Uncle Sam's Presidents Part II Quiz

Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States of America. He was president from March 4, 1801, until March 4, 1809.

Before becoming president, he was the main author of "The Declaration of Independence." He was vice president under John Adams. They were friends despite the fact they often disagreed.

In 1801, he was sworn in as president with Aaron Burr as his vice president. He was president for two terms but in 1804, Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Charges were dropped even though duelling was illegal at that point; however, he was replaced as vice president by George Clinton.

While president, Jefferson expanded the United States further westward with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The purchase from France cost about 15 million dollars and almost doubled the size of the United States of America.

Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, at the age of 83. His friend and rival John Adams died a few hours later. Adams' last words were "Thomas Jefferson survives".

John Quincy Adams was the sixth president of the U.S. He was president from March 4, 1825 until March 4, 1829. He was the son of the second president, John Adams. His vice president was John C. Calhoun.

President Adams gave the go-ahead to start the C & O Canal (Chesapeake & Ohio). Almost 185 miles long, it became very important to people living and working along the Potamic River.

Adams fought against slavery until he died in 1848 at the age of 80.

William Henry Harrison was the ninth president of the United States. He was president for only one month - from March 4, 1841, until April 4, 1841. He was the first president to die in office. Harrison was the last president not born as an American citizen (because the United States was still a British colony when he was born in 1773).

Harrison and his wife, Anna, had ten children. His son John Scott was the father of future president Benjamin Harrison.

In 1800, President John Adams made Harrison the governor of the Indiana Territory. Thi

Harrison served as governor for twelve years. His main job was to get land from the Native Americans to expand the territory and prepare it to become a state. The Native Americans did not want to give up their land, and this eventually led to Tecumseh's War. The war lasted two years but was essentially over when Harrison defeated Tecumseh in the Battle of Tippecanoe on November 7, 1811. Harrison was nicknamed Tippecanoe because of this battle. People voted for him because they remembered what he did during this war.

When he was sworn in, it was a cold rainy day, and Harrison refused to wear the appropriate clothes to speak outside. His inauguration speech was the longest ever given at that point - almost two hours long and over 8,000 words. Harrison then rode in the inauguration parade. He then stood for three hours shaking hands in the receiving line. This entire time he was wet from the rain. He also attended three balls that night.

He was constantly busy the next month and exhausted. On March 24, 1841, he went out in the rain again on a daily walk. Once again, he did not wear a coat or hat. He also did not change out of his wet clothes when he first returned to the White House. He became ill. A doctor told him he would feel better with some rest and medication for "fatigue and mental anxiety." The doctor was called back and did bloodletting, (taking blood out to make a person better, it was often done with leeches). His heart rate stopped so the bloodletting was stopped, and he was diagnosed with pneumonia.

By April 3, 1841, Harrison was delirious and had severe diarrhoea. He died the following day. His last words were to his doctor, and most likely for John Tyler, his vice-president. He said, "Sir, I wish you to understand the true principles of the government. I wish them carried out. I ask nothing more."

While it is believed the illness was caused by being out in the rain, inappropriately clothed, there is also an urban legend known as Tecumseh's curse. The legend says that when Harrison defeated Tecumseh at Tippecanoe, Tenskwatawa, (another Shawnee leader) cursed "The Great White Fathers." Since Harrison's death every president before Ronald Reagan who was elected on a year divisible by 20 died in office. The curse was considered broken when Reagan was shot but did not die.

James Buchanan Jr. was the 15th president of the United States. He was president from March 4, 1857, until March 4, 1861. His vice president was John C. Breckinridge. Buchanan was the last president born before 1800.

When Andrew Jackson was president(1829-1837), Jackson made Buchanan the United States Ambassador to Russia. This meant that Jackson had to go live in St. Petersburg, Russia, briefly. Buchanan did not want the job because he felt he was being exiled, but he agreed and went. Jackson intentionally did this as he felt Buchanan was too nosy and wanted to get rid of him for a bit. While in Russia, he worked on getting the trade treaty set with Russia quickly so he could return to the States.

His first year of the presidency was met with the Panic of 1957. This was a result of overexpansion in the national economy, and a decline in the international economy. Buchanan dealt with the issue by restricting how much paper money was issued and freezing federal funds. He also refused to have an economic stimulus program. He hoped to reduce the national budget, but instead, it went up 15% when he left office in 1861.

Buchanan said in his inauguration address that he would not seek re-election. He kept to his word; he did not run for a second term.

Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th president of the United States. He was president from March 4, 1877, until March 4, 1881. His vice president was William A. Wheeler.

During the Civil War, he fought on the Union side as a major. During the Battle of South Mountain, he was leading his troop and got shot in the arm. He had someone in the troop tie a handkerchief over the wound to stop the bleeding. He rested where he was shot, but he continued to lead the troops. He told them to attack at close range, but instead, they backed up and he was left between the lines (North and South). He was later dragged over the Union line and taken to a hospital.

After the war, he ran for governor of Ohio in 1867 because people thought he would be a good leader, having been a former Congressman and Army leader. Everyone thought he had lost the election, but in the end, he won by almost 3,000 votes. However, the legislature was Democrat, so he had little power and chose not to seek re-election. He did oversee the creation of Deaf schools for girls during that time, however.

As president, he put some civil-service reforms into practice, ensuring that federal officeholders were not forced to contribute to any political campaigns.

William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th president of the United States. He was president from March 4, 1897, until his assassination on September 14, 1901. His first vice president was Garret Hobart, who died from a heart illness in 1899. At this point, there was no set way to put a vice president in place should the current one leave or die, so McKinley finished out his term without a vice president.

When he ran again, they let him choose who he wanted to run with him but pressured him to choose Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt became his second-term vice president.

While he was president, the Spanish-American War broke out after the USS Maine was sunk in Havana Harbor. The war lasted only 100 days and ended with the Treaty of Paris. The treaty gave Cuba its independence and required Spain to give both Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States.

McKinley's time as president seemed to be going well, but it came to an end in 1901. While in Buffalo, NY to speak at the Pan-American Exposition, Leon Czolgosz shot him point blank when going through the receiving line. McKinley died eight days later from an infection caused by the wound.

William Howard Taft was the 27th president of the United States from March 4, 1909, to March 4, 1913. His vice president until October 30, 1912, was James S. Sherman. Sherman died in office from Bright's Disease (a kidney disease). For the rest of his term, Taft did not have a vice president.

Roosevelt, who replaced McKinley after his assassination, filled over three years of McKinley's term. He also served one term he was elected but decided not to seek re-election. He suggested Taft for the nomination of the Republican party and used his influence to make it happen.

In 1910, Taft got a court order to keep the freight trains from raising their rates. That year, he also signed the Mann Act, which prevents people from being taken over the border for immoral acts including prostitution. (In 1962, famous singer Chuck Berry was convicted of the Mann Act when he brought an underage girl over state borders).

Shortly before the end of his presidency, the 16th Amendment was passed. This Amendment gave Congress "the power to levy income taxes without regard to population."

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the 32nd president of the United States. He was also the longest-serving president, having served from March 4, 1933 until April 12, 1945. His vice presidents were John Nance Garner during FDR's first two terms, Henry A. Wallace during FDR's third term, and Harry S. Truman during his final term.

When FDR married Eleanor Roosevelt (his 5th cousin, once removed) in 1905, it was her Uncle Theodore Roosevelt, who was president at the time, who gave her away.

During his presidency, Roosevelt was known for his fireside chats. These were a series of 31 radio programs. Roosevelt came on the radio and addressed Americans. He also implemented the New Deal. This was a series of social reform programs, including the Social Security Act.

During his fourth term, Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945. He complained of a big headache shortly before dying. His death was ruled an intracerebral haemorrhage. He was 63.

Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th president of the United States. He was president from January 20, 1969, until he resigned on August 9, 1974. His first vice president was Spiro Agnew; he resigned after pleading no contest to tax evasion. Gerald Ford replaced Agnew.

Nixon first ran for president in 1960 against John F. Kennedy but did not win. When he ran again in 1968 against Hubert Humphrey, he did win. Part of this had to do with the Vietnam War and the fact Democrats at the time were torn on the topic. This made it easier for a Republican to get voted into office.

During his time as president, he became the first U.S. president to visit China. This helped build relations between the two countries. The Soviet Union, afraid of this relationship, also built relationships with the United States.

Things went well, and he was re-elected for a second term. But then Watergate happened in 1972. Watergate involved people in Nixon's cabinet breaking in and listening to tapes at the Democrat National Committee (at the Watergate office building). While Nixon did not personally listen, he tried to cover up for those who were guilty. As a result, he resigned as president on August 9, 1974, and Gerald Ford became the next president.

James "Jimmy" Earl Carter was the 39th president of the United States. He was president from July 20, 1977, until January 20, 1981. His vice president was Walter Mondale.

In his earlier years, he was a peanut farmer in Georgia. Jimmy Carter (born October 1, 1924) was the first president born in a hospital.

When he was running for president, many people had never even heard of him. It was believed his chances of winning were low. The other candidates, who were better known, like George Wallace, would say, "Jimmy who?" But Carter was unphased and started introducing himself with, "My name is Jimmy Carter, and I'm running for president." This worked, and Carter got the nomination and also was ahead of Gerald Ford, the current president.

As president, Carter gave amnesty to the "draft dodgers" during the Vietnam War. In 1978, he created a bill to make a week in May dedicated to Asian American Heritage Week. (In 1992, President Bush expanded this to make the month of May, Asian American Heritage Month). He also fought for LGBTQ rights and invited activists to the White House to discuss federal policy.

Carter was an activist himself after his presidency ended. He was actively involved with Habitat for Humanity. Not only did he help it get started in 1976, but he was there helping build the homes for many years.

Carter was the first president to live to be a centenarian. He died on December 29, 2024, a couple of months after turning 100.