The White House, official residence of the president of the United States, in May 2006

The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States,[1] indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College.[2] The officeholder leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.[3] Since the office was established in 1789, 45 men have served in 46 presidencies. The first president, George Washington, won a unanimous vote of the Electoral College.[4] Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms and is therefore counted as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, giving rise to the discrepancy between the number of presidencies and the number of individuals who have served as president.[5] The incumbent president is Joe Biden.[6]

The presidency of William Henry Harrison, who died 31 days after taking office in 1841, was the shortest in American history.[7] Franklin D. Roosevelt served the longest, over twelve years, before dying early in his fourth term in 1945. He is the only U.S. president to have served more than two terms.[8] Since the ratification of the Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1951, no person may be elected president more than twice, and no one who has served more than two years of a term to which someone else was elected may be elected more than once.[9]

Four presidents died in office of natural causes (William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Warren G. Harding, and Franklin D. Roosevelt), four were assassinated (Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy), and one resigned (Richard Nixon, facing impeachment and removal from office).[10] John Tyler was the first vice president to assume the presidency during a presidential term, and set the precedent that a vice president who does so becomes the fully functioning president with his presidency.[11]

Throughout most of its history, American politics has been dominated by political parties. The Constitution is silent on the issue of political parties, and at the time it came into force in 1789, no organized parties existed. Soon after the 1st Congress convened, political factions began rallying around dominant Washington administration officials, such as Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.[12] Concerned about the capacity of political parties to destroy the fragile unity holding the nation together, Washington remained unaffiliated with any political faction or party throughout his eight-year presidency. He was, and remains, the only U.S. president never affiliated with a political party.[13]

Presidents

List of presidents of the United States from 1789 – till date.
No.[lower-alpha 1] Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)		 Term[14] Party[lower-alpha 2][15] Election Vice President[16]
1 Painting of George Washington George Washington
(1732–1799)
[17]		 April 30, 1789
–
March 4, 1797		 Unaffiliated 1788–1789

1792

 John Adams[lower-alpha 3]
2 Painting of John Adams John Adams
(1735–1826)
[19]		 March 4, 1797
–
March 4, 1801		 Federalist 1796 Thomas Jefferson[lower-alpha 4]
3 Painting of Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson
(1743–1826)
[21]		 March 4, 1801
–
March 4, 1809		 Democratic-
Republican		 1800

1804

 Aaron Burr

George Clinton

4 Painting of James Madison James Madison
(1751–1836)
[22]		 March 4, 1809
–
March 4, 1817		 Democratic-
Republican		 1808

1812

 George Clinton[lower-alpha 5]

Vacant after
April 20, 1812

Elbridge Gerry[lower-alpha 5]

Vacant after
November 23, 1814

5 Painting of James Monroe James Monroe
(1758–1831)
[24]		 March 4, 1817
–
March 4, 1825		 Democratic-
Republican		 1816

1820

 Daniel D. Tompkins
6 Painting of John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams
(1767–1848)
[25]		 March 4, 1825
–
March 4, 1829		 Democratic-
Republican[lower-alpha 6]

National Republican

 1824 John C. Calhoun[lower-alpha 7]
7 Painting of Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson
(1767–1845)
[28]		 March 4, 1829
–
March 4, 1837		 Democratic 1828

1832

 John C. Calhoun[lower-alpha 8]

Vacant after
December 28, 1832

Martin Van Buren

8 Painting of Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren
(1782–1862)
[29]		 March 4, 1837
–
March 4, 1841		 Democratic 1836 Richard Mentor Johnson
9 Painting of William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison
(1773–1841)
[30]		 March 4, 1841
–
April 4, 1841[lower-alpha 5]		 Whig 1840 John Tyler
10 Black-and-white photographic portrait of John Tyler John Tyler
(1790–1862)
[31]		 April 4, 1841[lower-alpha 9]
–
March 4, 1845		 Whig[lower-alpha 10]

Unaffiliated

 – Vacant throughout
presidency
11 Black-and-white photographic portrait of James K. Polk James K. Polk
(1795–1849)
[34]		 March 4, 1845
–
March 4, 1849		 Democratic 1844 George M. Dallas
12 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor
(1784–1850)
[35]		 March 4, 1849
–
July 9, 1850[lower-alpha 5]		 Whig 1848 Millard Fillmore
13 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore
(1800–1874)
[36]		 July 9, 1850[lower-alpha 11]
–
March 4, 1853		 Whig – Vacant throughout
presidency
14 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce
(1804–1869)
[38]		 March 4, 1853
–
March 4, 1857		 Democratic 1852 William R. King[lower-alpha 5]

Vacant after
April 18, 1853

15 Black-and-white photographic portrait of James Buchanan James Buchanan
(1791–1868)
[39]		 March 4, 1857
–
March 4, 1861		 Democratic 1856 John C. Breckinridge
16 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln
(1809–1865)
[40]		 March 4, 1861
–
April 15, 1865[lower-alpha 5]		 Republican

National Union[lower-alpha 12]

 1860

1864

 Hannibal Hamlin

Andrew Johnson

17 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson
(1808–1875)
[42]		 April 15, 1865[lower-alpha 13]
–
March 4, 1869		 National Union[lower-alpha 14]

Democratic

 – Vacant throughout
presidency
18 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant
(1822–1885)
[43]		 March 4, 1869
–
March 4, 1877		 Republican 1868

1872

 Schuyler Colfax

Henry Wilson[lower-alpha 5]

Vacant after
November 22, 1875

19 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford B. Hayes
(1822–1893)
[44]		 March 4, 1877
–
March 4, 1881		 Republican 1876 William A. Wheeler
20 Black-and-white photographic portrait of James A. Garfield James A. Garfield
(1831–1881)
[45]		 March 4, 1881
–
September 19, 1881[lower-alpha 5]		 Republican 1880 Chester A. Arthur
21 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Chester A. Arthur Chester A. Arthur
(1829–1886)
[46]		 September 19, 1881[lower-alpha 15]
–
March 4, 1885		 Republican – Vacant throughout
presidency
22 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Grover Cleveland Grover Cleveland
(1837–1908)
[48]		 March 4, 1885
–
March 4, 1889		 Democratic 1884 Thomas A. Hendricks[lower-alpha 5]

Vacant after
November 25, 1885

23 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison
(1833–1901)
[49]		 March 4, 1889
–
March 4, 1893		 Republican 1888 Levi P. Morton
24 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Grover Cleveland Grover Cleveland
(1837–1908)
[48]		 March 4, 1893
–
March 4, 1897		 Democratic 1892 Adlai Stevenson I
25 Black-and-white photographic portrait of William McKinley William McKinley
(1843–1901)
[50]		 March 4, 1897
–
September 14, 1901[lower-alpha 5]		 Republican 1896

1900

 Garret Hobart[lower-alpha 5]

Vacant after
November 21, 1899

Theodore Roosevelt

26 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt
(1858–1919)
[51]		 September 14, 1901[lower-alpha 16]
–
March 4, 1909		 Republican –

1904

 Vacant through
March 4, 1905

Charles W. Fairbanks

27 Black-and-white photographic portrait of William Howard Taft William Howard Taft
(1857–1930)
[53]		 March 4, 1909
–
March 4, 1913		 Republican 1908 James S. Sherman[lower-alpha 5]

Vacant after
October 30, 1912

28 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Woodrow Wilson Woodrow Wilson
(1856–1924)
[54]		 March 4, 1913
–
March 4, 1921		 Democratic 1912

1916

 Thomas R. Marshall
29 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Warren G. Harding Warren G. Harding
(1865–1923)
[55]		 March 4, 1921
–
August 2, 1923[lower-alpha 5]		 Republican 1920 Calvin Coolidge
30 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge
(1872–1933)
[56]		 August 2, 1923[lower-alpha 17]
–
March 4, 1929		 Republican –

1924

 Vacant through
March 4, 1925

Charles G. Dawes

31 Black-and-white photographic portrait of Herbert Hoover Herbert Hoover
(1874–1964)
[58]		 March 4, 1929
–
March 4, 1933		 Republican 1928 Charles Curtis
32 Photographic portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt
(1882–1945)
[59]		 March 4, 1933
–
April 12, 1945[lower-alpha 5]		 Democratic 1932

1936

1940

1944

 John Nance Garner

Henry A. Wallace

Harry S. Truman

33 Photographic portrait of Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman
(1884–1972)
[60]		 April 12, 1945[lower-alpha 18]
–
January 20, 1953		 Democratic –

1948

 Vacant through
January 20, 1949

Alben W. Barkley

34 Photographic portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower
(1890–1969)
[62]		 January 20, 1953
–
January 20, 1961		 Republican 1952

1956

 Richard Nixon
35 Photographic portrait of John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy
(1917–1963)
[63]		 January 20, 1961
–
November 22, 1963[lower-alpha 5]		 Democratic 1960 Lyndon B. Johnson
36 Photographic portrait of Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson
(1908–1973)
[64]		 November 22, 1963[lower-alpha 19]
–
January 20, 1969		 Democratic –

1964

 Vacant through
January 20, 1965

Hubert Humphrey

37 Photographic portrait of Richard Nixon Richard Nixon
(1913–1994)
[66]		 January 20, 1969
–
August 9, 1974[lower-alpha 8]		 Republican 1968

1972

 Spiro Agnew[lower-alpha 8]

Vacant:
October 10 – December 6, 1973

Gerald Ford[lower-alpha 20]

38 Photographic portrait of Gerald Ford Gerald Ford
(1913–2006)
[67]		 August 9, 1974[lower-alpha 21]
–
January 20, 1977		 Republican – Vacant through
December 19, 1974

Nelson Rockefeller[lower-alpha 20]

39 Photographic portrait of Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter
(b. 1924)
[68]		 January 20, 1977
–
January 20, 1981		 Democratic 1976 Walter Mondale
40 Photographic portrait of Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan
(1911–2004)
[69]		 January 20, 1981
–
January 20, 1989		 Republican 1980

1984

 George H. W. Bush
41 Photographic portrait of George H. W. Bush George H. W. Bush
(1924–2018)
[70]		 January 20, 1989
–
January 20, 1993		 Republican 1988 Dan Quayle
42 Photographic portrait of Bill Clinton Bill Clinton
(b. 1946)
[71]		 January 20, 1993
–
January 20, 2001		 Democratic 1992

1996

 Al Gore
43 Photographic portrait of George W. Bush George W. Bush
(b. 1946)
[72]		 January 20, 2001
–
January 20, 2009		 Republican 2000

2004

 Dick Cheney
44 Photographic portrait of Barack Obama Barack Obama
(b. 1961)
[73]		 January 20, 2009
–
January 20, 2017		 Democratic 2008

2012

 Joe Biden
45 Photographic portrait of Donald Trump Donald Trump
(b. 1946)
[74]		 January 20, 2017
–
January 20, 2021		 Republican 2016 Mike Pence
46 Photographic portrait of Joe Biden Joe Biden
(b. 1942)
[6]		 January 20, 2021
–
Incumbent		 Democratic 2020 Kamala Harris

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Presidents are numbered according to uninterrupted periods served by the same person. For example, George Washington served two consecutive terms and is counted as the first president (not the first and second). Upon the resignation of 37th president, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford became the 38th president even though he simply served out the remainder of Nixon's second term and was never elected to the presidency in his own right. Grover Cleveland was both the 22nd president and the 24th president because his two terms were not consecutive. A vice president who temporarily becomes acting president under the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution is not counted, because the president remains in office during such a period.
  2. ↑ Reflects the president's political party at the start of their presidency. Changes during their time in office are noted. Also reflects the vice president's political party unless otherwise noted beside the individual's name.
  3. ↑ Political parties had not been anticipated when the Constitution was drafted, nor did they exist at the time of the first presidential election in 1788–89. When they did develop, during Washington's first term, Adams joined the faction that became the Federalist Party. The elections of 1792 were the first ones in the United States that were contested on anything resembling a partisan basis.[18]
  4. ↑ The 1796 presidential election was the first contested American presidential election and the only one in which a president and vice president were elected from opposing political parties. Federalist John Adams was elected president, and Jefferson of the Democratic-Republicans was elected vice president.[20]
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Died in office[23]
  6. ↑ Early during John Quincy Adams' term, the Democratic-Republican Party dissolved; his allies in Congress and at the state level were referred to as "Adams' Men" during the Adams presidency. When Andrew Jackson became president in 1829, this group became the "Anti-Jackson" opposition, and organized themselves as the National Republican Party.[26]
  7. ↑ John Calhoun, formerly a Democratic-Republican, founded the Nullifier Party in 1828 to oppose the Tariff of 1828 and advance the cause of states' rights, but was brought on as Andrew Jackson's running mate in the 1828 presidential election in an effort to broaden the democratic coalition led by Jackson.[27]
  8. 1 2 3 Resigned from office[23]
  9. ↑ John Tyler succeeded to the presidency upon the death of William Henry Harrison.[32]
  10. ↑ John Tyler was elected vice president on the Whig Party ticket in 1840. His policy priorities as president soon proved to be opposed to most of the Whig agenda, and he was expelled from the party five months after assuming office.[33]
  11. ↑ Millard Fillmore succeeded to the presidency upon the death of Zachary Taylor.[37]
  12. ↑ When he ran for reelection in 1864, Republican Abraham Lincoln formed a bipartisan electoral alliance with War Democrats by selecting Democrat Andrew Johnson as his running mate, and running on the National Union Party ticket.[41]
  13. ↑ Andrew Johnson succeeded to the presidency upon the death of Abraham Lincoln.[42]
  14. ↑ While president, Andrew Johnson tried and failed to build a party of loyalists under the National Union banner. Near the end of his presidency, Johnson rejoined the Democratic Party.[42]
  15. ↑ Chester A. Arthur succeeded to the presidency upon the death of James A. Garfield.[47]
  16. ↑ Theodore Roosevelt succeeded to the presidency upon the death of William McKinley.[52]
  17. ↑ Calvin Coolidge succeeded to the presidency upon the death of Warren G. Harding.[57]
  18. ↑ Harry S. Truman succeeded to the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt.[61]
  19. ↑ Lyndon B. Johnson succeeded to the presidency upon the death of John F. Kennedy.[65]
  20. 1 2 Appointed as vice president under terms of the Twenty-fifth Amendment, Section 2[23]
  21. ↑ Gerald Ford succeeded to the presidency upon the resignation of Richard Nixon.[67]

References

  1. ↑ Rossiter (1962), p. 86.
  2. ↑ Shugart (2004), pp. 633–636.
  3. ↑ Epstein (2005), p. 318.
  4. ↑ Matuz (2001), p. xxii.
  5. ↑ Schaller & Williams (2003), p. 192.
  6. 1 2 whitehouse.gov (g).
  7. ↑ McHugh & Mackowiak (2014), pp. 990–995.
  8. ↑ Skau (1974), pp. 246–275.
  9. ↑ Peabody & Gant (1999), p. 565.
  10. ↑ Abbott (2005), pp. 627–644.
  11. ↑ Dinnerstein (1962), pp. 447–451.
  12. ↑ Guide to U.S. Elections (2010), p. 197; Nardulli (1992), p. 179.
  13. ↑ LOC (2); Jamison (2014).
  14. ↑ LOC; whitehouse.gov.
  15. ↑ Guide to U.S. Elections (2010), pp. 257–258.
  16. ↑ LOC.
  17. ↑ McDonald (2000).
  18. ↑ Guide to U.S. Elections (2010), pp. 197, 272; Nardulli (1992), p. 179.
  19. ↑ Pencak (2000).
  20. ↑ Guide to U.S. Elections (2010), p. 274.
  21. ↑ Peterson (2000).
  22. ↑ Banning (2000).
  23. 1 2 3 Neale (2004), p. 22.
  24. ↑ Ammon (2000).
  25. ↑ Hargreaves (2000).
  26. ↑ Guide to U.S. Elections (2010), p. 228; Goldman (1951), p. 159.
  27. ↑ Guide to U.S. Elections (2010), p. 892; Houpt (2010), pp. 26, 280.
  28. ↑ Remini (2000).
  29. ↑ Cole (2000).
  30. ↑ Gutzman (2000).
  31. ↑ Shade (2000).
  32. ↑ Abbott (2013), p. 23.
  33. ↑ Cash (2018), pp. 34–36.
  34. ↑ Rawley (2000).
  35. ↑ Smith (2000).
  36. ↑ Anbinder (2000).
  37. ↑ Abbott (2005), p. 639.
  38. ↑ Gara (2000).
  39. ↑ Gienapp (2000).
  40. ↑ McPherson (b) (2000).
  41. ↑ McSeveney (1986), p. 139.
  42. 1 2 3 Trefousse (2000).
  43. ↑ McPherson (a) (2000).
  44. ↑ Hoogenboom (2000).
  45. ↑ Peskin (2000).
  46. ↑ Reeves (2000).
  47. ↑ Greenberger (2017), pp. 174–175.
  48. 1 2 Campbell (2000).
  49. ↑ Spetter (2000).
  50. ↑ Gould (a) (2000).
  51. ↑ Harbaugh (2000).
  52. ↑ Abbott (2005), pp. 639–640.
  53. ↑ Gould (b) (2000).
  54. ↑ Ambrosius (2000).
  55. ↑ Hawley (2000).
  56. ↑ McCoy (2000).
  57. ↑ Senate.
  58. ↑ Hoff (a) (2000).
  59. ↑ Brinkley (2000).
  60. ↑ Hamby (2000).
  61. ↑ Abbott (2005), p. 636.
  62. ↑ Ambrose (2000).
  63. ↑ Parmet (2000).
  64. ↑ Gardner (2000).
  65. ↑ Abbott (2005), p. 633.
  66. ↑ Hoff (b) (2000).
  67. 1 2 Greene (2013).
  68. ↑ whitehouse.gov (a).
  69. ↑ Schaller (2004).
  70. ↑ whitehouse.gov (b).
  71. ↑ whitehouse.gov (c).
  72. ↑ whitehouse.gov (d).
  73. ↑ whitehouse.gov (e).
  74. ↑ whitehouse.gov (f).

Works cited

General

  • Guide to U.S. Elections. SAGE Publications. 2010. ISBN 978-1-60426-536-1.
  • "Chronological List of Presidents, First Ladies, and Vice Presidents of the United States". Library of Congress. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  • "Presidents". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved May 14, 2022.

Expert studies

Presidential biographies

Online sources

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