1. John Adams
   Thomas Jefferson
2. George Washington
   James Madison

John Adams was educated at Harvard University, the first institution of higher education in the United States. His time at Harvard provided the future president with much of the political ideology that would encourage him to take part in the American Revolution.

1. Andrew Johnson
   Franklin Pierce
2. James Polk
   John Tyler

Despite his alignment with the Democratic-Republican Party, John Tyler achieved the vice presidency running for the Whig Party. However, his policies while president countered that of his base, who failed to impeach him during his one tenure in office.

1. Herbert Hoover
   Franklin D. Roosevelt
2. Harry S. Truman
   Theodore Roosevelt

The U.S. economy had tanked when Franklin D. Roosevelt came into office in 1933. Through a series of government programs, known as the New Deal, Roosevelt was able to bolster the economy until the demands of WWII put Americans back to work.

1. Dwight D. Eisenhower
   Jimmy Carter
2. Lyndon B. Johnson
   John F. Kennedy

When Lyndon B. Johnson gained the Oval Office, he struggled against the demands of the Vietnam War, desiring to focus on issues at home instead of a foreign conflict. However, support for the war remained relatively high during his presidency, and he wasn't able to separate his administration from the conflict.

1. Bill Clinton
   George W. Bush
2. Ronald Reagan
   Gerald Ford

George W. Bush won the presidential election in 2000 in a storm of controversy surrounding the state of Florida, where a recount was ordered after a fairly close outcome. Bush was given the presidency after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a third-hand recount violated the Fourteenth Amendment.

1. Dwight D. Eisenhower
   Calvin Coolidge
2. Woodrow Wilson
   William Howard Taft

Knowing the dangers of investing in a standing army, Dwight D. Eisenhower expressed his cautions on the Military Industrial Complex in his farewell address in 1961. The speech is often cited when critics discuss the dangers of foreign intervention and the weapons market.

1. George Washington
   James Buchanan
2. Abraham Lincoln
   James A. Garfield

Abraham Lincoln was the first president to win the election running under the Republican Party. The party's biggest standpoint was that new territories should remain absent of slavery so that free Americans had opportunities that slave ownership would limit.

1. Ulysses S. Grant
   James K. Polk
2. Thomas Jefferson
   Andrew Jackson

Living among Native Americans in the South, Andrew Jackson understood the problems related to merging two populations of different peoples, which led to the Indian Removal Act. However, the act failed to account for Native American tribes who had already taken steps to "civilize" themselves.

1. Benjamin Harrison
   Warren G. Harding
2. Grover Cleveland
   Rutherford B. Hayes

From 1861 until 1933, Republicans dominated the presidency, but Grover Cleveland was one of only two Democrats to interfere in their long run. During his time in office, Cleveland maintained a belief in economic freedom and conservative policies in an era of Progressive Republicanism.

1. James Monroe
   James Madison
2. John F. Kennedy
   George Washington

Despite calls for him to run for a third term, George Washington left the presidency in 1797 to return to his home in Virginia. This standard for two terms in office would become precedent after the passage of the Twenty-Second Amendment.

1. William McKinley
   John F. Kennedy
2. Theodore Roosevelt
   Donald Trump

When the call for Cuban independence rang, William McKinley led the charge against Spain, which resulted in the Spanish American War in 1898. The war was over quickly, and the United States gained the territories of Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam.

1. Gerald Ford
   Barack Obama
2. Calvin Coolidge
   Millard Fillmore

Barrack Obama's election was a significant step in the progression of racial equality in the United States, as he was the first president of African American descent. During his time in office, Obama promoted progressive policies, which mostly centered around medical reform.

1. Martin Van Buren
   Millard Fillmore
2. Zachary Taylor
   Franklin Pierce

The Kansas Nebraska Act was one of the most significant pieces of legislation signed by Franklin Pierce while he was in office. However, the act resulted in a deadly clash in Kansas between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces, which damaged Pierce's reputation.

1. James Madison
   Thomas Jefferson
2. James Monroe
   John Quincy Adams

Thomas Jefferson was a major proponent of limited government, believing that most of the power should lie with the state. Jefferson stressed that with less central power individuals would be able to make more decisions for themselves.

1. James K. Polk
   Ulysses S. Grant
2. Rutherford B. Hayes
   Warren G. Harding

James K. Polk was a relatively unknown candidate when he ran for office in 1844 under the Democratic Party. Polk beat out former president Martin Van Buren for the party's nomination and defeated Henry Clay in the election.

1. Theodore Roosevelt
   William Howard Taft
2. Herbert Hoover
   Jimmy Carter

Though most wouldn't blame Herbert Hoover directly for the Great Depression, he is often blamed for failing to enact policies that would curtail its impact. His failure to recognize the situation was a major reason he only served one term as president.

1. George H. W. Bush
   Bill Clinton
2. Ronald Reagan
   Gerald Ford

Elected in 1992 and taking office in 1993, Bill Clinton had a relatively smooth presidency when it came to policies. Not only did America avoid any major conflict, but Clinton also created a surplus for the U.S. budget, which hasn't been repeated since.

1. Ronald Reagan
   George H.W. Bush
2. Richard Nixon
   Gerald Ford

One of the most famous elections in U.S. history was in 1960 when Richard Nixon ran against John F. Kennedy. The election was the first time that two candidates held a debate on television, leaving many to favor Kennedy who was young and charismatic.

1. James Madison
   John Quincy Adams
2. Martin Van Buren
   Zachary Taylor

James Madison was responsible for leading the United States into the War of 1812 against Britain, which became known as "Mr. Madison's War." The war was not well supported, but it did end on a positive note when U.S. forces won the Battle of New Orleans.

1. Benjamin Harrison
   Chester A. Arthur
2. Rutherford B. Hayes
   Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson took over the presidency after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth. As president, Johnson's policies on Reconstruction did not win him favor in the North, and in 1868 he became the first president to be impeached.

1. Ronald Reagan
   Jimmy Carter
2. Gerald Ford
   Harry S. Truman

Before his time as president, Ronald Reagan first served as the Governor of California. During his time as governor, Reagan's decision to raise taxes helped create a surplus in the state's budget, leading him to a second term in office.

1. Theodore Roosevelt
   John F. Kennedy
2. Woodrow Wilson
   James Buchanan

With the fear of nuclear destruction hanging over the world, John F. Kennedy found himself in one of the tensest moments in world history during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The event ended with no bombs going off, but the world might have never been closer to blowing itself up.

1. William Howard Taft
   Calvin Coolidge
2. Harry S. Truman
   Jimmy Carter

With high unemployment and the Iran hostage crisis hanging over his presidency, Jimmy Carter wasn't able to win a second term in 1980. However, his post-presidency was filled with success, including a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in the Carter Center.

1. Martin Van Buren
   Benjamin Harrison
2. Theodore Roosevelt
   Zachary Taylor

Theodore Roosevelt preached the foreign philosophy, "speak softly and carry a big stick." Roosevelt used this concept several times, including when he negotiated a peace treaty between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War.

1. George H.W. Bush
   John Quincy Adams
2. Benjamin Harrison
   Woodrow Wilson

After the end of World War I, Woodrow Wilson sought to maintain world peace by establishing a League of Nations. However, Congress rejected the idea, leaving one of the most influential countries out of world talks.

1. Gerald Ford
   Warren G. Harding
2. William Howard Taft
   Chester A. Arthur

No president who lived through his term served in the position for a shorter amount of time than Gerald Ford, who received the office from Richard Nixon. Ford was heavily criticized when he pardoned Nixon for the Watergate scandal, one of the reasons he wasn't reelected.

1. John Quincy Adams
   Martin Van Buren
2. James Monroe
   Zachary Taylor

James Monroe famously issued the Monroe Doctrine, which was one of the most impactful positions he took as president. The doctrine ensured that European countries would stay out of the Western Hemisphere, as it was to remain under the United States' influence.

1. Rutherford B. Hayes
   Harry S. Truman
2. James A. Garfield
   Calvin Coolidge

When World War II came to a close, Harry S. Truman realized that another problem was on the horizon: communism. In an effort to ensure foreign countries wouldn't fall to its influence, Truman called for the United States to aid any country that needed resources to combat the spread of communist ideas.

1. John Quincy Adams
   Millard Fillmore
2. Calvin Coolidge
   James Buchanan

John Quincy Adams joined his father, John Adams, as the first father and son duo to both gain the presidency when he won the election of 1824. Before seeking the office, John Quincy served under his father as the minister to Prussia.

1. Calvin Coolidge
   George H.W. Bush
2. Martin Van Buren
   Warren G. Harding

George H.W. Bush had a lengthy political career that stretched back to the '60s when he served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Texas. He then served several other key roles including U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and director of the CIA before becoming president.

1. Benjamin Harrison
   Chester A. Arthur
2. Ulysses S. Grant
   Martin Van Buren

Martin Van Buren wasn't able to win reelection in 1840 when he lost to William Henry Harrison of the Whig Party. Van Buren tried to return to office in the next two election cycles but lost both bids.

1. Millard Fillmore
   James A. Garfield
2. Ulysses S. Grant
   Rutherford B. Hayes

Known for his willingness to fight during the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant quickly rose through the ranks, even taking over the Army of the Potomac in its struggle against the Army of Northern Virginia. It was during these battles that Grant received the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

1. Donald Trump
   Calvin Coolidge
2. James Buchanan
   Chester A. Arthur

Calvin Coolidge was responsible for taking over the presidency from Warren G. Harding, who was known for his many scandals. Coolidge was able to establish himself as a trustworthy president and ingratiated himself with businesses by lowering taxes and limiting the government.

1. James Buchanan
   Warren G. Harding
2. Rutherford B. Hayes
   Chester A. Arthur

Rutherford B. Hayes ran on the Republican ticket in the election of 1876 against Democratic candidate Samuel J. Tilden. The election ended in controversy when both parties declared their candidates the winner after seeing conflicting ballot results. Hayes was given the office, but he had to agree to remove federal troops from the South.

1. William Howard Taft
   Milliard Fillmore
2. James Buchanan
   Donald Trump

In his early presidency, William Howard Taft continued the tradition of busting up trusts that began with Theodore Roosevelt. However, he moved away from this show of power, which was a major reason he split with Roosevelt before failing to win reelection.

1. Millard Fillmore
   Zachary Taylor
2. Benjamin Harrison
   James Buchanan

When James Buchanan sought to win the election of 1856, he ran on a neutral stance towards slavery, claiming it should be left up to the states. In the election, he faced and defeated the first Republican candidate, John Fremont, to ever run for office.

1. Millard Fillmore
   James A. Garfield
2. Zachary Taylor
   Warren G. Harding

Zachary Taylor gained popularity through his time in the military rather than through the political realm. Before taking office, Taylor was a major general who served in the Mexican American War and the War of 1812.

1. James A. Garfield
   Chester A. Arthur
2. Benjamin Harrison
   William Henry Harrison

James A. Garfield didn't even serve a full year before he was shot and killed by Charles Guiteau. Guiteau was an attorney who sought a political appointment but was denied, leading him to seek revenge against the president.

1. William Henry Harrison
   Millard Fillmore
2. Donald Trump
   Warren G. Harding

Warren G. Harding came through the ranks of the Republican Party, where he began his career in the Ohio Senate. He eventually reached the national stage when he supported President William Howard Taft for the 1912 election.

1. Benjamin Harrison
   Chester A. Arthur
2. Millard Fillmore
   William Henry Harrison

As president, Chester A. Arthur looked past partisanship when he signed into law the Pendleton Civil Service Act. The act required government positions to be appointments based on merit rather than personal connections.