Ulysses S. Grant's Life

Ulysses Simpson Grant was born on April 27, 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio. He was born to a pioneer family and he was agile with horses. He attended schools in Georgetown, Ohio. In 1839 he received an appointed to West Point Academy, he graduated as a first lieutenant but he did not like the Army and wanted to join the cavalry but there were no openings. He fought in the Mexican-American War from 1846 until 1848 when the war ended. Ulysses S. Grant married Julia Dent and they had four kids. In 1854 he resigned from the Army. He tried farming and real estate and failed. He became a partner in a family leather business in Galena, Illinois. He returned to join the military when the Civil War broke out in 1861 as colonel of the 21st Illinois Volunteer Regiment. He captured Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1863 giving the Union control of the Mississippi River. Lincoln promoted him to lieutenant general and commander of the Union armies. Grant accepted Lee's surrender on April 9, 1865 in Appomattox, Virginia. The Congress appointed Grant full General- the first man to reach this rank since George Washington. He served briefly as secretary of war. Grant was a popular leader after the Civil War. He was elected President in 1869 and served two terms. During his administration the 15th Amendment was ratified giving African Americans the right to vote. The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell during Grant's presidency. Grant went home to McGregor, New York where he left the White House to write his memoirs. He died on July 23, 1885, one week after he completed his memoirs. Note: Ulysses Simpson Grant was President from 1869 through 1877 and the Vice Presidents were Schuyler Colfax and Henry Wilson.

Andrew Johnson's Life

Andrew Johnson was born on December 29, 1808 in Raleigh, North Carolina. His father died when Andrew was three, so his mother and big brother worked to support themselves. He did not attend a day of school and at age seventeen he was sent to apprentice with a tailor where he learned to read. In 1826 his family moved to Greenville, Tennessee. The next year Andrew Johnson married Eliza McCardle; she taught him how to write. He opened his own tailor shop where young men in the town frequently stopped by to debate politics and public affairs. He was elected mayor of Greenville in 1830 and served three years. Johnson was elected to the Tennessee legislature for two nonconsecutive two terms: from 1835-1837 and from 1839-1843. He served in the House of Representatives for ten years until he was elected Governor of Tennessee in 1853. After serving one term he was voted into office as a U.S. senator until he was elected Military Governor of Tennessee during the Civil War. In 1864 Johnson was elected Vice President under President Abraham Lincoln. He took the oath of office as President on April 15, 1865 after Lincoln was assassinated. In 1868 he was impeached by the United States House of Representatives, accused of breaking the law by dismissing the Secretary of Law, Edwin Stanton. He was acquitted in the impeachment trial in 1869. He finished his term as President and returned to Tennessee. He was elected to the Senate in 1874 and died of a stroke a year later on July 31, 1875. Note: Andrew Johnson was President from 1865 through 1869 and since he was completing Lincoln's term, there was no Vice President.

Abraham Lincoln's Life

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in Hardin County, Kentucky. His parents were uneducated pioneers. His father, Thomas Lincoln, thought there were better opportunities elsewhere, so the Lincolns migrated 100 miles to Indiana. Lincoln helped his father, who was a farmer. His mother died when he was nine and his father remarried. He attended school and loved to read, although because of his high-pitched voice he said the word "there" "thar" and said the word "get" "git." He was a master of the English language by reading every book he could hold. He practiced law in Springfield, Illinois and he was very popular in the court circuit. Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd in 1842 and they had four boys. Edward Lincoln, the family's second child, died when he was four. Lincoln was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He ran for the Senate and lost. He was elected President of the United States and guided the nation during the Civil War. It was his aim to preserve the union of the states. The Emancipation Proclamation was one of the most important features of his presidency. It did not free the slaves, but it gave all Americans the same rights under the Constitution. The Gettysburg Address was another important document. More than 60,000 soldiers died in a three-day-battle in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; he tried to bring the nation together in their grief. William, the family's third child, died in the White House when he was 11. Lincoln was elected to a second term in 1864 and in the Civil War ended in Appomattox, Virginia when Confederate General Robert Edward Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses Simpson Grant who was later the eighteenth President of the United States on April 9, 1865. The peace treaty was signed on April 11, 1865. Three days later Lincoln was shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth of Virginia, at Ford's Theater while watching a play. He died from the gunshot wound the next day on April 15, 1865 in Petersen's boarding house across from the theater. Note: Abraham Lincoln was President from 1861 thorugh 1865 and the Vice Presidents were Hannibal Hamlin and Andrew Johnson.

James Buchanan's Life

James Buchanan was born on April 23, 1791 in Cove Gap, Pennsylvania. He was the oldest of nine children. They went to school in Mercersburg, where his father owned a general store. He attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and law school in Lancaster. He was a successful lawyer who interrupted his career to join a volunteer cavalry company to fight in the War of 1812. Buchanan returned to his home to his law practice in Lancaster. He ran for Congress and served ten years. President Andrew Jackson asked him to serve as minister to Russia; he negotiated the first trade agreement between Russia and the United States. Buchanan was elected to the Senate in 1835 where he served ten years. President James Knox Polk appointed Buchanan Secretary of State. He helped to arrange the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo with Mexico in 1848, by which the United States purchased the region extending west from Texas to the Pacific Ocean. He wrote the Oregon Treaty of 1846 that settled the Northwestern boundary between Canada and the United States. He ran for President in 1852 and lost. He served as minister to Great Britain. Buchanan ran for President by the Democrats and won. James Buchanan never married anyone, so his niece Harriet Lane performed the duties of First Lady of the United States. Buchanan ran for a second term and was defeated by Lincoln. Before he left office, seven states seceded from the Union. He returned to Lancaster, Pennsylvania where he lived until he died on June 1, 1868. Note: James Buchanan was President from 1857 through 1861 and the Vice President was John Cabell Breckinridge.

Franklin Pierce's Life

Franklin Pierce was born on November 23, 1804 in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. He attended a local school. His father was a general in the Revolutionary War and served two terms as Governor. In 1820 Pierce enrolled in Bowdoin University in Brunswick, Maine, where he met a life long friend, Nathaniel Hawthorne. He went on to study law and was admitted to the bar in 1827. Pierce was elected to the state legislature where he served for five years. Franklin Pierce married Jane Means Appleton, they had three children. Two children died in infancy and only Benjamin survived. Pierce was elected to two terms in Congress and then to the United States Senate in 1832. He only served four years; he resigned his post because his wife did not like life in Washington, D.C. They returned to Concord, New Hampshire where he practiced law. In 1847 Pierce enlisted as a private in the Concord Light Infantry in the Mexican War; he rose to brigadier general of volunteers commanding 2,500 men in Mexico. He could no longer fight after he suffered a leg wound from a fall from his horse. Pierce returned to practice law in Concord. The Democrats nominated Pierce to run for President and won the election easily. On January 6, The Pierces were in a train wreck that killed their son Benjamin who was 11. Mrs. Pierce who was brokenhearted lived in seclusion in the White House the entire term. During his administration, Pierce bought parts of Arizona and New Mexico from Mexico. The Pierces toured after his term was over and returned to live in Concord, New Hampshire where he died on October 8, 1869. Note: Franklin Pierce was President from 1853 through 1857 and the Vice President was William Rufus De Vane King, but he died six weeks and three days later.

Millard Fillmore's Life

Millard Fillmore was born on January 7, 1800 in Locke, New York. He spent most of his early life on a farm and attended a local school. He was eager to improve his education and jumped at the chance to study law with County Judge Walter Wood as an apprentice at age 19. In 1823 Fillmore passed the bar exam and began his law practice in East Aurora, New York. Millard Fillmore married Abigail Powers and they had two children. The family moved to Buffalo where Fillmore was a very successful lawyer. In 1828 he was elected to the state legislature. In 1832 Fillmore was elected the U.S. House of Representatives where he served for ten years. In 1842 he ran for Governor of New York, but lost. Fillmore was elected Vice President under Zachary Taylor and he was sworn in as President on July 10, 1850 when Zachary Taylor died unexpectedly. During his administration the first practical fire engine was developed in Ohio.  There was a lot of tension between the North and the South over slavery. Many slaves were fleeing to the North. He addressed the slavery issue through the compromise of 1850 and signed the Fugitive Slave Law. Fillmore tried to prevent the Civil War by urging the northern and southern states to agree on a settlement.  He was not nominated for a second term because neither expansionist nor slaveholders were pleased by his policies. He returned to Buffalo, New York; 26 days later Abigail died. Fillmore ran again for President in 1856 but lost unsuccessfully. He married Caroline Carmichael McIntosh; together they did not have any children. He participated in many civic activties in his community until his death on March 8, 1874. Note: Millard Fillmore was President from 1850 through 1853 and since he was completing Taylor's term, there was no Vice President.

Zachary Taylor's Life

Zachary Taylor was born on November 24, 1784 in Orange County, Virginia. His father was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Revolutionary War. His only formal education was at a small schoolhouse. His parents supplemented his education by teaching him at home. He worked on his family's plantation until he left home in 1801 to join the 7th Infantry Regiment. Zachary Taylor married Margaret Mackall Smith in 1810; they had six children, two daughters died as infants. Taylor fought in the War of 1812 rising in rank to major by 1816 in the 3rd Infantry Regiment. In 1832 Taylor fought in the Black Hawk War to drive the Sac Indians out of Illinois. In 1837 he recieved an honorary commission as brigadier general after he defeated the Seminole Indians in Florida during the Second Seminole War. He was not able to defeat the Indians in 1840; he was relieved of his command and assigned to fight the Indians in the Southwest. He fought on the Texas-Louisiana border; his army defeated the Mexicans at Palo Alto. His final victory was in the battle of Buena Vista where his troops were outnumbered 4-1. He was promoted to major general. The Whig party nominated Taylor for President in 1848 and won. Taylor was a soldier most of his life; he never held political office until he was elected President of the United States. As President he tried to use the Army to prevent states from withdrawing from the United States. He was President for only one year. On Independence Day he participated in the ceremonies laying the cornerstone of the Washington monument. He had a stomach ailment later that day and he died there on July 9, 1850. Note: Zachary Taylor was President from 1849 through 1850 and the Vice President was Millard Fillmore.

James K. Polk's Life

James Knox Polk was born on November 2, 1795 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. His family move to Duck River, Tennessee when he was a child. Polk was so weak to work on the farm that his parents focused on developing his mind. He was taught by tutors and sent to private schools. In 1815 he enrolled in the University of North Carolina. He then went on to study law and he was admitted to the bar. Polk became a popular lawyer and he was elected to the state legislature. On January 1, 1824 James Knox Polk married Sarah Childress; they did not have any children.  Polk was elected to the United States legislature in 1825. He served seven terms until he was elected Governor of Tennessee. He was Governor for one term. He was nominated by the Democrats to run for President. He won and pledged to serve only one term. During Polk's administration , gold was discovered in 1848 in California and thousands of people migrated west.  The Department of the Interior was established. Wisconsin, Iowa, and Texas became states. Polk negotiated the Minnesota and Oregon boundaries with Britain, making them federal territories.  He fought and won in the Mexican War (1846-1848) and annexed much of the southwest and California. Polk was known for working long hours, beginning his duties at daybreak and working at his desk until midnight. He was away from the White House only 37 days during his four-year term. He promised voters he would only serve one term as President. He died three months after he left office at his home in Nashville, Tennessee on June 15, 1849. Note: James Knox Polk was President from 1845 thorugh 1849 and the Vice President was George Mifflin Dallas.

John Tyler's Life

John Tyler was born on March 29, 1790 in Charles City County, Virginia on Greenway Plantation. His mother died when he was seven; his father was a judge who was later elected Governor of Virginia. In 1802, Tyler attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He graduated from the college when he was only seventeen years old. He went on to study law and in 1811 he began to practice law in Richmond. That same year he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates and served for five years. John Tyler married Letitia Christian; together they had eight children. In 1816 Tyler was elected to the United States House of Representatives where he served for five years. He went on to served in the House of Delegates from 1823 through 1825. He was elected Governor of Virginia in 1825 and served for two years until he was elected to the U.S. Senate. He served in the Senate for nine years. Tyler was elected Vice President when William Henry Harrison won the presidential election in 1841. One month later, after Harrison died of pneumonia at age 68, Tyler took the presidential oath of office as President. His wife died while he was President and he married Julia Gardiner. He was the first president to wed while in office. Together they had seven children. President Tyler was instrumental in the annexation of Texas in 1845 and he established the United States Weather Bureau. As president he established trade between China and the United States. He left office in 1845 and he moved to his plantation, Sherwood Forest, where he lived with his family until he died on January 18, 1862. Note: John Tyler was President from 1841 through 1845 and since he was completing Harrison's term there was no Vice President.

William Henry Harrison's Life

William Henry Harrison was born on February 9, 1773 in Charles City County, Virginia. His father was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and a friend of George Washington. Harrison was taught at home until he attended Hampden-Sidney College in Virginia. He joined the Army one year later- his father died the same year. In 1795 William Henry Harrison married Anna Symmes; they had ten children. Harrison was appointed Secretary of the Northwest Territory by President John Adams and served as the delegate to Congress from that region. He was appointed Governor of the Indiana territory where he served for twelve years. He took millions of acres of land from Native Americans by battle or by treaty. And he recaptured Detroit  from the British in the War of 1812.  Harrison defeated the Shawnee Indians and destroyed their settlement. Harrison defeated the British and Indians at the Battle of the Thames during the War of 1812. He moved his family to North Bend, Ohio. In 1816 he was elected to Congress and in 1819 he was elected to the state senate. At the end of that term in 1825 he was elected to the United States Senate. President John Quincy Adams appointed Harrison minister to Colombia in 1828. He offended Colombian President Simon Bolivar and he was forced to leave the country in 1829. Harrison returned to his farm in North Bend. He was nominated by the Whig Party to run for President against Martin Van Buren, and lost. Harrison ran for President in 1841 and won. He died of pneumonia only 32 days after his Inauguration on April 4, 1841. Note: William Henry Harrison was President from March 4, 1841 to April 4, 1841 and the Vice President was John Tyler.

Martin Van Buren's Life

Martin Van Buren was born on December 5, 1782 in Kinderhook, New York. He was the first President to be born under the American flag. His father owned a tavern that also served as a polling place so he heard politics discussed at an early age. He was a student at the Kinderhook Academy until he took a job in a local law office when he was 13. At age 18 he had a job in a law office in New York City. When he was 21 he returned home to practice law; he was a very successful lawyer. Martin Van Buren married Hannah Hoes, his childhood sweetheart, in 1807; together they had four sons.  Van Buren was elected to the Senate in 1812. He interrupted his second term in the Senate to run for governor. Van Buren served as governor of New York for ten weeks  and then moved to Washington to perform the duties of Secretary of State in 1829. He was elected to the office of Vice President under Andrew Jackson in 1832 after John Caldwell Calhoun resigned while in office. Van Buren was elected President in 1836, the first President to be elected as a member of the Democratic Party. He became President on March 4, 1837- the same year the U.S. entered a major depression. During his administration he instituted the Department of the Treasury. to protect government funds due to the economic depression caused by investment in land speculation that was not backed by gold of silver. He was not reelected in 1840 because he did not believe the government should help people who had lost their jobs. Van Buren tried again for the presidency in 1848 as a Free Soil candidate but lost to Zachary Taylor. Martin Van Buren died in Kinderhook, New York on July 24, 1862. Note: Martin Van Buren was President from 1837 through 1841 and the Vice President was Richard Mentor Johnson.