19th Century timeline: 1801-1810

1801: Thomas Jefferson wins the Presidential Election in the House of Representatives
    Battle of Abukir
    The Concordant
    First Barbary War (1801-05)

1802: Treaty of Amiens

1803: Marbury v Madison
    Louisiana Purchase
    Robert Emmet executed

1804: Haiti wins independence
    Decatur's Raid
    Napoleonic Code
    Lewis and Clark Expedition begins (1804-06)
    Burr-Hamilton duel
    Jefferson re-elected

1805: Trafalgar
    Austerlitz
    Peace of Pressburg

1806: Battle of Jena-Auerstedt
    Continental System

1807: Battle of Montevideo
    Battle of Eylau
    Burr Treason trial
    Slave trade banned by British Empire
    Chesapeake-Leopold Affair
    Treaty of Tilsit
    First Steamboat
    Embargo Act

1808: Slave Trade banned in U.S.
    James Madison elected President

1809: Peninsular War (1807-14)
    Non-Intercourse Act

18th Century Timeline (1776-1800)

1776: Common Sense published
    Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire published
    Wealth of Nations published
    Virginia Declarations of Rights
    Declaration of Independence
    Battle of Long Island
    Battle of Harlem Heights
    Battle of Valcour Bay
    The American Crisis published
    The Battle of Trenton

1777: Battle of Saratoga
    Valley Forge

1778: Battle of Monmouth

1779: James Cook dies in Hawaii

1780: Gordon Riots
    Battle of Camden
    Arnold's treason
    Battle of King's Mountain
    The Great Hurricane kills 22,000

1781: Battle of Cowpens
    Articles of Confederation
    Battle of Yorktown

1783: Peace of Paris

1786: Shay's Rebellion

1787: Northwest Ordinance
    Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia
    Federalist Papers published

1789: Sieyes' publishes What is the Third Estate?
    Constitution goes into effect
    Washington Inauguated first President of the United States
    Tennis Court Oath (France)
    Bastille Stormed
    Declaration of the Righs of Man and of the Citizen

1792: Louis XVI arrested
    September massacres (France)
    Battle of Valmy
    Washington re-elected

1793: Louis XVI executed
    Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality
    Marat murdered
    Reign of Terror begins
    Marie Antoinette executed

1794: Cotton Gin
    Danton executed
    Whiskey Rebellion

1796: John Adams elected president
    Catherine the Great dies
    Battle of Lodi

1797: Battle of Campo Formio
    XYZ Affair
    Battle of the Pyramids
    Battle of the Nile

1798: Quasi War
    Alien and Sedition Acts

1799: Napoleon's coup
    Washington dies

1800: Quasi War ends
    Treaty of Mortefontaine
    Election of 1800 in U.S. goes to the House of Representatives
    Battle of Marengo
    Act of Union (Britain)

The Revolutionary Presidents: 1789-1825

Nowadays, every President obsesses over their legacy. Some of this is media driven and the desire for the press and the public to sum up a presidency as simply and as quickly as possible. Many presidents can claim multiple legacies which further confuses the public and the press. Here is the crib notes version of each president's main legacy beginning with the Revolutionary generation. These five presidents were shaped by their experiences in the Revolution.

1. George Washington (1789-1797): The first George W's legacy is as Father of the Country. His policies kept the country from fracturing. He upheld Federal Supremacy over localism by putting down the Whiskey Rebellion. He kept the country out of the European conflict between France and Britain. His foreign policy became the basis of American foreign policy for a century. As a result of his prudence, instead of falling into civil war or being torn apart by foreign invaders, the United States survived into the next century. Washington's other major legacy is the presidency itself. He was the model the framers had in mind. He set many precedents followed to this day and established the two term limit which only Franklin Roosevelt broke (although U.S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson wanted to break).

2. John Adams (1797-1801): Many historians would claim the Alien and Sedition Acts as Adams' legacy. This is more a reaction to the imagined abuses of the Bush Administration. However, Adams' real legacy is the Peace with France that cost him the presidency. The Anglophobic Democratic Party thought he was a monarchical tyrant while his own party thought he was soft on France and clamoured for war. With the exception of the Civil War era, this was the most divisive political period in American history. Adams' fought his own party as well as the Democrats. He resisted war, achieved peace with the French, and lost his re-election bid.

3. Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809): Jefferson was personally miserable as president. He was very unhappy in the White House. His second term was a disaster. However, his first term was spectacular. The Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark Expedition not only symbolized the young republic, but serve as Jefferson's Presidential Legacy. Interestingly, Jefferson's biggest legacy is the Declaration of Independence which he wrote a quarter of a century before becoming president.

4. James Madison (1809-1817): For better or worse, the War of 1812 is synonymous with James Madison's presidency. Today, some people consider the war a failure, America's first defeat in a war, and needlessly divisive. The War of 1812 might be the most divisive war in U.S. history as New England threatened to leave the Union and celebrated British victories. Some consider the war a draw and a national distraction. However, most Americans at the time considered it a victory for liberty and the war that secured American independence. In many respects, this last interpretation is the most accurate. Like Jefferson, Madison's greatest legacy occurred before his presidency. James Madison is considered the Father of the Constitution.

5. James Monroe (1817-1825): The Federalist Party died and the Democrats had the political world to themselves. Being Democrats, they fought amongst themselves. However, Monroe's legacy unites most Americans to this day and is often invoked by his successors. The Monroe Doctrine bars European colonization and interference in the Americas. It legitimized American involvement during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Invasion of Grenada, and many other activities. Some have been positive while others have been questionable. However, the anti-colonial principles within the doctrine influence American thinking to this day.

The Greatest Inaugural Addresses

I have read every Presidential Inaugural Address from Washington to W. I have seen every Inaugural Address from Kennedy to W (Thank you C-Span). So, here is my list of the five greatest addresses and four honorable mentions...They are arranged chronologically.

1. Thomas Jefferson (1801): Jefferson tried to heal wounds caused by a decade of intense partisanship. People think today's politics are hyper-partisan. However, the 1790s were worse. As Obama has been doing, Jefferson attempted to reach across the aisle and proclaimed one American nation with the refrain, "We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists."

2. Abraham Lincoln (1865): The partisanship of Jefferson's time was intense, but not as intense as the 1850s. By 1860, compromise was not possible and war broke out after Lincoln's inaugural in 1861. Speeches do not have to be long to be good. Lincoln's second address was short and to the point. He wanted to heal the nation, "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

3. Franklin Roosevelt (1933): FDR reassured a nation deep in despair by promising "that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Compared to the dour Herbert Hoover, this was a breath of fresh air. Additionally, with improvements in technology, we can see and hear FDR's speech today.

4. John F. Kennedy (1961): JFK's inaugural was a call to arms for a new generation. It was a message of hope. Mankind can eliminate poverty and other social problems. Liberty will spread. America's good words would be transformed into good deeds. Kennedy also challenged Americans to "ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."

5. Ronald Reagan (1981): Reagan always performed for his audience. After four years of the Carter Malaise, and almost 20 years of bad luck, divisions, and disasters, Reagan had come on his white horse to set things right. Reagan promised a new beginning. As a result of leftist policies, the economy was shattered and America's prestige abroad at an all time low. Like today, solutions to problems does not come from government. Instead, America's problem was government.

Honorable Mentions:

1. Andrew Jackson (1829): Jackson's election marked the beginning of a new age. (It also led to the greatest party in American History as the White House got trashed). Jackson's address was similar to Reagan's. Liberty is more important than government expansion.

2. Abraham Lincoln (1861): The South left the Union. How would Lincoln respond? He attempted to alleviate Southern worries, but he also let it be known that states can not leave the Union. He asks Southerners to be patriots and appeals to their "better angels."

3. Benjamin Harrison (1889): Harrison was known to be "icy." He was not very likable, but he managed to get elected. Despite his inability to be warm and fuzzy, he gave a pretty good address. It was a celebratory unity speech.

4. Richard Nixon (1969): Nixon came back from the abyss to win the presidency in 1968. During his exile, he became an expert in foreign affairs. Like Kennedy, he appealed to something bigger than himself. It was a "Summons to Greatness." Nixon pushed for a peaceful world. He asked Americans to seize the opportunity for greatness. It was time to end war, "The greatest honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker."

The Worst Inaugural Addresses

Here is a list of the five worst Presidential Inaugural Addresses. They are arranged chronologically.

1. Thomas Jefferson (1805): Jefferson breaks into a tirade during his inaugural. He attempts to justify his policies and accomplishments and then attacks his critics and calls them ignorant. And people thought Nixon's 1962 farewell speech was bitter.

2. John Quincy Adams (1825): Adams was slow to recognize the revolutionary changes overtaking American politics in the 1820s. However, he did recognize his precarious situation after the contested Election of 1824. His address was long, rambling, and boring. He felt the need to mention the aqueducts of Rome. At the end, he admits he is a handicapped president and might not be able to get much done.

3. William Henry Harrison (1841): Harrison's address was so long, he caught a cold, which turned to pneumonia. He died a month into office. His speech was so bad, it killed him.

4. James Buchanan (1857): The word clueless comes to mind with Buchanan. The country was on the eve of Civil War, but Buchanan did not seem to understand this. The Kansas situation had created a war within the territory. Buchanan claimed sectional differences were of no importance. He then rambles on and on and on...

5. Warren Harding (1921): Another long and rambling speech. The first Bill Clinton gave one of the worst addresses ever. Reading the speech is something akin to watching paint dry. No, that is unfair to paint.

The Goods (part 1)

We now move to the good presidents. They were better than average (or adequate), but not great. Some died before they could rise higher or fall lower while others served only one term for one reason or another. This is the first grouping of good presidents. They are listed chronologically.
1. John Adams (1797-1801): Adams' historical reputation suffers for three reasons. One, he followed Washington and preceded Jefferson. Two, he was not re-elected in 1800 (thanks to the 3/5 clause). Three, those pesky Alien and Sedition Acts are more despised today because of Bush haters than they were in 1800. Another lesser factor is today's psychobabble has crept into the culture to such an extent, that Adams loses points for his personality. Well, Adams continued many of Washington's policies, created the navy, and kept the U.S. out of a war with France that his own party demanded. Not too bad.
2. Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809): Most historians rank Jefferson with the greats. He did have an amazingly successful first term with the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark Expedition. He was easily re-elected. Jefferson's second term was a disaster. He caused a depression by ending all trade, gutted the military so it was not prepared for the War of 1812, and was less popular in New England than George W Bush is in San Francisco today. As a result, I split the difference and place him here.
3. James Madison (1809-1817): Madison's tenure was dominated by the War of 1812. He did what he could to avoid it, but failed. When the war was over, the US was lucky to survive (The White House got torched) and actually came out the victor thanks to Andy Jackson. Madison's big mistake was eliminating the Bank of the United States which made financing the war difficult.
4. James Monroe (1817-1825): The Times were a Changin'. The economy was beginning to shift, America no longer feared Europe, and the Federalist Party died leaving only the Democrats. Monroe had three major issues to confront. In 1818-1819, he sent Andy Jackson to take out Indian guerrillas wrecking havoc in Georgia. The end result was the acquisition of Florida. In 1819, the North and South had their first spat over slavery. The Missouri Compromise set the precedent of compromise between sections on the slavery issue. Some have attacked this as the North approving slavery. However, it bought time. By the time the two sections came to blows over slavery, the North could overwhelm the South. Lastly, when those pesky Russians and crazy Frenchmen eyed the Americas for conquest, Monroe (and Britain) issued his doctrine banning European colonization of the New World. His doctrine has guided American foreign policy ever since.
5. James K. Polk (1845-1849): Polk avoided war with Britain and settled a longstanding border dispute over the Canadian Border. He solved the bank problem with his independent treasury. He led America to victory in the Mexican War and conquered the Southwest. (There is some controversy over who started it and some blame Polk for manufacturing a war for slave interests).

The Uncontested Elections: 1804-1820

This next series of presidential elections can be summed up easily and quickly...the Federalist Party died off and left the country with one political party. As a result, the Jeffersonians dominated the presidency.
1804: Thomas Jefferson v. Charles Pinckney. Jefferson was a popular and successful incumbent. He won in a landslide. 162-14 in the electoral college.
1808: James Madison v. Charles Pinckney. Madison was Jefferson's hand picked successor. Pinckney was a one-time loser. Jefferson's second term was a disaster, but the Federalists were dying off and not much of a threat by '08. Madison wins 122-47.
1812: James Madison v. Dewitt Clinton. Madison was fighting the War of 1812 and was the incumbent. The war was not very popular and almost led to a civil war. The Federalist Party continued to sink and became more extreme. This election was similar to 2004. Madison wins 128-89 in a close election. A strong opposition party might have had a shot at knocking off the incumbent.
1816: James Monroe vs. Rufus King. This is the end for the Federalists. Monroe was Madison's hand picked successor and acquitted himself well as Secretary of State and Secretary of War during the War of 1812. The Federalists held a convention at the end of the war and discussed seceding from the union. Then, the war ended and they looked like traitors. Monroe wins 183-34 and the Federalist Party dies.
1820: James Monroe vs. No One. Monroe runs unopposed. There is no opposition party. Monroe wins.
Hard to believe, but 1824 would bring one of the most controversial and cantankerous elections ever.

Blood Feud II: Jefferson v. Adams

The 1800 presidential election was the dirtiest ever. President John Adams was running for re-election against Vice President Thomas Jefferson. This was a rematch from 1796. When the dust cleared, Adams was defeated, but Jefferson had not yet won. The election was thrown into the House of Representatives as Jefferson's running mate attempted to grab the presidency for himself.
The Federalists openly accused Jefferson of being Godless. They warned that atheism and rape would be openly taught in America under Jefferson. On top of this, Jefferson supported the French Revolution. If elected, Jefferson would send his fellow Americans to the guillotine. The Adams Administration also used the Sedition Act to lock up unfriendly newspapermen.
While the Federalists' accused Jefferson of being the next Robespierre, the Jeffersonians accused Adams of wanting to be the next King George III. They decried Adams' monarchical tendencies and desire for power. This charge is ironic considering Adams was one of the leading American Revolutionaries.
When the Electoral College voted, Adams was defeated, but Jefferson had not won. He remained tied in the Electoral College with his Vice-Presidential running mate, Aaron Burr. The party asked Burr to concede some votes to Jefferson and take his place as Veep. Burr declined. The election was thrown into the House.
The Federalists held the balance of power in the House of Representatives. The Democratic-Republicans lined up behind their party leader against the upstart. The Federalists were split. Many wanted to support Burr just to stick it to Jefferson. Their decision fell to Alexander Hamilton.
Hamilton hated Jefferson with a passion. The two were rivals and polar opposites. Jefferson reciprocated Hamilton's hate. Despite their history, Hamilton decided to support Jefferson. He considered Burr too dangerous to trust with power. In the end, Hamilton instructed his supporters to throw in with the Jeffersonians. The House elected Jefferson third president.
Jefferson's selection by the House ushered in the so-called "Revolution of 1800." The nation moved toward a more egalitarian society for whites and a more oppressive society for blacks. Within a generation, all white men could vote. Jefferson's elevation from V.P. to the presidency may also have averted civil war. Democratic-Republican governors were beginning to talk war if Jefferson was denied by the Federalists in the House of Representatives.
Tags: Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, The Presidency, Elections, History

Blood Feud: Adams v. Jefferson I

George Washington decided to step down following two terms in office. He was afraid he'd die in office should he be elected to a third term. As a result, 1796 provided the first contested election in U.S. history. Vice President John Adams took on former Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson for the nation's highest office. Despite being friends and Revolutionary compatriots, the two had diametrically opposed political views and the election allowed the nation's first political parties to cut loose.
Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans were extremely frustrated after eight years of Washington's Federalist policies. Attacking Washington meant attacking the Revolution and America itself. With Washington out of the way, the Jeffersonians attacked Adams without restraint. They accused the Vice-President of monarchical tendencies, a distrust of the people, and tried to paint him as despotic.
The Federalists did not sit idly as the Democratic-Republicans smeared Adams. Jefferson's opponents accused him of demagoguery and political opportunism. Federalists claimed Jefferson's career was built on scare tactics and his enthusiasm for the French Revolution was dangerous.
In the midst of the attacks, real differences existed between the two candidates. Adams wanted Senators elected for life as a check on the people while Jefferson believed in the people. Adams condemned the French Revolution and its excesses. Jefferson supported the Revolution and even defended the needless bloodshed as necessary for liberty. Adams wished to strengthen the national government and Jefferson wanted power pushed to the states.
In the end, Adams won because George Washington endorsed him. Despite winning the presidency, Adams could not shed Jefferson. Alexander Hamilton attempted to swing electoral college voters to the Federalist Vice Presidential candidate Thomas Pinckney. Hamilton did not want Adams to become president and wished to relegate him back the the vice-presidency. As a result, some voters did not vote for Pinckney to ensure Adams' election. At the time, President and V.P. were not elected in tandem. Candidates for each office were voted on separately. The person with the most electoral votes won the presidency while the person with the second most votes became vice-president. Without the full canvas of Federalist electoral voters behind him, Pinckney did not receive enough votes for either office. Jefferson finished second. For the only time in American history, the loser of the presidential election became Vice-President.
Tags: , Politics, History, Presidential Elections, 1796 Election, The Presidency, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams