2. #1. Warren Gamaliel Harding
(Republican)
Born November 2, 1865.
Died August 2, 1923.
29th President (March 4, 1921-August 2,
1923).
U.S. Senator from Ohio (March 4, 1915-
January 13, 1921).
28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
(January 11, 1904-January 8, 1906).
First incumbent U.S. Senator and first
newspaper publisher to be elected to
Presidency.
Campaigned on platform of return to
“normalcy” in the 1920 presidential
election; left Progressive movement that
dominated Congress during Roosevelt,
Taft, and Wilson administrations.
Awarded friends and political contributors
positions in his administration.
Scandals like Teapot Dome scandal have
led historians to rank him as our worst
president, but his reputation has been
viewed favorably among some historians
for his strength in foreign policy,
conservative fiscal policies, fiscal
responsibility, and support for civil rights.
3. #2. James Buchanan (Democratic)
Born April 23, 1791.
Died June 1, 1868.
15th President (March 4, 1857-
March 4, 1861).
17th U.S. Secretary of State (March
10, 1845-March 7, 1849).
U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania
(December 6, 1834-March 5, 1845).
Only president from Pennsylvania
and only president who never
married; his niece Harriet Lane was
First Lady.
Is considered one of the worst
presidents because his efforts to
keep peace between North and
South failed, as both sides were
unsympathetic to those efforts,
which undermined his ability to
prevent succession and American
Civil War in subsequent Lincoln
administration.
4. #3. Franklin Pierce
(Democratic)
Born November 23, 1804.
Died October 8, 1869.
14th President (March 4, 1853-March 4,
1857).
U.S. Senator from New Hampshire
(March 4, 1837-February 28, 1842).
Member of U.S. House of
Representatives from New Hampshire's
At-large district (March 4, 1833-March 4,
1837).
Only President from New Hampshire.
Was a “doughface” Democrat (Northerner
who was sympathetic to South).
Made many unpopular decisions; his
popularity plummeted sharply in North
after he favored Kansas-Nebraska Act to
replace Missouri Compromise (which
was declared unconstitutional by U.S.
Supreme Court) and resumed debate
over expansion of slavery in American
West.
His legitimacy was further ruined when
some of his diplomats issued Ostend
Manifesto; was abandoned by Democrats
and did not seek re-election.
5. #4. Millard Fillmore (Whig)
Born January 7, 1800.
Died March 8, 1874.
13th President (July 9, 1850-March 4,
1853).
Last Whig to hold office of president.
Was opposed to proposal to block
slavery out of territories annexed during
Mexican-American War in order satisfy
South and supported Compromise of
1850, which he signed, including Fugitive
Slave Act (“Bloodhound Law”); this was
part of compromise.
On foreign policy front, he expanded
rising trade with Japan and broke with
French over Napoleon III’s attempt to
annex Hawaii and with French and British
over attempt of Narciso López to take
over Cuba.
Joined Know-Nothing movement; during
Civil War, he was opposed to President
Lincoln but supported President Johnson
during Reconstruction.
Is ranked as one of the ten worst
presidents.
6. #5. Andrew Johnson
(Democratic)
Born December 29, 1808.
Died July 31, 1875.
17th President (April 15, 1865-March 4,
1869).
16th Vice President (March 4, 1865-
April 15, 1865).
U.S. Senator from Tennessee (March
4, 1875- July 31, 1875).
Headed Reconstruction era from
1865-1869 after Civil War.
Put own form of Presidential
Reconstruction into effect.
Was impeached by House of
Representatives in 1868, becoming
first president to be impeached, and
was charged with violation of Tenure of
Office Act, when he moved to fire
Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton
without Senate approval.
Was acquitted by one vote in Senate.
His Reconstruction policies have
ranked him one of the worst
presidents.
7. #6. Ulysses Simpson Grant (Republican)
Born April 27, 1822.
Died July 23, 1885.
18th President (March 4, 1869-March
4, 1877).
Commanding General of U.S. Navy
(March 9, 1864-March 4, 1869).
Led Union Army to victory against
Confederate military and put an end to
Civil War with Robert E. Lee’s army at
Appomattox Court House.
Led Radical Republicans in their effort
to remove all remnants of Confederate
nationalism and slavery; destroyed Ku
Klux Klan with KKK Act of 1871.
Passed 15th Amendment, which
ensured protection of African American
voting rights.
His administration was marked by 11
scandals with which they were directly
associated; the main scandals were
Black Friday in 1869 and Whiskey
Ring in 1875.
8. #7. John Tyler (Whig)
Born March 29, 1790.
Died January 18, 1862.
10th President (April 4, 1841-March 4,
1845).
10th Vice President (March 4, 1841-April
4, 1841).
23rd Governor of Virginia (December 10,
1825-March 4, 1827).
First president to succeed to presidency
following his predecessor’s death.
Stood opposed to his party’s platform
when he took office and vetoed some of
their proposals; majority of his cabinet
resigned as a result, and Whigs,
nicknaming him His Accidency,
expelled him from the party.
Achievements in foreign policy were
signing of Webster-Ashburton Treaty
with Great Britain and Treaty of
Wanghia with China; devoted final two
years as president to 1845 annexation
of Texas, which was achieved by
successor James Knox Polk.
9. #8. Zachary Taylor (Whig)
Born November 24, 1784.
Died July 9, 1850.
12th President (March 4, 1849-July 9,
1850).
Was at first uninterested in politics, but
ran as Whig candidate in 1848
presidential election; he was elected over
Democrat Lewis Cass.
Last President to own slaves in office,
and second and last Whig to win in
presidential election.
Second president who died in office; first
was 9th president, William Henry
Harrison.
Had 40-year military career in U.S. Army,
serving in Wars such as War of 1812,
Black Hawk War, and Second Seminole
War.
Dissatisfied many Southerners by taking
moderate position on issue of slavery;
pressed settlers in New Mexico and
California to bypass territorial stage and
design constitutions for statehood,
leading to Compromise of 1850.
10. #9. Herbert Clark Hoover
(Republican)
Born August 10, 1874.
Died October 20, 1964.
31st President (March 4, 1929-March 4, 1933).
3rd U.S. Secretary of Commerce (March 5,
1921-August 21, 1928).
Served as head of Food Administration (1917-
1919) under Thomas Woodrow Wilson.
Advanced partnerships between government and
business under rubric “economic modernization”.
Even though he had no previous elected office
experience, Hoover easily won 1928 presidential
election in landslide over Democrat Al Smith
because United States was economically
prosperous under incumbent Republican
administration of John Calvin Coolidge.
Tried to battle Great Depression with volunteer
efforts, public works projects like Hoover Dam,
tariffs like Smoot-Hawley Tariff, increase in top
tax bracket from 25% to 63%, and increases in
corporal taxes; failed to restore economic
prosperity during his only term, but served as
foundation for various policies of successor
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, of which he
became a critic after leaving office in 1933.
Failure of his administration to end downward
economic spiral has ranked him unfavorably
among U.S. presidents.
11. #10. John Calvin Coolidge
(Republican)
Born July 4, 1872.
Died January 5, 1933.
30th President (August 2, 1923-March 4, 1929).
29th Vice President (March 4, 1921-August 2,
1923).
48th Governor of Massachusetts (January 2,
1919-January 6, 1921).
46th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
(January 6, 1916-January 2, 1919).
Ascended to Presidency upon death of Warren
G. Harding in 1923; was elected to full term in his
own right in 1924 and achieved reputation as
small-government conservative, and also as a
man who said very little.
Returned public confidence in White House after
scandals of predecessor's administration, and left
office a significantly popular man.
Exalted accomplishment of widespread
prosperity of 1928, saying: “The requirements of
existence have passed beyond the standard of
necessity into the region of luxury.”
His presidency was later judged as part of
general criticism of laissez-faire government.