Presidents - Mr. E's Forum: 2006-2007

Date: Apr 5, 2007

Presidents

Date: Apr 7, 2007

I'm not sure if this is the type of information you're looking for Mr. E., but I tried.Benjamin Harrison (23rd President)1. Member of the Republican Party - served from 1889-18932. He graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, near the top of his class. He also studied law with a well-known firm in Cincinnati.3. At the end of his administration, he submitted to the Senate, a treaty to annex Hawaii, however, it was turned down.4. He signed the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to protect trade and commerce against unlawful restraints and monopolies - this was the first Federal act attempting to regulate trusts.5. While president, he signed many bills for internal improvements, naval expansion, and subsidies for steamship lines.6. The tariff issue was Harrisons most difficult problem to deal with in the United States. Since the high tariff rates created a lot of excess money in the Treasury, the tariff was removed from imported raw sugar, and sugar growers within the United States were given two cents a pound bounty on their production.7. In 1890, he passed the Dependent Pension Bill, which provided benefits to Union veterans and their children and widows.8. He tried, but failed, to convince Congress to guarantee the bonds of a private company trying to build a canal in Nicaragua.9. In 1891, he signed a measure that created nine Circuit Courts of Appeals; the new courts helped lessen the demands of the Supreme Court.10. In 1890, he passed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, which allowed silver to be included in the federal coinage. Silver prices were actually driven down instead of up, as farmers had hoped.

Date: Apr 7, 2007

Tanya wrote:

I'm not sure if this is the type of information you're looking for Mr. E., but I tried.Benjamin Harrison (23rd President)1. Member of the Republican Party - served from 1889-18932. He graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, near the top of his class. He also studied law with a well-known firm in Cincinnati.3. At the end of his administration, he submitted to the Senate, a treaty to annex Hawaii, however, it was turned down.4. He signed the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to protect trade and commerce against unlawful restraints and monopolies - this was the first Federal act attempting to regulate trusts.5. While president, he signed many bills for internal improvements, naval expansion, and subsidies for steamship lines.6. The tariff issue was Harrisons most difficult problem to deal with in the United States. Since the high tariff rates created a lot of excess money in the Treasury, the tariff was removed from imported raw sugar, and sugar growers within the United States were given two cents a pound bounty on their production.7. In 1890, he passed the Dependent Pension Bill, which provided benefits to Union veterans and their children and widows.8. He tried, but failed, to convince Congress to guarantee the bonds of a private company trying to build a canal in Nicaragua.9. In 1891, he signed a measure that created nine Circuit Courts of Appeals; the new courts helped lessen the demands of the Supreme Court.10. In 1890, he passed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, which allowed silver to be included in the federal coinage. Silver prices were actually driven down instead of up, as farmers had hoped.

Excellent! And in context, Harrison was president during massive immigration, industrialization, urbanization, Native American war, farmer's struggles and the beginnings of anti-trust legislation.

Date: Apr 9, 2007

#16 President Lincoln

Lincoln was elected in 1960, beating his rival William H. Seward and Salmon Chase because of his expressed views on slavery (winning votes from abolitionists), his western origin (winning votes from new states), etc.

Lincoln misunderstood Southern pride and stubborness and often denied in the 1850s that there would ever be a civil war.

As soon as Lincoln was elected President of the US, South Carolina and later 6 other cotton growing states in the deep south had secceeded from the Union. They declared themselves an entirely new nation: The Confederate States of America.

President Lincoln's power has often been question because he often made very important decisions without Congress's approval. Can Lincoln's power be considered dictator? or are his actions justified in which he is protecting his country in crisis?

At the time Congress was some-what out of service and Lincoln was the head macho in the White House. His decisions were very important... all of them leading to important events that occured in the Civil War.

The fighting began at Fort Sumter, a union fort in the secceeded south. Lincoln wanted to send supplies to the troops at the fort such as food and clothes. He told the South it was not an act of aggression. However, the South felt he was renforcing his troops and upon fire were forced to surrender in April 1861.

(There are still more comming!!!)

Date: Apr 9, 2007

I have a blank spot between Jackson and the first Roosevelt, so if anyone wants to help me out there (e.g. what did Arthur really do), I'd appreciate it.

thanks

Date: Apr 9, 2007

James Abram Garfield (Nov. 19, 1831- Sept. 19, 1881)

The 20^th president of the US and the second US president to be assassinated.
Garfield enlisted in the Union Army with the start of the Civil War. He later entered politics and was elected to the House of Representatives.
Garfield was promoted to major general after the Battle of Chickamauga, shortly after he was elected into the House of Reps.

He left the army and took a seat in Congress.

Not done...

Date: Apr 9, 2007

James K. Polk 11^th president

-in office from 1845-1849

-democrat from Tennessee

-noted for his foreign policy success / split northwest with Britain / leader in the Mexican-American War

-committed to manifest destiny / secured Oregon territory

-oversaw the first postage stamps

-opening of the Smithsonian

-first president to be extensively photographed while in office

-was a slaveholder almost his whole life

-suppoerted annexation of Texas

-died 3 months after term ended

Date: Apr 9, 2007

Chester Arthur

Chester Arthur was the 21^st President of the United States. He served as the vice-president under Garfield and when Garfield was shot and later died, he was sworn in as President. He would only serve for one term, from September 19, 1881 March 4, 1885. The really notable thing he did was civil service reform under the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, which established the United States Civil Service Commission and ended the so-called spoils system. He is called the Father of Civil Service.

Date: Apr 9, 2007

Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the U.S., serving from 1801-1809.
He was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. The Continental congress (2nd) delegated the tast of writing the Declaration to a comittee of five that unanimously solicited Jefferson to write all of the drafts for the Document.
Major events during his precidency were the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804-1806.
He was a political philosopher, a man of enlightenment and knew many intellectual leaders in Britain and France.
He supported the separation of church and state and was the author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1779,1786.
He was one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of Republicanism in the U.S., was the eponym of Jeffersonian democracy and the founder and leader of the Jeffersonian Republican party, which eventually became the "Democratic-Republican Party and dominated American politics for a quarter century.
He served as the wartime governor of Virginia in 1779-1781.
He was the founder of the University of virginia.
He also served as the first secretary of state in 1789-1793 under George Washington.
Jefferson, in 1796 lost to John Adams, but had enough electoral votes to become Vice Pres. in 1797-1801.

Date: Apr 9, 2007

William Henry Harrison- 9^th President of the United States

William Henry Harrison had an extensive military career. In fact, his political slogan was Tippecanoe and Tyler too showing his strength and ability to defeat his opponents. After his father died, he was sent to the Northwest Territory to live from the age 18, on. Here he learned how to successfully command an army. Besides the Battle of Tippecanoe, he was also involved in the Battle of Fallen Timbers, the Northwest Indian War, and also was one of the signers of the Treaty of Greenville in 1795.

Harrison took oath of office on March 4, 1841. On this day, he delivered the longest inaugural address in American History. (8,445 words long-taking him 2 hours to read!) While delivering this speech, he caught pneumonia, causing him to die 30 days, 11 hours, and 30 minutes later.

During his presidency, he only had one official act. This was to call Congress into a special session, which he set to begin on May 31, 1841. Henry Clay argued over the need of this special session, and Harrison soon gave in.

His death disappointed the Whig Party, because they hoped to pass a revenue tariff and enact measures to support Henry Clays American System. When John Tyler took over, he abandoned the Whigs.

Trivia:

Harrison was the first sitting president to have his picture taken.

Harrisons grandson Benjamin Harrison became the 23^rd president of the United States.

In an episode of the fourth season of The Simpsons, I Love Lisa, includes a song titled We are the Mediocre Presidents, tributing the lesser-known presidents. One line includes: Theres Taylor, theres Tyler, theres Fillmore, and theres Hayes. Theres William Henry Harrison I Died in Thirty Days!

poor guy

Date: Apr 9, 2007

James Abram Garfield (Nov. 19, 1831- Sept. 19, 1881)

The 20^th president of the US and the second US president to be assassinated.
Garfield enlisted in the Union Army with the start of the Civil War. He later entered politics and was elected to the House of Representatives.
Garfield was promoted to major general after the Battle of Chickamauga, shortly after he was elected into the House of Reps.
He left the army and took his seat in Congress.
He was involved in the Credit Mobilier of America Scandal.
In 1876 he was a Republican member of the Electoral Commission .
Garfield was elected in 1880 and came into office in 1881. He defeated Winfield Scott Han****.
Garfield was shot four months after he came into office.
His killer was Charles Julius Guiteau on July 2, 1881 at 9:30 am.
Garfield was the first minister to serve as president.
Garfield served on the board of trustees of Western ReserveUniversity.

Date: Apr 9, 2007

President monroe...

1. he was the 5th president

2.He was in office from 1817 to 1825

3.Monroe welcomed an opportunity to press Spain to cede Florida and define the boundaries of Louisiana (acquistion of Florida)

4.Monroe rejected the British offer the Monroe Doctrine he declared that the United States would regard any interference in the internal affairs of American states as an unfriendly act.

5. Monroe's most positive program was the construction of a network of coastal fortifications to guard against future invasions.

6. During His presidency Illinois, Mississippi, Alabama, Maine and Missouri were ammitteed to the union.

Date: Apr 9, 2007

From the start, Lincoln made clear that, unlike Buchanan, he believed the national government had the power to crush the rebellion. Not an abolitionist, he held the slavery issue subordinate to that of preserving the Union, but soon perceived that the war could not be brought to a successful conclusion without freeing the slaves.

He was reelected in 1864, defeating Gen. George B. McClellan, the Democratic candidate. His inaugural address urged leniency toward the South: With malice toward none, with charity for all . . . let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds . . . This policy aroused growing opposition on the part of the Republican Radicals, but before the matter could be put to the test, Lincoln was shot by the actor John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater, Washington, on April 14, 1865. He died the next morning.

Lincoln's marriage to Mary Todd in 1842

He was shot by John Wilkes Booth on Good Friday, April 14, 1865 at the Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC. He as watching a play called "Our American Cousin."

President Lincoln died on April 15, 1865 in Washington, D.C. He was 56 years and 62 days old. He is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Ill.

Date: Apr 9, 2007

am I posting this stuff in the right forum section... or should I have posted my president under assignment #1 forum.... because I noticed there were a bunch of posts in there.

Date: Apr 9, 2007

never mind

Date: Apr 9, 2007

Kathryn,
It's kina of weird because if you think about it, to some people Lincoln might have seem dishonest, because at first he obviously did not want to come out and say that he was fighting to abolish slavery, because at first that wasn't the issue anyway. It was almost as if he had this secret plan in his mind that he knew he was aiming to get rid of slavery, but he didn't want the south to sucede from the Union. But it's weird, becasue even you mentioned that he wasn't an abolitionsist.

Date: Apr 9, 2007

Jessica,
Monroe seemed like he was a pretty cool guy and did a lot of things. But do you think that the coastal fortifications he made to protect against future invasions truly worked? You stated that it was his most positive program, but was it positive in that it actually helped, or positive in that it was a nice idea?

Date: Apr 9, 2007

Julia,
Do you think that Harrison was liked by the Whigs so much because he gave them what they wanted, or because he truly looked out for the good of the country? The Whigs were disappointed when he died because they wanted to pass a revenue tariff. Were they looking forward to this because they NEW he would pass it, or just because it was a chance of being passed? Because obviously that didn't happen when John Tyler took over.

Date: Apr 9, 2007

Crystal,
All I really have to say is that Thomas Jefferson was a pretty cool guy. =] Knowledge just seemed to pour out of him lol. But he did lots of cool things like support the Alien Sedition Acts (which I think was pretty smart) and basically writing the Declaration of Independence. (All I can think of is National Treasure now when it comes to the Declaration of Independece haha)

Date: Apr 9, 2007

Jarred,
I love how your president was vice president under my president and only came into office because mine was assassinated haha. =] But ANYWAYS. Chester Arthur didn't really do much, but you did give him some good credit which is good! But did you know the poor guy died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage?? Not fun.

Date: Apr 9, 2007

woops, I def. put Jarreds name on the last post so it look like he was talking to himself haha. But i meant to just send the post to him, not to put his name as the poster. SORRY!!!

Date: Apr 9, 2007

Jillian,
I thought you summed up James Polk really good. It had a lot of main points. Did he have something to do with the Ostend Manifesto?? I don't remember, or if it was just during that time. Interesting fact: Polk was baptized as a Methodist before he died. Weird, a Methodist President. (Even though he wasn't president when he died.)

Date: Apr 9, 2007

James Madison. 1] Fourth president of the U.S.2] One of the most influential Founding Fathers3] Father of the Constitution4] Also the Father of the Bill of Rights5] Strongly believed in Republicanism6] Helped start the Republican party7] Was against Jays Treaty and the national bank8] Led the U.S. against Britain in the War of 1812.9] In 1815, he changed his views and supported the second national bank10] Accompanied Hamilton and John Jay in writing the Federalist Papers.

Date: Apr 9, 2007

Tanya,
Harrison seemed to try to do a lot to help internal improvments and stuff. He did a LOT of federal spending! haha I mean, with the McKinley Tariff and everything, with federal spending reaching the billions. The congress even became known as the Billion Dollar Congress. Crazy! haha

Date: Apr 9, 2007

Jarred- Before this, I had no clue there was even a guy named Chester Arthur. ha. But i have one question... What's civil service? I dont know if I should know that or not. lol. but I dont so... yea.

Date: Apr 9, 2007

Krystal,
Madison did a lot of things during his presidency, but one thing that I think was the most important was the starting of the Republicans. I mean, I know he did a lot of other things, but that still shapes our country today. The ideas may not be the same, because the political parties changed and stuff, but I think that was a significant thing. (The national bank and other things also changed the country like you said.)

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Brandi,
Yeah, I think that I contradicted myself in my facts. First I mentioned that he won the election because abolitionists in the north voted for him........ however, later on I said he wasnt an abolitionist himself. I'm doing research on that now to get my facts straight. But I definately agree with you that O'Abe was against slavery, but wouldnt admit it because he didnt want the south to succeed. I remember us discussing that the Civil War was originally not a war to end slavery, but only a war to preserve the Union. When Abe came to the conclusion that the Union was already dismantled, he knew that in order for the North to become victorious was if he abolished slavery all together.

Date: Apr 10, 2007

1. 13th president2. Served 3 years3. Proceeded Zachary Taylor4. Admitted California as a free state5. Signed the fugitive slave act6. Abolished the slave trade in D.C.7. Would be the last Whig president8. Lost the 1856 election as the Know Nothing Party candidate9. Helped found the University of Buffalo10. He granted territorial status to New Mexico

Date: Apr 10, 2007

(continued from before)

Chester Arthur was thought to have played a part in the assignation of his predecessor early in his presidency. He also was very much aware of the widening rift in American politics that had killed a President. To stay out of this he decided that he would stay independent once in the White House. It worked for a while since public pressure forced Congress to heed the new President.

He tried to reduce taxes and the ones he attacked he normally did see lowered (though in reality Congress did raise just as many as it lowered). His administration saw the first federal immigration act. He forbade the immigration of all Chinese people to the country and also set up the Greenwich Meridian, which is still used today. He was able to separate himself from party politics because he had one major secret that he kept from the public and Congress, he was suffering from Brights Disease, a fatal kidney disease. He died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage at 5:10 a.m. on Thursday, November 18, 1886, at the age of 57, not long after leaving office. It is thought that the disease was caused by a long history of hypertension.

(p.s. to work in civil service means to work for the government in some way, though it is not usually concidered to be an elected position.)

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Tanya
I was a little confused when you said that they removed the tariffs because they were creating excess money in the Treasury. Isn't that a good thing? Why would they not want to have that money?

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Katheryn
When you spoke about Fort Sumnter you made it sound like the South was forced to surrender, however it is that North that was forced to surrender, wasn't it?

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Alex Z.
I'm not sure what you meant for help because you have Wilson has a president. sry I couldn't be more helpful.

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Jill
I was wondering, how did Polk die again?

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Crystal
The Election of 1800 between Jefferson and Adams was also known as the Revolution of 1800 because it was so controversal. Also did you know that after Jefferson got out of office he wrote his own version of the Bible. He pretty much just crossed out whatever he thought was wrong. You can still buy it today on like Amazon.com for like $10.80 or something.

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Julia
It is kind of a same that he died so early isn't it? especially since John Tyler was such a bad President who constantly had to fight Condress about everything.

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Ah Brandi, the girl of a million posts, lol. Very nice. Mr. Everett is definately going to give you an A now.
Well anyway i was wondering what the Credit Mobilier of America Scandal was 'cause I have never heard of it.

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Brandi,
Hey don't make fun of how my guy got into office cause your guy was just DYING t get out of the White House. hahahahahahaha get it dying hahahahaha.
Wow it is way to late to be doing this.

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Jessica,
Monroe also created a country, Liberia with the capital of Monroevia, which was made so that the slaves at the time could go back to Africa.

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Alex J.
Ummmm... whose your president?

Date: Apr 10, 2007

William Howard Taft

1) The 10th Supreme Court Chief Justice, he was very important to strengthening the Supreme Court and other federal courts in the country in their importance in making national decisions and policies.

2) 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913, he was a leader of the progressive conservative wing of the Republican Party. Taft was never really interested in politics(he originally objected to Roosevelts recommendation that he run for president in 1908), he really wanted to be a judge on the Supreme Court, and later in life said that he was most unhappy during his time as president and his highest honor being his nomination as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

3) President McKinley appointed Taft the chairman of a civilian government in the Philippines in 1900. In the following year, he was named the first civil governor of the Philippines. Although his true ambition was to be a justice on the Supreme Court, in 1902 he turned down his first nomination because he felt his work in the Philippines was not done yet.

4) Taft became the Secretary of War under Theodore Roosevelt in 1904. Tafts department helped supervise the building of the Panama Canal, set up the government in the Canal Zone, Taft also assisted Roosevelt in negotiating the Treaty of Portsmouth, this ended the Russo-Japanese War.

5) During a 1909 tariff debate, Taft proposed income taxes for corporations and businesses. In 1911 in Flint v. Stone Tracy Company, the Supreme Court approved it. Later an income tax on individuals required a constitutional amendment and in 1913 this was ratified as the 16th Amendment.

6) Taft alienated those who were in his party and on the other side at times. The Payne-Aldrich tariff of 1909 was too high and many were opposed to it, Taft, however took the credit for it rather than blaming Senator Nelson Aldrich. He said that he thought the tariff was the best bill to come from the Republican Party.

7) Taft launched 80 antitrust lawsuits, which included one against the largest corporation in the country, U.S. Steel, which lost him a lot of support, including that of Theodore Roosevelt.

8) During his time in office Taft strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission, established a postal savings bank, a parcel post system and expanded the civil service.

9) Taft referred to his foreign policy as dollar diplomacy, which was intended to further the economic development of less developed countries in Latin America and Asia through American investment in the main components of their economy.

10) One of his main goals as President was to implement the idea of world peace. He believed that arbitration was the best way toward world peace and he supported several arbitration treaties, one that he had attempted to negotiate with Canada in 1911 failed, but in 1910 and 1911 he successfully negotiated treaties with France and the United Kingdom

Also, in his youth, Taft allegedly once ate a live frog on either a dare or a bet.

Date: Apr 10, 2007

my fault, millard fillmore

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Jarred,
Yeah... I kinda typed it wierd. But thats exactly what I meant. I probably should have proof read it before I submitted the post. I was a little sleepy yesterday morning

. My bad

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Jarred wrote:

Alex Z.
I'm not sure what you meant for help because you have Wilson has a president. sry I couldn't be more helpful.

...Yeah, I'm not entirely sure what I meant by that either.

I think rather than asking a question about anything relevant, I was simply venting my lack o' knowledge about the late 1800s.

Oh, and can anyone explain to me what a president does in a typical day, because I'm beginning to wonder how you can spend a few years in office and be so forgettable (cue Arthur).

Date: Apr 10, 2007

^big. s_rry.

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Brandi wrote:

Julia,
Do you think that Harrison was liked by the Whigs so much because he gave them what they wanted, or because he truly looked out for the good of the country? The Whigs were disappointed when he died because they wanted to pass a revenue tariff. Were they looking forward to this because they NEW he would pass it, or just because it was a chance of being passed? Because obviously that didn't happen when John Tyler took over.

Brandy.I think that Harrison was liked by the Whigs because he gave them wahat they wanted. I think they were pretty positive that Harrison would pass the revenue tariff because they helped him get elected in 1840 by a landslide. Maybe Harrison would feel that he owed it to them?

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Jarred wrote:

Julia
It is kind of a same that he died so early isn't it? especially since John Tyler was such a bad President who constantly had to fight Condress about everything.

Jarred,
Yeah, the poor guy is almost a political joke. I found a few songs about him and episodes of TV shows where he is made fun of. I guess its his fault for making his inaugural address so long. Who listens to those things anyway

JUST KIDDING MR. EVERETT.

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Jillian wrote:

James K. Polk 11th president-in office from 1845-1849-democrat from Tennessee-noted for his foreign policy success / split northwest with Britain / leader in the Mexican-American War-committed to manifest destiny / secured Oregon territory-oversaw the first postage stamps-opening of the Smithsonian-first president to be extensively photographed while in office-was a slaveholder almost his whole life-suppoerted annexation of Texas-died 3 months after term ended

Awh, Jill
Your poor little guy didn't last much longer than mine!
What did he do to be so committed to Manifest Destiny? Did he go around trying to spread ideas? Was he a Manifest Preacher?

Date: Apr 10, 2007

Tanya wrote:

Benjamin Harrison (23rd President)...blahblahblah

hey tanya .....Benjamin Harrison was also known as the "centennial president" (his inauguration was the 100th year anniversary of Washingtons presidency.

Harrison also admitted the states south dakota north dakota montana washington idaho and wyoming (the most since george washingtons presidency)

Date: Apr 10, 2007

alex j wrote:

1. 13th president2. Served 3 years3. Proceeded Zachary Taylor4. Admitted California as a free state5. Signed the fugitive slave act6. Abolished the slave trade in D.C.7. Would be the last Whig president8. Lost the 1856 election as the Know Nothing Party candidate9. Helped found the University of Buffalo10. He granted territorial status to New Mexico

Alex, why do you think there weren't any Whig Presidents after Fillmore?

Date: Apr 10, 2007

1) born in braintree in october 1735
2)in both first and 2nd continental congresses
3)served as diplomat in both holland and france during the revolution
4)First vice-president
5) the X,Y,Z affair
6) created peace with france, ending Quasi war
7)helped found republican ideals (rejecting hereditary monarchy and corruption, devoted to civic duty)
8)defended british soldiers who were involved in the boston massacre
9) he was a unitarian
10) died on his farm in quincy, july 4th, 1826