The Presidents: United States Presidential Fact Book
3 Thomas Jefferson 1801-1809 Democratic Republican Vice President Aaron Burr 1801-1805 George Clinton 1805–1809 Born April 13 1743 Shadwell Plantation VA Occupation Lawyer Planter Married Martha Wayles Skelton Died July 4 1826 Monticello near Charlottesville VA Early Years Jefferson was well educated and studied several languages At 17 he went to the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg interested in science and mathematics He became a lawyer at 24 and wrote the Declaration of Independence at 33. He was the first secretary of state under George Washington He was also an accomplished architect linguist and naturalist His Presidency The first to be inaugurated in Washington D.C. he was extremely popular He reduced taxes and believed in as much freedom as possible One of his greatest achievements was purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803. This doubled the size of the United States Did you know Jefferson designed his own tombstone and wrote his own epitaph but chose not to mention that he had been president of the United States
4 James Madison 1809–1817 Democratic Republican Vice President George Clinton 1809–1812 Elbridge Gerry 1813–1814 Born March 16 1751 Port Conway VA Occupation Lawyer Married Dolley Dandridge Payne Todd Died June 28 1836 Montpelier VA Early Years Madison was an intense student and completed a four year course in two at the College of New Jersey now Princeton University He is known as the Father of the Constitution and of the Bill of Rights because of the leading part he played in their writing and ratification His Presidency Madison's main concern as president was the war between France and England and its effect on American commerce ships and cargoes This culminated in the War of 1812. Madison barely escaped when the city of Washington was captured and burned by the British in 1814. Peace was finally attained by the Treaty of Ghent in 1814 Did you know He was our shortest president at 5 feet 4 inches and first to wear trousers instead of knee pants
5 James Monroe 1817–1825 Democratic Republican Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins Born April 28 1758 Westmoreland County VA Occupation Lawyer Married Elizabeth Kortright Died July 4 1831 New York NY Early Years Monroe attended the College of William and Mary for two years but left to join the Third Virginia Regiment in 1776. He became a professional politician and his long friendship with Thomas Jefferson helped him advance in his political career His Presidency He is most known for the Monroe Doctrine of 1823 which declared America's political system separate and different from Europe's During his term Missouri was admitted as a slave state and Maine as a free state in the Missouri Compromise Also the boundary between the U.S. and Canada was established Did you know Monroe was the first president to ride on a steamboat and the first senator to become president
6 John Quincy Adams 1825–1829 Democratic Republican Vice President John C. Calhoun Born July 11 1767 Braintree now Quincy MA Occupation Lawyer Married Louisa Catherine Johnson Died February 23 1848 Washington D.C. Early Years Adams was educated in a village school then under the guidance of his mother At 14 he accompanied his father to Russia as a French interpreter At 16 he began a diary which he continued for over sixty years His first career was as a diplomat His Presidency Adams wished to govern as a man for the whole nation He favored federal power regarding public land roads canals and protection of Native American land Unpopular with those who favored states rights he was not reelected but in later life he won the esteem of millions who hated slavery Did you know President Adams went swimming nude in the Potomac River every day in good weather
