Presidents

Question 1

Abraham Lincoln.

Answer 1

1861-1865. (assassinated). Republican.

Question 2

Andrew Johnson.

Answer 2

1865-1869. Republican
Key legislature: Civil Rights Act (1866), Reconstruction Acts (1867), conflict with Congress, leniency towards Southern States
Economic situation: Economic fluctuation due to after effects of Civil War
African Americans: Widespread violence/discrimination, reconstruction efforts pushed back
Native Americans: Displacement/forced assimilation
Workers: Emergence of Labour movement, although working rights still very limited

Question 3

Ulysses S. Grant.

Answer 3

1869-1877. Republican.
Key legislature: Continued Reconstruction policies, 15th Amendment/enforced civil liberties through Department of Justice
Foreign policy: Movement away from isolationism towards international diplomacy
Economic situation: Post-war boom ended by Panic of 1873
African Americans: Continued violence/discrimination
Native Americans: Continued displacement/conflict, notably the Battle of Little Bighorn
Workers: Labour strikes amid economic unrest

Question 4

Rutherford B. Hayes.

Answer 4

1887-1881. Republican.
Key legislature: End of Reconstruction with Compromise of 1877, promoted civil service/educational reform
Economic situation: Recovery from 1870s depression
African Americans: Emergence of Jim Crow laws
Native Americans: Continued assimilation
Workers: Gain of Labour movement momentum

Question 5

James A. Garfield.

Answer 5

1881-1881 (assassinated). Republican.
Key legislature: Advocated for civil service reform

Question 6

Chester A. Arthur.

Answer 6

1881-1885. Republican.
Key legislature: Continued civil service reform including the Pendleton Act (1883)
Foreign policy: Major focus on modernisation of Navy
Economic situation: Continued recovery from 1870s depression
African Americans: Continued discrimination/disenfranchisement
Native Americans: Continued assimilation
Workers: Labour movement progression

Question 7

Grover Cleveland.

Answer 7

1885-1889 (first term). Democrat.
1893-1897 (second term). Democrat.
Key legislature: Fiscal conservatism, civil service reform, changes to tariffs
Economic situation: Economic growth until Panic of 1893
African Americans: Southern violence/discrimination persisted
Native Americans: Continued assimilation
Workers: Labour strikes/unrest, notably Pullman Strike of 1894

Question 8

Benjamin Harrison.

Answer 8

1889-1893. Republican.
Key legislature: Sherman Anti-trust Act, McKinley Tariff, support of federal spending for education/veterans
Economic situation: Economic growth until Panic of 1893
African Americans: Continued discrimination
Native Americans: Continued assimilation
Workers: Labour unrest

Question 9

William McKinley.

Answer 9

1897-1901 (assassinated). Republican.
Key legislature: Supported protective tariffs/gold standard
Foreign policy: Spanish-American War

Question 10

Theodore Roosevelt.

Answer 10

1901-1909. Republican.
Key legislature: Progressive policies including trust-busting, conservation, consumer protection (the ‘Square Deal’)
Foreign policy: Negotiated end of Russo-Japanese War
Economic situation: Period of industrial growth and prosperity
African Americans: Civil rights progress although discrimination persisted
Native Americans: Roosevelt offered sympathy although assimilation continued
Workers: Labour movement gained strength leading to improved workplace safety
Women: Suffrage movement gained momentum

Question 11

William Howard Taft.

Answer 11

1909-1913. Republican.
Key legislature: Continuation of progressive reform (more conservative than Roosevelt), Payne-Aldrich Tariff
Economic situation: Recession following the Panic of 1907
African Americans: Continued discrimination/violence
Native Americans: Continued assimilation
Workers: Further Labour unrest, notably the rise of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

Question 12

Woodrow Wilson.

Answer 12

1913-1921. Democrat.
Key legislature: Led the USA through WW1, created Federal Reserve system, Federal Trade Commission Act, Clayton Anti-trust Act
Foreign policy: Advocated for League of Nations although unsuccessful
Economic situation: War stimulated industrial/economic boom
African Americans: Increased segregation/violence (in military aswell), notably Red Summer of 1919
Native Americans: Continued assimilation
Workers: More labour strikes/unrest targeted by Palmer Raids of 1919/1920
Women: Passing of the 19th Amendment in 1920

Question 13

Warren G. Harding.

Answer 13

1921-1923 (died). Republican.
Key legislature: Promoted return to ‘normalcy’, Emergency Quota Act
Economic situation: ‘Roaring Twenties’ marked by economic growth
African Americans: Continued discrimination, resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan
Native Americans: Continued assimilation
Workers: Labour unrest decreased during economic prosperity
Women: Gained increased social/economic mobility but faced legal barriers

Question 14

Calvin Coolidge.

Answer 14

1923-1929. Republican.
Key legislature: Continued Harding’s ‘Laissez-faire’ normalcy, Immigration Act of 1924
Economic situation: ‘Roaring Twenties’ ended with the Wall Street crash of 1929
African Americans: Continued segregation
Native Americans: Continued assimilation
Workers: Labour unrest remained low until the onset of the Great Depression
Women: Continued limited social/economic progress

Question 15

Herbert Hoover.

Answer 15

1929-1933. Republican.
Key legislature: Supported volunteerism and limited government intervention ($500k emergency relief) to combat depression, laid groundworks for FDR’s new deals, blamed for economic turmoil
Economic situation: Wall Street crash led to widespread unemployment and poverty during the Great Depression
African Americans: Disproportionately affected by depression, continued segregation
Native Americans: Continued assimilation, little attention put on their economic hardships during the Depression
Workers: Widespread unemployment and unrest, notably the Bonus Army march on Washington DC

Question 16

Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Answer 16

1933-1945 (died). Democrat.
Key legislature: New Deal programmes consisting of relief/recovery/reform to combat depression, social security reform, creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), passing of the Fair Labour Standards Act, ‘neutrality’ acts
Foreign policy: Led the USA into WW2, identifying benefits of economic gain and diplomacy
Economic situation: Depression eased with New Deals but was ultimately ended by wartime economic opportunity
African Americans: Benefited from New Deals but segregation persisted in some programmes (CCC/NRA)
Native Americans: Provided some relief from New Deals but assimilation continued
Workers: New Deal provided relief and opportunity, made significant gains in labour rights/protection
Women: Increased wartime opportunity

Question 17

Harry S. Truman.

Answer 17

1945-1953. Democrat.
Key legislature: End of WW2 with Japanese bombing, beginning of Cold War with Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Berlin Airlift, ‘Fair Deal’
Economic situation: Cold War economic challenges, notably the Korean War
African Americans: Continued activism leading to desegregation of military and further progress towards civil rights legislation
Native Americans: Gains in tribal sovereignty
Workers: Major strikes persisted, notably major coal/steel strikes in 1946

Question 18

Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Answer 18

1953-1961. Republican.
Key legislature: Cold War ‘containment’, military buildup, Federal Aid Highway Act 1956, some support for Civil Rights Movement (sending troops to Little Rock High)
Foreign policy: Oversaw end of Korean War
Economic situation: General economic growth, with some inflation
African Americans: Significant gains in Civil Rights Movement such at the Montgomery Bus Boycotts and desegregation of schools
Native Americans: Policies of termination
Workers: Labour movement continued to campaign for improved wages/working conditions

Question 19

John F. Kennedy.

Answer 19

1961-1963 (assassinated). Democrat.
Key legislature: Advocate for civil rights/social welfare, initiated the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Peace Corps
Foreign policy: ‘Success’ at the Cuban missile crisis, some limited intervention within the Vietnam War
Economic situation: ‘New Frontier’, investment in economy/education/infrastructure
African Americans: Major attention on racial inequality/civil rights movements
Native Americans: Gains in tribal sovereignty
Workers: Continued push for improved rights, particularly an increase in wages
Women: Increased advocacy for equal rights/opportunities

Question 20

Lyndon B. Johnson.

Answer 20

1963-1969. Democrat.
Key legislature: Expanded on JFK’s initiatives, bringing in the Civil Rights Act of 1964/Voting Rights Act of 1965, ‘Great Society’ programmes including Medicare/Medicaid and the War on Poverty
Foreign policy: Greatly escalated US involvement in the Vietnam War
Economic situation: High inflation and economic challenge, primarily due to vast Vietnam spending
African Americans: Significant gains in desegregation/voting rights
Native Americans: Continued activision led to increased attention, including establishment of National Council on Indian Opportunity
Workers: Labour Movement continued
Women: Suffrage movement continued to gain momentum, with particular focus on reproductive rights

Question 21

Richard Nixon.

Answer 21

1969-1974 (resigned). Republican.
Key legislature: ‘Vietnamisation’, Clean Air Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Watergate scandal
Foreign policy: Promised ‘Peace with Honour’ in Vietnam, Ping-pong diplomacy, detente
Economic situation: Economic instability, majorly due to OPEC oil crisis
African Americans: Faced backlash against busing and urban unrest
Native Americans: Increased activism, notably the occupation of Alcatraz, ‘Trail of Broken Treaties’, and the occupation of Wounded Knee
Workers: Faced challenges such as the decrease in manufacturing jobs and heightened outsourcing
Women: Push for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)