American Presidents List

George Washington 1789 – 1797

George Washington was the first President of the United States. He had led the Continental Army to victory during the American Revolutionary War and enjoyed the status of a national hero. He played an important role in establishing United States as a democracy and the foundations of a strong government.

Throughout his reign, he made efforts to keep political unity among different factions. He also decided to remain neutral towards European powers and avoid taking the side of any European nation in their ongoing battles. Washington is regarded as one of the greatest American presidents of all time.

John Adams 1797 – 1801

John Adams was the 2nd President of the United States. He formerly served as the Vice President under George Washington. Adams was one of the Founding Fathers of the country.

During his reign, relations between France and United States deteriorated. This led to an undeclared naval war between the two sides that ultimately concluded with peace negotiations. Adams was the first President to take up residence in the White House. He was defeated by Thomas Jefferson when he ran for a second term in 1801.

Thomas Jefferson 1801 – 1809

Thomas Jefferson was the 3rd President of the United States. During his reign as the President, he oversaw the famous Louisiana Purchase which doubled the size of US. He also fostered better ties with Britain and improved the trade between the two nations, although relations with Britain worsened during his second term.

Jefferson took a stance against slavery and prohibited the importation of slaves to United States. He also took measures to remove the Native Indian tribes from the Louisiana Territory so that white settlers could move in. He is regarded among the best Presidents of the United States.

James Madison 1809 – 1817

James Madison was the 4th President of the United States. He was also among the notable Founding Fathers of the country. The most notable event of his Presidency was the War of 1812. This war was fought between United States at one side and British Empire and its Native American allies at the other side.

The British made some gains, were able to reach Washington and torch the White House. In the end, neither side won. Peace was negotiated and the war came to an end. Madison also increased the size of the U.S. army and navy for the war.

James Monroe 1817 – 1825

James Monroe was the 5th President of the United States. He was also one of the Founding Fathers of the nation. He served under the previous President, James Madison, in the roles of Secretary of State and the Secretary of War.

His reign as President is marked by the Era of Good Feelings. During this time, the political conflict between different parties subsided, peace was restored and the country prospered economically.

He gained control of East Florida as well as the Oregon Country. This allowed United States access to the Pacific Northwest. He promulgated the famous Monroe Doctrine which warned European powers not to harbor any new colonial ambitions towards Latin America. He also supported the Missouri Compromise which maintained a balance between pro-slavery and anti-slavery states.

John Quincy Adams 1825 – 1829

John Quincy Adams was the 6th President of the United States. He was the son of President John Adams. He didn’t gain a clear majority in the votes of the Electoral College but was chosen President after he reached a compromise with another candidate.

Adams sought to improve the domestic economy of the country by constructing roads, establishing marketplaces and creating opportunities. His plans fell short because of the lack of support from Congress. He also imposed new tariffs and friendly policies towards Native Americans which made him unpopular with the white Americans. His second run at Presidency failed when he was defeated by Andrew Jackson.

Andrew Jackson 1829 – 1837

Andrew Jackson was the 7th President of the United States. He took decisive measures during his terms and proved a strong president. Economically, he established intimate trade ties with Great Britain while paying the damages claimed by France.
He also completely paid off the national debt, being the only American President to have achieved this.

Domestically, he forced the relocation of Native Americans to federal reservation sites. Jackson advocated the cause of the common man and believed that the government must always work in accordance with the wishes of the common citizen. He remained an immensely popular president during his two terms.

Martin Van Buren 1837 – 1841

Martin Van Buren was the 8th President of the United States. He served as Vice President under Andrew Jackson and was strongly supported by Jackson in his bid for Presidency. During his term, the Panic of 1837 began which was a major economic crisis.

Buren was unable to take effective measures or promulgate policies to deflate the crisis. This ultimately affected his popularity with the people. He continued the removal of Native American tribes from their native lands and refused to admit Texas into the Union.

William Henry Harrison March 1841 – April 1841

William Henry Harrison was the 9th President of the United States. He served in the position for only one month. His popularity was that of a war hero as he had led U.S. forces to victory against Native Americans in the Battle of Tippecanoe. He died within a month of being elected the President, suffering from pneumonia. His reign was the shortest term of any American President.

John Tyler 1841 – 1845

John Tyler was the 10th President of the United States. He previously served as the Vice President under William Henry Harrison and became President upon the death of Harrison. He was the only president to serve for such a long time without being actually elected. His reign was unpopular with the politicians and the Congress. He believed in the rights of the states and also sought to admit Texas as a new state into the Union.

James K. Polk 1845 – 1849

James Knox Polk served as the 11th President of the United States. During his reign, he oversaw and directed the Mexican-American War which resulted in a decisive American victory. He also annexed Texas as a new state in the Union. He was able to gain control of most of the Oregon Country through a treaty with the Great Britain. Polk also reduced tariffs which made him popular with the voters in the south. He didn’t run for a second term.

Zachary Taylor 1849 – 1850

Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States. He became a national hero after he led U.S. forces to victory in the Mexican-American War. After he was elected President, he took a long time to reach Washington and formally assume his responsibilities. During his presidency, slavery became a divisive issue. Taylor avoided the issue and sought to maintain harmony between the states. Less than two years into his term, Taylor died of a sudden stomach illness.

Millard Fillmore 1850 – 1853

Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States. He became the President after Zachary Taylor died before ending his presidential term. During his term, the issue of slavery was a hot point of contention between the free and slave states.

Fillmore dissipated the tensions between two sides by fully supporting the passage of the Compromise of 1850. This was a set of bills that gave concessions to both the free and slave states. One of these was the Fugitive Slave Act which required the return of runaway slaves to their owners. This was an immensely unpopular act which made Fillmore likewise unpopular.

Franklin Pierce 1853 – 1857

Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States. During his term, he made the famous Gadsden Purchase which added new territories to the American southwest. He also nullified the Missouri Compromise which gave the slave states an upper hand. This created a deep resentment against him in the North and among anti-slavery whites. Ultimately, his inability to handle the issue of slavery contributed to the eruption of the Civil War.

James Buchanan 1857 – 1861

James Buchanan was the 15th President of the United States. He was the President who served immediately before the American Civil War began. During his term, the southern states gained the upper hand and Buchanan failed to resolve the issue of slavery. His inability directly contributed to the sharp divide between the North and South, leading to the Civil War.

Abraham Lincoln 1861 – 1865

Abraham Lincoln served as the 16th President of the United States. He was elected at a time when there was a sharp divide between the Northern and Southern states. Lincoln was strongly opposed to slavery and when he was elected as the President, the southern states began to secede from the Union. This ultimately led to the Civil War in which Lincoln led the Union against the Confederate states. Lincoln provided a firm and strategic leadership which ultimately helped the North secure victory. He is often hailed as the greatest American president. He was re-elected for a second term but was assassinated in 1865.

Andrew Johnson 1865 – 1869

Andrew Johnson became the 17th President of the United States following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson oversaw the Reconstruction era where many reforms were implemented in the southern states to normalize things about the Civil War. He eagerly brought the southern states back in the Union. He also supported the southern states despite their attempts to curtail the rights of freed slaves. Although he enjoyed support in the southern states, he was immensely unpopular among the North.

Ulysses S. Grant 1869 – 1877

Ulysses S. Grant served as the 18th President of the United States. He rose to fame and the status of a national hero after he led the Union forces to victory in the American Civil War. The Reconstruction policies continued during his two terms as President. The Great Sioux War of 1876 was also fought by the U.S. Army against the Native Americans during Grant’s presidency. Although he was a popular president, many corruption scandals and other issues came to light during his terms.

Rutherford B. Hayes 1877 – 1881

Rutherford B. Hayes served as the 19th President of the United States. He withdrew federal soldiers from the southern states and brought the Reconstruction to an end. He also tried to safeguard the rights of African Americans in southern states, although his policies weren’t very effective. He resolved one of the largest labor strikes in U.S. history by sending in federal troops. Upon the completion of his first term, he chose not to run for a second term.

James A. Garfield 1881 – 1881

James A. Garfield was the 20th President of the United States. He served as the President for only about six months when he was assassinated. During his brief term at the office, Garfield took many important steps. These included reducing corruption and cronyism in executive appointments, and energetic efforts for civil service reforms.

Chester A. Arthur 1881 – 1885

Chester A. Arthur became the 21st President of the United States upon the assassination of James A. Garfield. Arthur took many important steps during his presidency, such as the enforcement of Civil Service Reform Act. He also oversaw the growth and improvement of the United States Navy. By the time he retired after his first term, Arthur was a respected figure in the United States.

Grover Cleveland 1885 – 1889

Grove Cleveland served as the 22nd and 24th President of the United States. During his firm term, Cleveland became an icon of classic liberalism and conservatism. He was immensely respected and popular, implementing important policies that countered corruption. His second term lasted from 1893 – 1897. Although he was still popular during his second term, the Panic of 1893 happened under his Presidency. It was a major economic crisis which ended his chances for a third term.

Benjamin Harrison 1889 – 1893

Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States. As President, he undertook extensive legislation related to the economy, oversaw the implementation of new tariffs and helped in the establishment of national forest reserves.

William McKinley 1897 – 1901

William McKinley was the 25th President of the United States. McKinley’s Presidency saw significant economic growth. During his term, the Spanish-American War took place in which United States secured a swift victory and took control of the former Spanish colonies of Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam. He was assassinated by an anarchist in 1901.