Introduction

Over the last 231 years, 44 men have dominated U.S. politics and history. Although almost every American can name the current president, less than half can tell you the name of the vice president or the Senate majority leader. No other office within the U.S. government has received as much attention as the presidency.

The successes and failures of the chief executive have become a staple of U.S. culture. Every year, the media spends thousands of hours disseminating information on their virtues and shortcomings. Their biographies become best sellers. The public marvels at their childhood plights and adult accomplishments. Stories about their personal lives and office conduct have become ingrained in American culture and literature. The public revels in the presidents’ personal shortcomings and failures, and eagerly laps up scandals involving them. From Jefferson’s affair with a slave, to the corruption of the Grant and Harding administrations, to Bill Clinton’s and Donald Trump’s sex scandals, the public is mesmerized by the presidents and their activities.

From humble beginnings, the presidency has evolved over time to become the dominant institution in the U.S. government. People look to the president for guidance in times of crisis. He (and so far, all of our presidents have been men) is held responsible for the problems the country faces and is expected to resolve these problems. In addition, the president symbolizes the United States abroad. Other countries judge the United States by what kind of president is in power. A bad president reflects poorly on all U.S. citizens.

About This Book

Most books on the U.S. presidency are either textbooks, which are usually boring and tedious, or autobiographies. Although autobiographies are interesting reading, they provide you with information on just one president — and face it, who has time to read 44 biographies?

This book is neither a textbook nor a biography — it combines the best elements of both. It won’t bore you with little tedious facts or a lot of narrative. It doesn’t shower you with a mass of statistics that prove to you what you already know. The information on the presidents gets to the point, highlighting only the major events of each presidency.

The book covers all 44 U.S. presidents in chronological order. Some presidents have a whole chapter to themselves; others have a section in a chapter that covers several chief executives. I detail some basic personal information for each president, and I also cover the major events that took place during each president’s administration.

I designed this book to give a solid foundation on the presidents, whether you’re studying political science, writing a paper, or reading for pleasure. I tried to make the book entertaining by including little-known tidbits. So, whether you’re a history buff, a student, or just someone interested in America’s presidents, this book is for you. My hope is that this book will prove one point: The history of our presidents is fascinating and fun.

Conventions Used in This Book

To avoid repeating certain procedures, facts, and ideas, this book uses certain conventions. For example, I use the common abbreviations WWI and WWII to refer to World War I and World War II, respectively. I also use familiar presidential initials, such as FDR for Franklin Delano Roosevelt and JFK for John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

The information in some sidebars is relevant to more than one chapter. When this is the case, the book refers to these sidebars by the title of the sidebar and chapter number. For example, Andrew Johnson was the first president to face impeachment proceedings. So I include a sidebar, “How to get impeached,” explaining impeachment when I cover Johnson in Chapter 11. Most people know only too well that Andrew Johnson wasn’t the last president to have impeachment charges brought against him. You’ll find references to this sidebar in chapters that cover Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump.

I also provide some information in a consistent format. Early in a president’s section or chapter, I include a sidebar that talks about his early years — when he was born, where he lived, what schools he attended (if he attended school at all!), and whom he married. (First ladies sometimes crop up in other places, but the facts about them are usually in these sidebars.)

Icons Used in This Book

As you read and enjoy this book, you will discover five different icons that alert you to specific aspects of America’s 44 presidents. The five icons are

This icon presents little-known information, or trivia, on the 44 presidents. Many of the presidents coined terms or set precedents for the presidency and the country. This icon alerts you to this type of information.

This icon alerts you to famous statements or quotes made by the presidents. Some quotes you may be familiar with, and others you may not know. Some may shock you, and others may amuse you.

Politics is at the heart of the U.S. presidency. This icon highlights political conflicts and positions. It covers the personal views of some presidents and the controversial issues of the day.

This icon points out important information you should be aware of as you read the section, the chapter, or the book. This icon covers only the most important events, people, and issues.

Historical information including treaties, important bills, strategic doctrines, and other relevant material or events have this icon beside them. This information is included for the history buff, so feel free to ignore these paragraphs if you’re not interested.

Beyond the Book

In addition to what you’re reading right now, this book comes with a free access-anywhere Cheat Sheet that includes key dates in U.S. Presidential History. To get this Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and type U.S. Presidents For Dummies Cheat Sheet in the Search box.

You also get access to 27 online practice tests. To gain access to the online practice tests, all you have to do is register. Just follow these simple steps:

1. Register your book or ebook at Dummies.com to get your PIN. Go to www.dummies.com/go/getaccess.
2. Select your product from the drop-down list on that page.
3. Follow the prompts to validate your product, and then check your email for a confirmation message that includes your PIN and instructions for logging in.

If you do not receive this email within two hours, please check your spam folder before contacting us through our Technical Support website at http://support.wiley.com or by phone at 877-762-2974.

Now you’re ready to go! You can come back to the practice material as often as you want — simply log on with the username and password you created during your initial login. No need to enter the access code a second time.

Your registration is good for one year from the day you activate your PIN.

Where to Go from Here

Feel free to start with any chapter and any president that interests you. Keep in mind that all the chapters are nonlinear, so you can start with any topic in any chapter.