Here's a brief overview of the historical background of American Presidents, from the beginning to today:
George Washington (1789-1797) - Washington was the first President of the United States, serving two terms. He was a general during the American Revolutionary War and is considered one of the founding fathers of the country.
John Adams (1797-1801) - Adams was a Founding Father who served as Vice President under Washington and then became President himself. He was a key figure in the development of the US Constitution.
Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) - Jefferson was a Founding Father who served as the third President of the United States. He is known for his role in the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the country.
James Madison (1809-1817) - Madison was a Founding Father who served as the fourth President of the United States. He is known for his role in the War of 1812 against Britain.
James Monroe (1817-1825) - Monroe was the fifth President of the United States and is known for the Monroe Doctrine, which declared that European powers could no longer colonize or interfere in the affairs of the Americas.
John Quincy Adams (1825-1829) - Adams was the sixth President of the United States and the son of former President John Adams.
Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) - Jackson was the seventh President of the United States and is known for his populist policies and his role in the Indian Removal Act.
Martin Van Buren (1837-1841) - Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States and is known for his role in the creation of the Democratic Party.
William Henry Harrison (1841) - Harrison was the ninth President of the United States, but he died just 31 days after taking office.
John Tyler (1841-1845) - Tyler became President after Harrison's death and is known for his role in the annexation of Texas.
James K. Polk (1845-1849) - Polk was the 11th President of the United States and is known for his expansionist policies, which led to the Mexican-American War.
Zachary Taylor (1849-1850) - Taylor was the 12th President of the United States, but he died just 16 months into his term.
Millard Fillmore (1850-1853) - Fillmore became President after Taylor's death and is known for his role in the Compromise of 1850.
Franklin Pierce (1853-1857) - Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is known for his role in the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which helped to fuel tensions between North and South in the lead-up to the Civil War.
James Buchanan (1857-1861) - Buchanan was the 15th President of the United States and is known for his inability to prevent the outbreak of the Civil War.
Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) - Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States and is known for his leadership during the Civil War and his role in the abolition of slavery.
Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) - Johnson became President after Lincoln's assassination and is known for his role in the Reconstruction era.
Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877) - Grant was the 18th President of the United States and is known for his leadership during the Civil War and his role in the Reconstruction era.
Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881) - Hayes was indeed the 19th President of the United States, serving from 1877-1881.
James A. Garfield (1881) - Garfield was a Republican and served as the 20th President of the United States for just 200 days before he was assassinated in 1881. He was a Civil War veteran and advocate of civil rights for African Americans.
Chester A. Arthur (1881-1885) - Arthur, a Republican, succeeded Garfield after his assassination. He is known for his civil service reforms, which aimed to end political corruption in government.
Grover Cleveland (1885-1889) - Cleveland, a Democrat, served as the 22nd President and was the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms (he also served as the 24th President). He was known for his advocacy for civil service reform and opposition to high protective tariffs.
Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893) - Harrison was a Republican and the grandson of former President William Henry Harrison. During his term, he signed the Sherman Antitrust Act into law, which was the first federal antitrust law to be passed in the United States.
Grover Cleveland (1893-1897) - Cleveland, a Democrat, served his second term as President during this time.
William McKinley (1897-1901) - McKinley was a Republican and served as the 25th President. He led the country through the Spanish-American War and was assassinated in 1901.
Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) - Roosevelt, a Republican, became President after McKinley's assassination. He was known for his progressive policies and his efforts to conserve the environment. He also oversaw the construction of the Panama Canal.
William Howard Taft (1909-1913) - Taft was a Republican and served as the 27th President. He was known for his advocacy for trust-busting and his promotion of the idea of "dollar diplomacy," which aimed to increase American investment and influence in foreign countries.
Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) - Wilson, a Democrat, served as the 28th President. He led the country through World War I and was a key architect of the League of Nations, which was formed after the war to promote international cooperation and prevent future conflicts.
Warren G. Harding (1921-1923) - Harding was a Republican and served as the 29th President. His administration was plagued by scandals, including the Teapot Dome scandal, in which his administration was accused of accepting bribes from oil companies.
Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) - Coolidge, a Republican, succeeded Harding after his death. He was known for his pro-business policies and for his efforts to reduce the size and scope of the federal government.
Herbert Hoover (1929-1933) - Hoover was a Republican and served as the 31st President. He was in office during the beginning of the Great Depression, and his administration was criticized for its slow response to the economic crisis.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) - Roosevelt, a Democrat, served as the 32nd President and is the longest-serving president in U.S. history. He is known for his New Deal policies, which aimed to combat the effects of the Great Depression, and for his leadership during World War II.
Harry S. Truman (1945-1953) - Truman, a Democrat, succeeded Roosevelt after his death. He is known for his decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan to end World War II and for his efforts to contain the spread of communism during the Cold War.
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961): Eisenhower was a five-star general who commanded Allied forces in Europe during World War II. He oversaw the end of the Korean War and the beginning of the Space Race, and he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, which was the first federal civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.
John F. Kennedy (1961-1963): Kennedy was the youngest President to be elected, and he presided over the early years of the Civil Rights Movement and the Cuban Missile Crisis. He also established the Peace Corps and proposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 before his assassination in 1963.
Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969): Johnson became President after Kennedy's assassination, and he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law. He also escalated U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, which became a major political issue during his presidency.
Richard Nixon (1969-1974): Nixon was the only President to resign from office, following the Watergate scandal. However, he also established diplomatic relations with China and signed important environmental legislation like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.
Gerald Ford (1974-1977): Ford became President after Nixon's resignation, and he pardoned Nixon for any crimes he may have committed during his presidency. He also oversaw the end of the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon, and he signed the Helsinki Accords, which promoted human rights and cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Jimmy Carter (1977-1981): Carter was a former governor of Georgia who emphasized human rights and energy conservation during his presidency. He helped negotiate the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, and he established the Department of Energy and the Department of Education.
Ronald Reagan (1981-1989): Reagan was a former actor who became known as the "Great Communicator" for his speaking skills. He oversaw a period of economic growth and military buildup, and he helped bring about the end of the Cold War. He also survived an assassination attempt in 1981.
George H.W. Bush (1989-1993): Bush was a former Vice President who oversaw the end of the Cold War and the first Gulf War, which led to the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi forces. He also signed the Americans with Disabilities Act, which provided greater access and protections for people with disabilities.
Bill Clinton (1993-2001): Clinton presided over a period of economic growth and helped negotiate the Oslo Accords, which sought to establish peace between Israel and Palestine. However, his presidency was also marred by scandal, including his impeachment by the House of Representatives in 1998 for perjury and obstruction of justice.
George W. Bush (2001-2009): Bush became President during a tumultuous time in U.S. history, following the September 11th terrorist attacks. He led the country in the early years of the War on Terror and oversaw the invasion of Iraq in 2003. He also signed the No Child Left Behind Act, which aimed to improve education in the United States.
Barack Obama (2009-2017): Obama, a Democrat, was the first African American to become President of the United States. During his two terms in office, he passed the Affordable Care Act, oversaw the end of the Iraq War, and signed the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Donald Trump (2017-2021): Trump, a Republican, was a businessman and reality TV star before becoming President. During his term, he implemented tax cuts, rolled back environmental regulations, and engaged in controversial foreign policy decisions such as withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
Joe Biden (2021-present): Biden, a Democrat, served as Vice President under Barack Obama before becoming President himself. He has promised to tackle issues such as climate change, healthcare, and racial justice, and has already signed several executive orders to reverse some of the policies of the previous administration.