting bribes from oil companies. Harding died in office before the investigation took place.

Answer: An office was burglarized

Richard M. Nixon (1969-1974) was the 37th President. He was involved in the infamous Watergate scandal which prompted him to resign as President. Watergate was a hotel/office building in Washington, D.C. It served as the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee. An office at Watergate was burglarized by men who worked for Nixon's re-election campaign.

Answer: Nicaragua

Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) was the 40th President. During his second term he was involved in the the Iran-Contra affair. The Reagan administration was accused of selling arms to Iran to help fund rebels in Nicaragua. Though the President denied any direct involvement, his popularity level dropped as a result.

Answer: The President was sued for sexual harassment

Bill Clinton (1993-2001) was the 42nd President. A former employee of his named Paula Jones sued him for sexual harassment. Monica Lewinsky was named during the investigation as someone with whom Clinton was alleged to have had an affair.

Answer: Whiskey Ring

Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877) was the 18th President. While Grant was considered a hero during the Civil War, scandals during his presidency damaged his reputation. The most notorious of these was the Whiskey Ring scandal, which involved whiskey distilleries bribing government agents to get out of paying taxes.

Answer: "Ma, Ma, Where's my Pa?"

Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President, is the only President to serve two non-consecutive terms: (1885-1889) and (1893-1897). While campaigning for his first term, Cleveland was reported to have fathered an illegitimate child. As a result, hecklers would shout "Ma, Ma, Where's my Pa?" during campaign rallies. Cleveland admitted to the claim and won the presidency anyway.

Answer: Bay of Pigs

John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) was the 35th President. Shortly after beginning his term, Kennedy approved a plan to invade Cuba in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. Plans for the invasion were originally conceived by the Eisenhower administration. The invasion was a failure and over 1,000 Cuban exiles were captured.

Answer: Kansas-Nebraska Act

Franklin Pierce (1853-1857) was the 14th President. He signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act into law in 1854. The Kansas-Nebraska Act would allow the newly formed Kansas Territory to vote on whether to allow slavery within its borders. This sparked Bleeding Kansas, a violent conflict between pro-slave and anti-slave settlers of the Kansas Territory.

Answer: Dickinson insulted his wife

Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) was the 7th President. He was involved with many duels before becoming President. The most famous of which was a duel between himself and rival Charles Dickinson. He insulted Jackson's wife Rachel, referring to her as a bigamist. During the duel, Jackson was shot first, but survived. Dickinson was then shot by Jackson afterward and died.