10/5/1829 – 11/18/1886 Party: Republican Timeline; 1881-1885 #21 Chester A. Arthur- The Unexpected Reformer Arthur spent his early career as an attorney and in politics. During the Civil War, he served as Engineer-in-Chief (1861-1863), Inspector General (1862) and Quartermaster General (1862-1863) in the New York Militia. After the war he devoted more time to politics,…
11/19/1831 – 9/19/1881 Party: Republican Timeline; 1881 #20 James A. Garfield- The Fallen Reformer Garfield worked various jobs in his younger years entering politics in 1857. He served on the Ohio Senate (1859-1861) and then joined the Union Army where he helped recruit the 42nd Ohio Volunteer infantry and became its colonel. After commanding a…
10/4/1822 – 1/17/1893 Party: Republican Timeline; 1877-1881 #19 Rutherford B. Hayes- The Contested President Hayes was an attorney and city solicitor of Cincinnati (1858-1861) but when the Civil War began he left politics to join the Union Army, as an officer. He was wounded a few different times, the worst being the Battle of South…
4/27/1822 – 7/23/1885 Party: Republican Timeline; 1869-1877 #18 Ulysses S. Grant- Union General President Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant, but an error on his application to West Point changed his name to Ulysses Simpson Grant. He liked the initials so much that he kept the name. Not only was Grant the top Union military…
12/29/1808 – 7/31/1875 Party: National Union Timeline; 1865-1869 Before running with Lincoln, Johnson served in the U.S. house of representatives (1843-1853), was the governor of Tennessee (1853-1857) and in the Tennessee Senate (1875). As Southern slave states, including Tennessee, seceded to form the Confederate States of America, Johnson remained firmly with the Union. He was…
2/12/1809 – 4/15/1865 Party: Republican Timeline; 1861-1865 Lincoln lived a quiet life working various traits. He volunteered in the Illinois Mafia and shortly after was elected captain in the Black Hawk War (1832). After the war he aspired to be a legislator but kept falling short, although he did hold a position on the Illinois…
4/23/1791 – 6/1/1868 Party: Democratic Timeline; 1857-1861 Buchanon studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1812 where he established a successful law practice, getting into politics shortly after where he was on the Pennsylvania house of representatives (1814-1816) and U.S. house of representatives for Pennsylvania’s 3rd district (1821-1823), and the 4th district (1823-1831)…
11/23/1804 – 10/8/1869 Party: Democratic Timeline; 1853-1857 Pierce was studying law as his father was rising in political ranks, he joined his father’s campaign and helped him become governor in 1827. By 1833, the younger Pierce was elected to Congress as New Hampshire’s “at large” district representative where he stayed until moving to Senator(1837-1842). After…
1/7/1800 – 3/8/1874 Party: Whig Timeline; 1850-1853 Fillmore started work in a law office at an early age, being admitted to the bar in 1823. Entering politics in 1828, he served in the New York assembly (1829-1832) and eventually won a spot in congress as New York’s 32nd district representative (1833-1835) and again (1837-1843). Then…
11/24/1784 – 7/9/1850 Party: Whig Timeline; 1849-1850 Taylor enlisted in the Army in 1806 and was commissioned first lieutenant of the infantry in 1808. He served for almost 40 years, going through the War of 1812, Blackhawk War (1832) and the Second Seminole War (1835-1842) where he reached the rank of brigadier general, eventually advancing…