List of US Presidents in Order

The office of the President/ head of state is mainly ceremonial in many countries with a parliamentary form of government. However, the President of the US, who is vested with great authority is probably the most powerful elected official in the world, e.g.- the President of the US has the authority to appoint cabinet heads, and high-level executive officials like federal judges, and is also the commander-in-chief of US military.

The President also has a great number of duties to carry out, which is done via an elaborate system of executive agencies. This article discusses the US presidents in chronological order down to the most recent President Joe Biden and their period of service and its impact on their country.

Please go through this article for more detailed information on the US Presidents and keywords related to them.

List of US Presidents in Order

The table below gives a detailed yet summarized look at the contributions of various US Presidents throughout their tenure. A quick look at the table below can help in having a general idea about the impact of these presidents:

S.No.	President	Term	Political Party	Contribution
1.	George Washington	1789-1797	Federalist	He was the first president of the USA and also the most famous founding father. Elected as the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, and helped win America the Revolutionary War. Post war, the new constitution was ratified and Washington was chosen as the president. He had a neutral stance during the France-Britain war, during his tenure. He also aided in solidifying the authority of the government over the colonies. He retired from office after his presidency and passed away in 1799.
2.	John Adams	1797-1801	Federalist	John Adams was known for being a great political philosopher. During the Great Revolutionary War, he served in both Holland and France and helped negotiate the peace treaty. Adams took a tough stance against France during his tenure when the France-Britain war was at peak, which did not go down well with France. Adams’ tough stance against France led to a rise in Federalist popularity among the public. Adams’s quick thinking helped end the quasi-war soon , however he passed away in 1826.
3.	Thomas Jefferson	1801-1809	Democratic-Republican	Jefferson was the main author of the Declaration of Independence; He also drafted the bill that established religious freedom in the US, as he was an ardent supporter of the theory of democracy and liberty. He was strongly opposed to the idea of a strong central government and encouraged for greater rights of the states. He also made budget cuts for the navy and army; He was able to reduce the national debt of the US by a third. He was re-elected and he served a second term successfully as well.
4.	James Madison	1809–17	Democratic-Republican	Helped in the drafting of the Constitution. In fact he also helped establish the Bill of Rights and enact the first revenue legislation. He adopted a strong military policy and entered into a war with Britain. This move backfired and became unpopular among the people as the British entered Washington and set fire to the capital. This war wasn’t all a failure. The public became more patriotic after the wins in the War of 1812, especially General Andrew Jackson’s success in New Orleans. The support for Federalist party declined during this period. He died in 1836.
5.	James Monroe	1817-1825	Democratic-Republican	Helped negotiate the famous Louisiana Purchase. His tenure saw a rise in regional divisions due to the issue surrounding debates on slavery. A great accomplishment of Monroe was the establishment of the Monroe Doctrine, which stated that Americans should be free from any future colonization.
6.	John Quincy Adams	1825-1829	National Republican	John Quincy Adams as the Secretary of State under President Monroe, played a major role in important diplomatic policies like the Monroe Doctrine, the joint occupation of Oregon with England, and the acquisition of Florida from Spain. Adams was a strong advocate of arts and sciences and allocated considerable funds to establish a national university. He passed away in 1848 due to a stroke.
7.	Andrew Jackson	1829-1837	Democratic	Andrew Jackson was elected by popular vote, and was known as the direct representative of the common man. Two parties were created during his tenure: the Democrats and the Republicans (Whigs). He faced constant opposition from the Whigs autocratic leadership style, but he persisted regardless.
8.	Martin Van Buren	1837-1841	Democratic	Van Buren’s shrewd political moves earned him the nickname “Little Magician”. Throughout his tenure, Van Buren faced issues like the expansion of slavery, the annexation of Texas and major economic challenges like severe depression. He was defeated for re-election in 1840
9.	William Henry Harrison	1841*	Whig	William Henry Harrison, the Whig Party candidate for the presidency won the election of 1941, after he clashed with Martin Van Buren but died just a month into office, becoming the first president to die in office.
10.	John Tyler	1841-1845	Whig	Despite their differences, Tyler and the Whig Congress passed the “Log-Cabin” bill which enabled a settler to claim 160 acres of land before it was offered publicly for sale, and later pay $1.25 an acre for it. Tyler also attempted to reach a compromise with the southern states wanting to secede.
11.	James K. Polk	1845-1849	Democratic	Polk held the opinion that Texas should be re-annexed and Oregon, re-occupied. He also expanded the American boundary by ceding New Mexico and California. During his tenure, chaos emerged between the Southerners and Northerners on the expansion of slavery.
12.	Zachary Taylor	1849-1850	Whig	His term was marked by dispute between Northerners and Southerners over whether the newly acquired Mexican territories should allow slavery on which he avoided taking a firm stance on. His presidency was cut short by his untimely death.
13.	Millard Fillmore	1850-1853	Whig	He presided over the debate over the Missouri Compromise in the Senate. He was leaning towards the compromise and showed interest in signing the bill for the Missouri Compromise in 1850. He lost the presidential nomination in 1952 due to the signing of the Fugitive Slave Act, which led to his rejection by militant northern Whigs.
14.	Franklin Pierce	1853-1857	Democratic	The Kensas-Nabraska Act during his tenure intensified the slavery debate and led to the ‘Bleeding Kansas’ event. His expansionist endeavors and policies sped up the nation’s disintegration.
15.	James Buchanan	1857-1861	Democratic	During Buchanan’s presidency, the Democratic Party split into Southern and Northern wings. Both nominated their own presidential candidates.
16.	Abraham Lincoln	1861-1865	Republican	Abraham Lincoln, one of the most famous presidents of US ended slavery by signing the 13th Amendment. Lincoln also helped preserve the union between the Northern and Southern states. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation Act which freed the slaves within the Confederacy. Lincoln was reelected as president but was assassinated in 1865.
17.	Andrew Johnson	1865-1869	Democratic (Union)	Johnson became responsible for reconstructing the former Confederate states, after Lincoln’s death. During civil war, Johnson remained in the Senate opposing the Southerners, which led to the Radicals implementing their own Reconstruction plan and passed laws that limited the powers of the President..
18.	Ulysses S. Grant	1869-1877	Republican	Grant allowed Radical Reconstruction to proceed in the South, at times reinforcing it with military intervention. He presided over the government just as he presided over his army, when he was General-in-Chief in 1864.
19.	Rutherford B. Hayes	1877-1881	Republican	His term was highlighted by a commitment to merit-based appointments and efforts to protect the rights of African Americans in the South while advocating for local self-government.
20.	James A. Garfield	1881	Republican	Garfield advocated for coercive means to bring back the states to the union.
21.	Chester A. Arthur	1881-1885	Republican	During his tenure in 1883, Congress passed the Pendleton act, which established the Bipartisan Civil Service commission; It also provided a classified system which ensured that enrollments happened only through the competitive written examinations. He also lowered down tariffs and enacted the first general federal immigration law.
22.	Grover Cleveland	1885-1889	Democratic	He adopted a policy that restricted favoring any economic group. He signed the interstate Commerce act, which was the first law that attempted federal regulation of the railroads.
23.	Benjamin Harrison	1889-1893	Republican	During his term, Harrison signed many appropriation bills for internal improvements, gave subsidies for steamship lines and signed bills for naval expansion. He also signed the Sherman Anti-Trust Act that helped trade from unlawful restraint and monopolies.
24.	Grover Cleveland	1893-1897	Democratic	During his second non consecutive tenure, he addressed the Treasury crisis by securing the repeal of the mildly inflationary Sherman Silver Purchase Act and maintaining the Treasury’s gold reserve with Wall Street’s assistance.
25.	William McKinley	1897-1901	Republican	He led the US to victory in the Spanish-American war and promoted American industry by raising the protective tariffs on foreign goods. During his term, American industries flourished at an exponential rate and there was also annexation of territories like the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
26.	Theodore Roosevelt	1901-1909	Republican	Roosevelt being the youngest president in the history of US, was responsible for leading the progressive reforms and creating a strong foreign policy for the states. He also broadened the use of execute power. He also steered America into taking on a more active role in the world politics. He mediated between the Russian-Japanese war and also ensured the construction of the Great Panama Canal.
27.	William Howard Taft	1909-1913	Republican	Taft did not believe that presidential powers should be extended and adopted the strict legal ways to meet ends. He also continued the high tariff rates and troubled the progressives by his many reforms.
28.	Woodrow Wilson	1913-1921	Democratic	He broke the neutral stance adopted by the US and led America into World War 1 in order to “make the world safe for democracy”. He advocated for states rights and individualism. He promoted three main acts of legislation during his tenure: the Underwood Act, the passage of the Federal Reserve Act and antitrust legislation. US’s involvement in the war helped the Allies win and Wilson presented the famous fourteen points that led to the creation of the League of Nations.
29.	Warren G. Harding	1921-1923	Republican	He was known for his embrace of technology and progressive views, but his administration was marred by corruption scandals.
30.	Calvin Coolidge	1923-1929	Republican	He wanted to preserve the moral and economic aspects of society and reestablish the old norms. He also wanted to adopt a policy of isolation in foreign policy and provide limited aid to farmers.
31.	Herbert Hoover	1929-1933	Republican	During the great depression, Hoover tried to cut the federal budget and reduce taxes. He also called for the creation of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to aid business and introduce banking reform.
32.	Franklin D. Roosevelt	1933-1945	Democratic	He is often compared to Washington and Lincoln when it comes to crisis management as he became president at the peak of Great Depression and helped bring America out of the crisis. During his term, the government meddled in the regulation of the nation’s economy for the first time, when he initiated a set of 100-day reforms which brought some recovery. He also introduced new tax on the wealthy and the banks and initiated a massive relief program.
33.	Harry S. Truman	1945-1953	Democratic	He played a pivotal role in the formation of the United Nations and advocated for social and economic reforms. Truman initiated the Truman Doctrine to aid Turkey and Greece against Soviet pressure, and he oversaw the Marshall Plan’s economic recovery efforts in Europe. Truman’s presidency also saw the Korean War.
34.	Dwight D. Eisenhower	1953-1961	Republican	Under him the US had many victories in Europe during the 2nd world war. He adopted the policy of ‘Modern Republicanism’, introduced desegregation policies programs like ‘Atoms for Peace’ to ensure world peace.
35.	John F. Kennedy	1961-1963	Democratic	He introduced economic programs and vigorous programs to enhance equality and equity within the US. Kennedy also helped resolve the Cuban crisis in 1962 and eased tensions with Russia. His presidency brought hope of a peaceful new world with the help of test ban treaty of 1963.
36.	Lyndon B. Johnson	1963-1969	Democratic	He initiated the Great Society program which focused on education, healthcare, urban renewal, poverty reduction etc. Johnson also championed space exploration. Civil unrest in black communities and the Vietnam war overshadowed his term.
37.	Richard Nixon	1969-1974	Republican	Nixon was responsible for improving US-Soviet relations and for ending the Vietnam War. During his tenure America first landed on the moon. He resigned after getting indicted in the Watergate scandal.
38.	Gerald Ford	1974-1977	Republican	Reduced taxes and eased governmental controls on the market. He provided help to Egypt and Israel and mediated between them.
39.	Jimmy Carter	1977-1981	Democratic	He was a strong advocate of human rights and spent most of his presidency working for social development. He was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. He was a mediator and a signatory of the Camp David Agreement of 1978 that helped bring Egypt and Israel together and tackled inflation and unemployment crisis well.
40.	Ronald Reagan	1981-1989	Republican	He undertook the Reagan Revolution which helped American people reduce their dependency on the government. He increased defense spending, improved US-Soviet relations, ensured oil flow in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq war, supported anti-Communist insurgencies globally.
41.	George H. W. Bush	1989-1993	Republican	During his term, the cold war ended, the Soviet Union fell. He also saw the falling of the Berlin war and the resignation of Mikhail Gorbachov, the Soviet president. Bush sent US troops to Kuwait to push back Saddam Hussain, who invaded Kuwait and threatened Saudi Arabia. Faced criticism because of rising inflation and increased military spending at home.
42.	Bill Clinton	1993-2001	Democratic	His tenure was a period of relative peace and economic prosperity. He focused on improving education, job protection for parents with sick children, handgun sales restrictions, and environmental regulations. Advocated for an expanded NATO, promoted international trade, and campaigned against drug trafficking.
43.	George W. Bush	2001-2009	Republican	He became a wartime hero for his actions dealing with the post-9/11 America. After 9/11, he sent American forces to Afghanistan to fight off the Taliban leader, Bin Laden. During his second term, he continued his fight against terrorism in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
44.	Barack Obama	2009-2017	Democratic	The first African American to hold office. Signed three revolutionary bills for healthcare, economy and financial institutions during his tenure. He also signed the climate change agreement to reduce global emissions and advocated UN to speed up the measures to curb terrorism.
45.	Donald Trump	2017-2021	Republican	Trump passed important tax reform and reduced regulations, adopted protectionist trade policies, renegotiated trade deals, and focused on judiciary appointments. His tenure faced controversies like a government shutdown over border wall funding, impeachment for pressuring Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden’s son, and impeachment again for inciting insurrection after the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
46.	Joe Biden	2021-present	Democratic	Took an active role in fighting off the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. He has also made climate change his priority, rejoining the Paris Agreement and revealing an extensive plan to combat climate change, invest in clean energy, and promote environmental sustainability. Has undertaken immigration reform efforts, proposing legislation to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Its uncertain if he wins a second term in office.

Conclusion

The post of the President of the US has changed with time to become the most powerful elected political position across the globe. The President of the US wields great power and influence along with many responsibilities. The decisions made by the US President has global consequences on a widespread scale, which is why it is important that a good, selfless person with morals and a sense of duty is elected by the people. The Presidents of the US discussed above have all left a significant impact on global politics with their policies.

FAQ’s on US Presidents in Order

Who was the first unmarried US president?

James Buchanan was the only US President who never married.

How many US presidents have been assassinated?

There have been plots to assassinate 18 of the 46 U.S. presidents, however only 4 presidents died of assassination.

Who was the youngest President?

The youngest person to become U.S. president was Theodore Roosevelt, who, at age 42, succeeded to the office after the assassination of William McKinley.

Who is the first American president?

George Washington, became the first president of the United States in 1789.

Who were the top 5 US presidents?

The 2018 Siena poll reported George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Thomas Jefferson as the top 5 US presidents.