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Introduction Attributions
February 17, 2020 is Presidents Day. The holiday dates back to 1885 and was established in recognition of George Washington’s birthday, on Feb. 22. In 1971 the holiday was moved to the third Monday of February as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, in order to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. In honor of Presidents Day and in an effort to inform the public, the Duluth News Tribune is proud to present our readers with this special section. The section features a biographical profile of each person who has served as president of the United States. Biographical information is from MrNussbaum. com, a learning site for kids, parents and teachers. Supplemental information provided by whitehouse.gov.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson
James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison
John Tyler, James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor
Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan
Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson
S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield
A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison
Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft
Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman
Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter
Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton
W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald
George Washington
Born: Feb. 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Va.
Term as president: April 30 1789 – March 4, 1797
Party: unaffiliated
George Washington was our country’s first president and is probably the most-honored individual in American history. Numerous cities, towns, highways, monuments and parks bear his name. The capital of the United States is named after him. He was honored on the first American postage stamp, as well as on the quarter and one-dollar bill. He even has a state named after him – Washington, although he never set foot there.
John Adams
Born: October 30, 1735 in Braintree (now Quincy), Mass.
Term as president: March 4, 1797 – March 4, 1801
Party: Federalist
John Adams served in the Continental Congress. He carried great influence among the members of Congress and strongly favored separation from England. Adams also assisted in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the Massachusetts Constitution. Adams was elected the second president of the United States (he lost to George Washington previously and served two terms as his vice president). In 1812 he began corresponding with Thomas Jefferson and the two former presidents sent letters to each other for 14 years about politics, government and philosophy. His friend and fellow Founding Father Thomas Jefferson died the same day, only hours before him.
Thomas Jefferson
Born: April 13, 1743 in Albemarle County, Va.
Term as president: March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1809
Party: Democratic-Republican
In 1769, when he was just 26, Thomas Jefferson was elected to the Virginia House of Representatives. As a member of the Second Continental Congress, Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence with help from Benjamin Franklin and others. Jefferson and James Madison founded the Democratic-Republican Party. Thomas Jefferson is remembered as one of the most brilliant men to ever inhabit the White House, whose views on individual freedom, religion and education are still influential. Today, buildings, cities, counties, corporations and monuments bear Jefferson’s name. He is honored on the United States two-dollar bill and nickel.
James Madison
Born: March 16, 1751 in King George County, Va.
Term as president: March 4, 1809 – March 4, 1817
Party: Democratic-Republican
James Madison served in the Virginia Constitutional Convention in 1776. In 1780, Madison served as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress. He then served as the chief recorder at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. He is generally regarded as the “Father of the Constitution.” Later in 1787, Madison teamed with Alexander Hamilton (and to a small extent, John Jay) to write the Federalist Papers, a series of persuasive essays designed to convince the states to ratify the Constitution.
James Monroe 5
Born: April 28, 1758 in Westmoreland County, Va.
Term as president: March 4, 1817 – March 4, 1825
Party: Democratic-Republican
James Monroe is probably best known for the Monroe Doctrine, a document largely written by John Quincy Adams. The document outlined America’s foreign policy stance and proclaimed neutrality in European affairs. It also condemned European colonization and declared that such colonization in North and South America was a direct threat to the United States.
John Quincy Adams
Born: April 28, 1758 in Westmoreland County, Va.
Term as president: March 4, 1825 – March 4, 1829
Party: Whig
In 1824, John Quincy Adams won one of the most controversial presidential elections in American history. Neither Adams nor Andrew Jackson received the majority of electoral votes, leaving it to Congress to determine the victor. John Quincy’s term as president was marred by controversy created by his political enemies, who aimed to block any new legislation he supported. During his presidency, industrialization intensified in the northern United States, highlighted by the construction of the Erie Canal. Adams was also successful in paying off much of the national debt. After his loss to Jackson in 1828, Adams returned home to Massachusetts, where he served in the House fighting for the abolition of slavery. John Quincy Adams died in 1848.
Andrew Jackson
Born: March 15, 1767 in South Carolina
Term as president: March 4, 1829 – March 4, 1837
Party: Democratic-Republican
Andrew Jackson is perhaps most known for his Native American removal programs. In 1830, Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, which authorized Congress to purchase Native American lands in the east in exchange for unsettled land in the west. Jackson’s actions were particularly popular in the South, as gold had been discovered on Cherokee lands in Georgia. Jackson pressured Cherokee leaders to sign a removal treaty (known as the Treaty of New Echota) that was surely rejected by most Cherokee people. The treaty, which was enforced by Martin Van Buren (the next president), resulted in the removal of the Cherokee Indians from their native lands via the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee were forced to walk hundreds of miles from Georgia to present-day Oklahoma. Thousands died along the way. In all, more than 45,000 Native Americans were “removed” during Jackson’s administration.
Martin Van Buren
Born: Dec. 5, 1782 in Kinderhook, N.Y.
Terms as president: March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1841
Party: Democratic-Republican
In 1837, with Jackson’s support, Martin Van Buren was elected as America’s eighth president. During his presidency, Van Buren was tasked with dealing with the Panic of 1837, a financial crisis that resulted in five years of economic depression. Like his predecessor, Andrew Jackson, Van Buren supported measures to remove Native Americans from their lands to reservations in Oklahoma. Throughout his presidency and after, Van Buren opposed the abolishment of slavery, even though he believed the practice to be immoral. Van Buren would be blamed for the country’s precarious economic position and was defeated by William Henry Harrison in the presidential election of 1840.
William Henry Harrison 9
Born: Feb. 9, 1773 in Charles City County, Va.
Term as president: March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841
Party: Whig
William Henry Harrison took office on March 4, 1841. That day, Harrison delivered the longest inaugural speech in American history — in the bitter cold. Harrison quickly developed a cold, which turned into pneumonia. Despite intensive medical treatment, Harrison died just one month later. He was the first president to die in office. To this day, his presidency was the shortest in American history — 32 days.
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Friday - Free Pizza during Happy Hour & Freaky Friday Drink Specials 9pm-1am
Tuesday - Karaoke 9pm-close, with Specials
Wednesday - Trivia 7:30-9pm; Pitcher/Smirnoff Night
Saturday - Karaoke 9 pm - close
Sunday - Hospitality Service Industry
Nite - Open Noon to Midnight
John Tyler
Born: March 29, 1790 in Charles City County, Va.
Term as president: April 4, 1841 – March 4, 1845
Party: Whig
John Tyler struggled in his presidency to be taken seriously and had a contentious relationship with Congress. Nevertheless, his presidency produced several positive outcomes. His secretary of state, Daniel Webster, negotiated the Waterton-Ashburton Treaty that fixed the border between Maine and British Canada and ended hostile relations between the two nations over the disputed borders. In addition, the “Log-Cabin” bill enabled a settler to claim 160 acres of land before it was offered publicly for sale, and later pay $1.25 an acre for it. In 1845, the Republic of Texas was annexed and granted statehood, making it the nation’s largest state. On his last day in office, Florida was admitted as a state.
James K. Polk 11
Born: Nov. 2, 1795 in Mecklenburg County, N.C.
Term as president: March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849 Party: Democratic James K. Polk was the first and only speaker of the house to ever ascend to the presidency. He was an advocate of Manifest Destiny (western expansion) and supported the annexation of Texas, as well as acquisition of California and Oregon. Polk negotiated a treaty with Great Britain which resulted in his country’s acquisition of the Oregon Territory. The attempted acquisition of California resulted in the Mexican-American War. At the end of the war, Mexico agreed to give up California and the New Mexico territory for $15 million. The new lands increased the land mass of the American nation significantly. During his presidency, the first postage stamps were issued, the Smithsonian museums were dedicated and the United States Naval Academy was opened.
Zachary Taylor 12
Born: Nov. 24, 1784 in Barboursville, Va.
Term as president: March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850 Party: Whig
During his short presidency, Zachary Taylor was instrumental in admitting California as an official state of the Union. Taylor also helped to settle state border disputes between Texas and New Mexico that would bring the western territories of the United States together. In July of 1850, Zachary Taylor was diagnosed with cholera morgues and died on July 9, 1850. A 50-foot-tall monument was placed near his grave in Louisville, Ken., by the Commonwealth of Kentucky to memorialize his life and presidency.
PROGRAMS FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2020
International Lecture
Trump v. the Ayatollah: Origins of the American Conflict with Iran
Presented by Dr. Juan Cole
Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History, University of Michigan
7:00 p.m. - Chemistry 200
This lecture followed by a reception.
International Brown Bag Presentation
The Repurposing of Culturally Significant Sites from the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires in Southeast Europe
Presented by Timothy French
Adjunct Instructor of History, Lord Fairfax Community College & UMD Graduate
12:00 p.m.
Kathryn A. Martin Library 4th Floor Rotunda
