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After the death of Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore became the president of the United States.

Fillmore had a hard childhood; he was born into a poor family in New York and his education did not last for more than a year. As a child, he had to work every day in the farms to earn a living. Later in his teenage, he went on to become a cloth maker. Though he had little formal schooling, he rose from poverty by diligent study to become a successful attorney.

He had served in the New York state government before being elected as Taylor’s vice president in 1848. He was also a U.S. Congressman for years.

As the vice president, Fillmore was largely ignored by Taylor. But, after the death of Taylor in July 1850, Fillmore became the president. Upon becoming the president, Fillmore supported laws to let California enter the Union as a free state. Fillmore ran unsuccessfully for president again in 1856.

He then gave up politics and died on March 8, 1874.

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Zachary Taylor was neither a politician, nor had he worked with the government. He didn’t even vote in the elections. But the public adored him. Wonder why? Zachary Taylor was a war hero. He was a general and national hero in the United States Army from the time of the Mexican-American War and the War of 1812. Taylor thought that it was a strange idea when his name came up for the presidential candidacy.

Taylor was a soldier at heart; he fought in the War of 1812 and in many battles against Indian tribes. But it was his success in battles against Mexico that gained him popularity and elevated him to the status of a hero. The Whigs saw a possibility in Taylor’s popularity and that is why he was nominated.

Taylor gained the nomination on the fourth ballot at the Whig Party convention in 1848. He defeated the Democratic candidate, Lewis Cass and went on to become the 12th president of America, something which he did not imagine, even in the wildest of dreams.

As the president, Taylor’s top priority was to preserve the Union. He was criticized for not making any progress on the most divisive issue in Congress, slavery. Taylor’s service was brief; he died sixteen months into his term. His vice-president Fillmore served the remainder of his term. Historians and scholars have ranked Taylor in the bottom quartile of U.S. presidents. This is of course partly due to his short term of office.

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James K. Polk was the 11th president of the United States. He was notable in many ways. Often called the ‘dark horse’, James K. Polk was the last strong president until the Civil War.

Polk entered politics as a young lawyer. He wanted Texas to be part of the Union. His views on Texas made him popular and paved his way to presidential candidacy. The annexation of Texas as a state however, resulted in a two-year war with Mexico.

November 7, 1844 was indeed a remarkable day in the history of the U.S. For the first time, the election for president was held on the same day across America. Needless to say, it was Polk’s day.

Polk was a strong leader and his tenure was marked by territorial gains as well as administrative innovations. The country expanded westward and a new department, the Department of the Interior, was created.

Polk established the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. He also authorized the setting up of the Smithsonian Institution, a national foundation for all areas of science.

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John Tyler had to take over the position of the president in one of the most unexpected turn of events, after the death of Harrison. Tyler served as the vice president under Harrison. He is also the first vice president to succeed to the presidency after the death of his predecessor.

Born in Virginia, Tyler grew up believing that the Constitution was of supreme importance. He was popular as a U.S. Congressman, governor and senator, and this was the reason he was chosen to run for the position of the vice president. Though loved as vice president, no one expected Tyler to become the president of the country.

Being the president was not easy for Tyler. The first ever impeachment resolution against a president was introduced in the House of Representatives when Tyler vetoed a tariff bill. A committee headed by Representative John Quincy Adams reported that the president had misused the veto power. However, the resolution failed.

He was rejected by the Democrats and Whigs alike because he refused allegiance to the programme of party leader Andrew Jackson. After this, Tyler functioned as a political independent.

Letitia Christian Tyler, Tyler’s wife was the first president’s wife to die in the White House. She died in 1842. After Letitia’s death, he married again, thus becoming the first president to marry while in office. This happened in 1844.

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William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of America was famous for many things. He was 68 at the time of his swearing-in ceremony and the oldest president to be elected at the time. His campaign slogan, ‘Tippecanoe and Tyler Too’ is known as one of the most famous campaign slogans in American history.

William Henry Harrison served the shortest tenure as the president in the history of the United Stated and was the first to die in the office. Harrison could barely make it for a month; he died on the 32nd day of his tenure. Harrison was born in Virginia like many other American presidents. He wanted to become a doctor, but had to leave his studies halfway after his father’s death.

He later joined the army to earn a living. He became interested in politics during his time in the army. What brought him to the national limelight was the Indian campaign that he won while serving as the territorial commander.

This led to his contesting in the 1840 elections, taking office in March 1841. Despite the cold weather, Harrison gave a long speech outdoors. Within a month, he was affected with a cold that developed into pneumonia. He died on 4th April, 1841.

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Martin Van Buren, the eighth president of America was called Little Magician by the people. He certainly did not make a rabbit vanish, but he was a friendly, cheerful person who knew how to work with people and how to get things done.

As a young lawyer, Martin showed an active interest in politics and law. By 1827, Martin Van Buren had emerged as a principal northern leader. President Andrew Jackson appointed him as the Secretary of State.

Van Buren was chosen for the position of vice president during Jackson’s second term. He was elected as president in 1836 with Jackson’s support.

Shortly after Martin Van Buren was sworn in as president, the country was in the midst of turmoil. It was 1837; the banks all over the country started failing. Many people lost their jobs. For about five years, the United States was affected by the worst depression so far in its history.

People started blaming Van Buren for the bad times. Though he tried his best to get the country back on its feet, he failed. He finally left office in 1841 after many attempts to save the country.

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Though Andrew Jackson was once defeated by John Quincy Adams, he was still popular among the masses. He was a leader who believed that a country should be run by common citizens.

On the day Andrew Jackson took office, a newspaper wrote, “It was a proud day for the people. General Jackson is their own president.” Jackson won the election by a direct appeal to the mass of voters. His political movement is popularly known as Jacksonian Democracy.

Americans dearly accepted him as the direct representative of the common man and he was elected as the seventh president of the United States in 1829 for the first time. He was elected a second time too and remained in office till 1837.

Jackson was born in a backwoods settlement in the Carolinas in 1767. Though his education was irregular, he managed to finish a law degree and went on to become an outstanding lawyer in Tennessee. He served as a major general during the War of 1812.

Unlike many of the previous presidents, Jackson did not defer to Congress in policy-making. But he used his power of the veto and his party leadership to assume command. Some of his followers thought he was too powerful and many called him ‘King Andrew’.

Jackson is widely regarded as the maker of the modern presidency. It is ironic that Jackson once said, ‘I know what I am fit for. I can command a body of men in a rough way; but I am not fit to be president.’

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The son of the second American president went on to become the sixth president of the country. John Quincy Adams, the sixth president was the son of John Adams. If you have been reading carefully up until now, you already know about John Adams.

Like his father, John Quincy Adams was interested in public service. Right from a very young age, he got to watch the lives of politicians and diplomats from a close range. It is not surprising that he ended up being both.

Quincy Adams spent his childhood in Europe and was influenced by it. He was a young diplomat in Europe himself during the French Revolution in 1789. He later returned to France as U.S. Ambassador from 1809 until 1817.

Before becoming the president, Quincy Adams was one of the most celebrated of the American diplomats. Effectively executing the Monroe Doctrine was one among his many achievements.

During his life as a congressman, he conducted a consistent and often dramatic fight against the expansion of slavery. He served as Secretary of State while James Monroe was president and played a major role in the acquisition of Florida.

Quincy Adams contested the presidential elections after Monroe’s second term. Though Andrew Jackson got more popular votes, none of the candidates had enough electoral votes. The House of Representatives had to choose a winner from the three top candidates, and Adams was elected.

During his tenure, Quincy Adams implemented several federally funded infrastructure projects. John Quincy Adams also established a national university and engaged with the countries of Latin America.

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James Monroe was the last president from the Founding Fathers. He would have never thought of becoming the fifth president of America in the days of his youth, while joining Washington’s Army.

James Monroe grew up in Westmoreland county and was a student at a Virginia college during the early days of the American Revolution. It was James Monroe who helped Thomas Jefferson with the Louisiana Purchase while the latter served as the president. He went on to become the president in 1817, defeating Rufus King.

Monroe’s administration is regarded as calm and prosperous. It set the stage for many monumental events for the United States of America as a nation. His tenure is known as the Era of Good Feelings. The Missouri Compromise took place when Monroe was president. Missouri wanted to enter the union as a slave state, where slavery was legal. According to the treaty, this was permitted, and Missouri joined the Union.

Monroe was of the opinion that the countries of Europe must stay away from the affairs of the independent nations and colonies in North and South America. This idea came to be known as the Monroe Doctrine and remained the cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy. Monroe was re-elected as the president in 1820.

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Despite being frequently ill, James Madison was a profound thinker and an expert on British laws.

When America finally broke free from the clutches of the British, Madison knew that the new country would need a new government. He suggested that America needed a written plan so that all of its people would know the law. He also influenced the planning and authorization of the nation at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

Madison also collaborated with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay in the publication of the Federalist Papers. The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 essays published between 1787 and 1788 about the proposed Constitution of the United States. It also talked about the nature of republican governments.

Needless to say, Madison is regarded as one of the Founding Fathers. James Madison went on to become the fourth president of the country, from 1809-1817.

During his tenure, the U.S. was caught in the war between France and Britain. When American ships began to be affected by the British attacks, Madison decided that it was time to fight back.

This kick-started what we know as ‘the war of 1812’. The war that lasted for two years was widely regarded as a victory for America. By the time Madison left office and went back to his Virginia farm, he had become a beloved and popular president.

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Thomas Jefferson was one of the Founding Fathers and the third president of the United States. He was a great thinker, architect, farmer and patriot. Historians generally praise Jefferson’s public achievements, including his advocacy of religious freedom and tolerance in Virginia.

Thomas Jefferson was born into a wealthy plantation family in 1743. Jefferson was gifted with words; he found it easier to write down his thought than to speak them. No wonder, he was entrusted with the responsibility to pen down the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was signed by the Congressional representatives of thirteen states, including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams, and was approved on 4 July 1776. Jefferson served as the Secretary of State under President George Washington.

Before becoming the president, Jefferson served as the vice president of the country in 1797. Jefferson made some important decisions for the country during his tenure as the president. It was Jefferson’s idea to create U.S. monetary system on a decimal system with the dollar as the base.

He bought a huge area of land from France that doubled the size of the nation. This is known as the Louisiana Purchase in history. After serving as the president for two terms, Jefferson retired to Monticello, his enormous plantation home, where he continued to write until his death.

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John Adams served as the second president of the United States of America. He was more of a political philosopher than a politician. Adams served as the vice president under George Washington. John Adams was a Harvard-educated lawyer who played an important role in the war of independence. He is one of the Founding Fathers and went on to become the first vice president of the newly independent nation.

It was Adams who worked with Thomas Jefferson on the wording of the Declaration of independence, a document declaring the U.S. to be independent of the British Crown. It is interesting to note that Adams was not formally nominated for presidentship. He became the de facto candidate with the endorsement of retiring President Washington and he won the elections defeating Thomas Jefferson.

His term began in 1797. It was Adams who established the U.S. Navy and ordered the first warships to be built. During his tenure, the war between the French and British caused great difficulties for the U.S. on the high seas. After great efforts, Adams was able to sign a peace treaty with France in 1800. Adams ran for the presidential election again in 1800. He competed against Thomas Jefferson again, but this time, the people favoured Jefferson. Adams died on 4 July, 1826.

The U.S. Presidential Election was one of the much-awaited events of 2020. After a very long poll, Joe Biden was elected the President defeating Donald Trump in November, 2020. He will assume power as the 46th President on 20 January, 2021. Biden was a popular Vice President of the United States from 2009-17 under President Barack Obama.

Born in Pennsylvania on 20 November, 1942, Biden grew up in Scranton and New Castle County. He completed his bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware in 1965 and took a law degree from the Syracuse University in 1968.

He was elected to the U.S. Senate at the age of 29, in 1972, thus becoming the fifth youngest senator in the history of the country. Biden was re-elected to the Senate six times. He resigned in 2008 to serve as Barack Obama’s Vice President after the 2008 presidential election.

Biden played a major role as the vice president in Obama’s initiatives. He announced his presidential candidacy for the 2020 elections in April, 2019, proving all the speculations true. It was in August, 2020 that he announced his choice of U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California as his running mate.

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As we already know, Biden served as the Vice President to Obama. Biden played an active role and served his duties with utmost efficiency. Apart from being an influential advisor to Obama, Biden was also entrusted with many notable assignments including shaping the U.S. policy for Iraq.

Biden was an integral part of the holistic development of America. During his term, he made 16 overseas trips in the Americas. This includes four trips each to Brazil and Mexico, and three each to Canada, Colombia, and Guatemala. It was Biden who launched and chaired the U.S. - Mexico High Level Economic Dialogue. This initiative improved trade, investment, and border infrastructure between the two countries.

He also worked with the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to create the Alliance for Prosperity Plan for the Northern Triangle of Central America. He also raised funds for the region.

It was Biden who led efforts to pass the United States - Russia New START treaty for the reduction of nuclear arms. He supported closer economic ties with Russia. He led the Gun Violence Task Force following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. He also supported the NATO-led military intervention in Libya in 2011. Biden’s role was crucial in solving many budget crises as well.

Biden’s efforts and efficiency did not go unnoticed. Both Obama and Biden were re-elected in 2012. In January 2017, Obama awarded Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Obama referred to him as ‘my brother’ while presenting the rarely given honour!

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No one deserves title ‘the father of the United States of America’ more than George Washington, a highly-respected hero of the American Revolution and one of the founders of the nation.

George Washington was one among the leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies and led the war for independence from Great Britain. He was also instrumental in building the framework of the government for the new United States of America upon republican principles, during the latter decades of the 18th century. He set enduring precedents for the office of president, including the title “Mr. President”.

Born in a planter family in Virginia in 1732, George Washington was raised to become a well-mannered Virginian gentleman with all the moral values of the time. He even served with the British army during the French and Indian Wars.

By 1775, the colonies were upset with the British as they had to pay huge amounts of taxes. George Washington was present at the Continental Congresses when leaders came together to discuss what could be done.

A colonial army was formed to fight the British as a result of the Continental Congresses of 1774, 1775 and 1776. George Washington was asked to take the command of the army. He took command on July 3, 1775 and the war lasted for six long years at the end of which he forced the British to surrender in Yorktown, with some help from the French allies.

In 1783, the British gave up their control over the colonies and America became a free country. Five years later, the new Constitution was approved. When the time came to elect a president to the newly formed nation - the United States of America, Washington was the man everybody trusted. George Washington served as the president for two terms from 1789 to 1797.

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