Presidential History Timeline

The presidency didn’t arrive fully formed. It grew era by era, and each era asked the same question in a different setting: how much can one elected executive do, and what checks still hold?

George Washington created precedents by refusing a crown and leaving office voluntarily. Franklin D. Roosevelt built a modern administrative presidency during depression and war. Every president since has worked inside, and pushed against, the office those two shaped.

The presidency by era

All 47 presidencies

Founding Era 1789–1825

The first five presidents built the office from Article II’s short text. George Washington set precedents nobody had to follow: a cabinet, a formal title of simply “Mr. President,” and stepping down after two terms. John Adams handed power to a political rival in 1801, the country’s first peaceful transfer between parties. Thomas Jefferson doubled the nation’s size with the Louisiana Purchase despite doubts about his constitutional authority.

Presidents of this era

  1. 1George WashingtonApril 30, 1789 – March 4, 1797
  2. 2John AdamsMarch 4, 1797 – March 4, 1801
  3. 3Thomas JeffersonMarch 4, 1801 – March 4, 1809
  4. 4James Madison1809 – 1817
  5. 5James Monroe1817 – 1825

Age of Expansion 1825–1861

Mass political parties and a wider (white male) electorate changed how presidents were chosen. Andrew Jackson used the veto more than all earlier presidents combined and claimed to speak for the people directly. James K. Polk pursued war with Mexico and doubled the country again. The decade before the Civil War produced a run of presidents who could not hold the Union together over slavery.

Presidents of this era

  1. 6John Quincy AdamsMarch 4, 1825 – March 4, 1829
  2. 7Andrew Jackson1829 – 1837
  3. 8Martin Van Buren1837 – 1841
  4. 9William Henry HarrisonMarch 4 – April 4, 1841
  5. 10John Tyler1841 – 1845
  6. 11James Knox Polk1845 – 1849
  7. 12Zachary Taylor1849 – 1850
  8. 13Millard Fillmore1850 – 1853
  9. 14Franklin Pierce1853 – 1857
  10. 15James BuchananMarch 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861

Civil War & Reconstruction 1861–1901

Abraham Lincoln stretched presidential war powers further than any president before him, then was assassinated days after the war ended. Andrew Johnson’s fight with Congress over Reconstruction led to the first presidential impeachment. For the rest of the century Congress, not the White House, usually set the national agenda.

Presidents of this era

  1. 16Abraham Lincoln1861 – 1865
  2. 17Andrew Johnson1865 – 1869
  3. 18Ulysses S. Grant1869 – 1877
  4. 19Rutherford B. HayesMarch 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881
  5. 20James Abram Garfield1881
  6. 21Chester A. ArthurSeptember 19, 1881 – March 4, 1885
  7. 22Grover Cleveland (First Term)March 4, 1885 – March 4, 1889
  8. 23Benjamin Harrison1889 – 1893
  9. 24Grover Cleveland (Second Term)March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1897
  10. 25William McKinley1897 – 1901

Progressive Era 1901–1933

Theodore Roosevelt treated the office as a “bully pulpit” and took on monopolies. Woodrow Wilson led the country through World War I and pushed a peace plan the Senate rejected. The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments (income tax, direct election of senators) changed the government the presidents worked within.

Presidents of this era

  1. 26Theodore Roosevelt1901 – 1909
  2. 27William Howard Taft1909 – 1913
  3. 28Woodrow Wilson1913 – 1921
  4. 29Warren G. Harding1921 – 1923
  5. 30Calvin Coolidge1923 – 1929
  6. 31Herbert Clark Hoover1929 – 1933

New Deal & World War II 1933–1953

Franklin D. Roosevelt built the modern federal government through the Depression and World War II and won four elections. The Twenty-Second Amendment, ratified in 1951, made his four terms the last. Harry Truman began the Cold War presidency, from the Truman Doctrine to the Korean War.

Presidents of this era

  1. 32Franklin D. Roosevelt1933 – 1945
  2. 33Harry S Truman1945 – 1953

Cold War 1953–1993

Nuclear weapons and a standing military made the president commander of a permanent national security state. The era brought civil rights laws and the Great Society, the Vietnam War, Watergate and the first presidential resignation, and Congress’s attempts to reclaim power, such as the War Powers Resolution of 1973.

Presidents of this era

  1. 34Dwight D. Eisenhower1953 – 1961
  2. 35John Fitzgerald Kennedy1961 – 1963
  3. 36Lyndon B. Johnson1963 – 1969
  4. 37Richard M. Nixon1969 – 1974
  5. 38Gerald R. Ford1974 – 1977
  6. 39James Earl Carter1977 – 1981
  7. 40Ronald ReaganJanuary 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989
  8. 41George H. W. Bush1989 – 1993

Contemporary 1993–present

Presidents now govern through executive orders, regulations and emergency powers as much as through laws. The era includes two presidential impeachments in one presidency, the response to the September 11 attacks, and the second non-consecutive presidency in the nation’s history.

Presidents of this era

  1. 42William J. Clinton1993 – 2001
  2. 43George W. Bush2001 – 2008
  3. 44Barack Obama2009 – 2016
  4. 45Donald Trump (First Term)January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021
  5. 46Joe BidenJanuary 20, 2021 – January 20, 2025
  6. 47Donald Trump (Second Term)January 20, 2025 – present

Featured presidents

1 1789–1797 · None (unaffiliated)

George Washington

Set the precedents

Washington decided what the presidency would be. He formed the first cabinet, kept the military under civilian control, insisted on neutrality in Europe’s wars, and left after two terms when nothing required him to. His Farewell Address warned against permanent foreign alliances and partisan “factions.”

  • Two-term tradition
  • Farewell Address
  • Neutrality Proclamation
Full profile
16 1861–1865 · Republican

Abraham Lincoln

Preserved the Union

Lincoln used war powers no president had claimed before: he suspended habeas corpus, blockaded Southern ports, and issued the Emancipation Proclamation as commander in chief, without an act of Congress. He was assassinated days after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.

  • Civil War
  • Emancipation Proclamation
  • 13th Amendment
Full profile
26 1901–1909 · Republican

Theodore Roosevelt

The bully pulpit

At 42, the youngest person ever to become president. Roosevelt used the office to speak directly to the public, broke up monopolies, protected about 230 million acres of public land, including five national parks, and expanded American power abroad with the Panama Canal.

  • Trust-buster
  • Conservation
  • Panama Canal
Full profile
32 1933–1945 · Democrat

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The modern presidency

The only president elected four times. Roosevelt led the country through the Great Depression and World War II; the New Deal created Social Security, the SEC and the FDIC and built much of today’s federal government. The 22nd Amendment, ratified after his death, limits presidents to two elected terms.

  • New Deal
  • Social Security
  • World War II
Full profile
36 1963–1969 · Democrat

Lyndon B. Johnson

The Great Society

Sworn in on Air Force One after Kennedy’s assassination, Johnson pushed through the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, Medicare and Medicaid. The escalation of the Vietnam War divided the country and led him not to seek reelection.

  • Civil Rights Act
  • Medicare
  • Vietnam War
Full profile
37 1969–1974 · Republican

Richard M. Nixon

The resignation

Nixon opened relations with China and created the Environmental Protection Agency. Facing near-certain impeachment over the Watergate cover-up, he became the only president to resign, and Congress passed new limits on presidential power in response.

  • Watergate
  • China
  • Environmental Protection Agency
Full profile

All presidents

Every presidency in order, each with its own profile: background, key actions in office, and lasting impact on the office. Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump served non-consecutive terms and are counted twice.

Founding Era 1789–1825

  1. 1 George WashingtonFather of His Country April 30, 1789 – March 4, 1797 None (unaffiliated) Profile →
  2. 2 John AdamsAtlas of Independence March 4, 1797 – March 4, 1801 Federalist Profile →
  3. 3 Thomas JeffersonSage of Monticello March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1809 Democratic-Republican Profile →
  4. 4 James Madison 1809 – 1817 Democratic-Republican Profile →
  5. 5 James Monroe 1817 – 1825 Democratic-Republican Profile →

Age of Expansion 1825–1861

  1. 6 John Quincy AdamsOld Man Eloquent March 4, 1825 – March 4, 1829 Democratic-Republican Profile →
  2. 7 Andrew Jackson 1829 – 1837 Democrat Profile →
  3. 8 Martin Van Buren 1837 – 1841 Democrat Profile →
  4. 9 William Henry HarrisonOld Tippecanoe March 4 – April 4, 1841 Whig Profile →
  5. 10 John Tyler 1841 – 1845 Whig Profile →
  6. 11 James Knox Polk 1845 – 1849 Democrat Profile →
  7. 12 Zachary Taylor 1849 – 1850 Whig Profile →
  8. 13 Millard Fillmore 1850 – 1853 Whig Profile →
  9. 14 Franklin Pierce 1853 – 1857 Democrat Profile →
  10. 15 James BuchananOld Buck March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861 Democratic Profile →

Civil War & Reconstruction 1861–1901

  1. 16 Abraham Lincoln 1861 – 1865 Republican Profile →
  2. 17 Andrew Johnson 1865 – 1869 Democrat Profile →
  3. 18 Ulysses S. Grant 1869 – 1877 Republican Profile →
  4. 19 Rutherford B. HayesRutherfraud (critics' nickname) March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881 Republican Profile →
  5. 20 James Abram Garfield 1881 Republican Profile →
  6. 21 Chester A. ArthurThe Gentleman Boss September 19, 1881 – March 4, 1885 Republican Profile →
  7. 22 Grover Cleveland (First Term)Grover the Good March 4, 1885 – March 4, 1889 Democratic Profile →
  8. 23 Benjamin Harrison 1889 – 1893 Republican Profile →
  9. 24 Grover Cleveland (Second Term)Grover the Good March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1897 Democratic Profile →
  10. 25 William McKinley 1897 – 1901 Republican Profile →

Progressive Era 1901–1933

  1. 26 Theodore Roosevelt 1901 – 1909 Republican Profile →
  2. 27 William Howard Taft 1909 – 1913 Republican Profile →
  3. 28 Woodrow Wilson 1913 – 1921 Democrat Profile →
  4. 29 Warren G. Harding 1921 – 1923 Republican Profile →
  5. 30 Calvin Coolidge 1923 – 1929 Republican Profile →
  6. 31 Herbert Clark Hoover 1929 – 1933 Republican Profile →

New Deal & World War II 1933–1953

  1. 32 Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933 – 1945 Democrat Profile →
  2. 33 Harry S Truman 1945 – 1953 Democrat Profile →

Cold War 1953–1993

  1. 34 Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953 – 1961 Republican Profile →
  2. 35 John Fitzgerald Kennedy 1961 – 1963 Democrat Profile →
  3. 36 Lyndon B. Johnson 1963 – 1969 Democrat Profile →
  4. 37 Richard M. Nixon 1969 – 1974 Republican Profile →
  5. 38 Gerald R. Ford 1974 – 1977 Republican Profile →
  6. 39 James Earl Carter 1977 – 1981 Democrat Profile →
  7. 40 Ronald ReaganThe Great Communicator January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989 Republican Profile →
  8. 41 George H. W. Bush 1989 – 1993 Republican Profile →

Contemporary 1993–present

  1. 42 William J. Clinton 1993 – 2001 Democrat Profile →
  2. 43 George W. Bush 2001 – 2008 Republican Profile →
  3. 44 Barack Obama 2009 – 2016 Democrat Profile →
  4. 45 Donald Trump (First Term) January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021 Republican Profile →
  5. 46 Joe Biden January 20, 2021 – January 20, 2025 Democratic Profile →
  6. 47 Donald Trump (Second Term) January 20, 2025 – present Republican Profile →

Landmark presidential moments

1803 — Jefferson

The Louisiana Purchase

Jefferson doubled the size of the country with a treaty he doubted the Constitution allowed, then sent it to the Senate anyway, a precedent for broad presidential action in foreign affairs.

1863 — Lincoln

The Emancipation Proclamation

Using his war powers as commander in chief, Lincoln declared enslaved people in the Confederate states free, changing the purpose of the war and setting the stage for the 13th Amendment.

1933 — F. Roosevelt

The First Hundred Days

Roosevelt and Congress passed 15 major laws in his first hundred days, including bank reform and relief programs. Every new president is measured against that benchmark.

1962 — Kennedy

The Cuban Missile Crisis

Thirteen days in October brought the world close to nuclear war. Kennedy chose a naval blockade over air strikes, and the Soviet Union removed its missiles from Cuba.

1974 — Nixon

The Resignation

Facing impeachment over the Watergate cover-up, Nixon resigned. Congress followed with new checks on the presidency, from campaign finance laws to the budget process.

2001 — G. W. Bush

September 11 and the War on Terror

After the attacks, Congress passed an Authorization for Use of Military Force that later presidents have relied on for military action for more than two decades.

More on the presidency

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Elections & Succession

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Orders & Actions

Executive Orders and Presidential Actions Find Executive Orders Executive Powers Menu Veto Override Calculator

The Office Itself

The President The Vice President Departments and Agencies Impeachment

Presidential terms

Full glossary
Executive order
A signed, numbered direction from the President to the executive branch. It has the force of law only within the President’s existing authority, and a later president can revoke it.
Line of succession
Who becomes President if the office is vacant: the Vice President, then the Speaker of the House, the President pro tempore of the Senate, and the Cabinet secretaries in the order their departments were created.
Lame duck
An official serving out a term after a successor has been chosen. The 20th Amendment shortened the presidential lame-duck period by moving Inauguration Day from March 4 to January 20.
Veto
The President’s refusal to sign a bill. Congress can override a veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers; a pocket veto happens when Congress adjourns and the President does not sign.