13 Presidents served exactly one term. They won election and then, in most cases, the electorate decided they weren't worth having. However, a few of them had promised to serve only one term and kept that promise.
John Adams (1797-1801) served as the first vice president and then became the 2nd President. His presidency tested the limits of government. The Sedition Act challenged the 1st Amendment, arguably undermining it. He waged a Quasi War with France. His vice president, Thomas Jefferson, was the leader of the opposition party! He was the first president to reside in Washington DC. He sought re-election in 1800, but Jefferson won.
John Quincy Adams (1825-1829) was the son of John Adams. He had served as Secretary of State for James Monroe. The 1824 election resulted in no clear winner though Andrew Jackson had won a plurality of the votes. Henry Clay, the fourth-place candidate, called upon his followers to support Adams. Adams was thus chosen by the House of Representatives. No sooner was he in office than he selected Henry Clay as his Secretary of State. "Corrupt bargain!" Jackson cried! Adams presidency was unremarkable and he was trounced by Andrew Jackson in the 1828 election. Where most presidents vanished into retirement after their term, Adams was elected to the House and served there for the remainder of his life (1830-1848).
Martin Van Buren (1837-1841) had governor of New York, Secretary of state, and vice president before he was elected president. Selected as Jackson's successor, Van Buren was soon assailed by the Panic of 1837, variety of conflicts with Canada (Aroostook War, Caroline Affair, Patriot War), the continuing Indian Removal policy begun by Jackson, and Texas. Though the party nominated him for re-election, he was crushed by the Whig Party candidate, William Henry Harrison. Van Buren sought re-election in 1844, but could not secure the nomination. He tried one last time in 1848, running as a third party candidate.
James Knox Polk (1845-1849) is the only president to have also served as Speaker of the House. He was a favorite of Andrew Jackson, earning the nickname of Young Hickory. He was a dark horse candidate for the presidency and only barely won against the perennial Whig candidate, Henry Clay. Unlike most presidents, Polk announced his intention to serve only 1 term and he did not seek re-election. He had four goals for his presidency: tariff reduction, an independent treasury, resolution of the Oregon boundary, and the acquisition of California. He accomplished all four. He dared war with Great Britain on the Oregon issue and fought an unpopular war with Mexico regarding Texas and California. Keeping his word, he did not run for re-election and retired to his Tennessee home. He died only 3 months after leaving the White House at the age of 53.
Franklin Pierce (1853-1857) had been a New Hampshire state politician who later served in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. During the Mexican War, he led volunteers as a brigadier general. Oddly, he defeated his commanding officer, General Winfield Scott, for the presidency in 1852. During his presidency, he oversaw the Gadsden Purchase, overturned the Missouri Compromise (thus triggering Bleeding Kansas), tried to buy Cuba, and declared the abolition movement to be a threat to the union. He was so unpopular that his party would not nominate him for re-election in 1856. They chose James Buchanan instead
James Buchanan (1857-1861) was one of the most experienced men to ever serve as president. He had been minister to the United Kingdom, minister to Russia, Secretary of State, a Senator, and a House Representative. Days after his inauguration, the Supreme Court announced the Dredd Scott decision. Kansas was still bleeding, the Utah War with the Mormons threatened westward migration, and finally states seceded from the Union. Buchanan was uniquely suited to be a foreign policy president but the country was a domestic catastrophe. Like Polk, Buchanan promised to serve only one term and did not seek re-election. Unlike Polk, he did not have a record of accomplishments.
Rutherford Hayes (1877-1881) had been governor of Ohio, a congressman, and a major general during the Civil War. Samuel Tilden had won the popular vote in 1876 and it required the Compromise of 1877 to get Hayes named president. As a result, Reconstruction came to an end. Of note, the White House did not serve alcohol while he was president, making him a favorite of the temperance movement. Like Polk and Buchanan, Hayes did not seek re-election, having promised to serve only one term.
Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893) was the grandson of President William Henry Harrison (1841). He had served as a Senator from Indiana and was a brigadier general during the Civil War. His presidency saw the passage of the Sherman Antitrust Act, which would eventually be wielded like a big stick by Theodore Roosevelt. He did not prove to be more popular than his predecessor, Grover Cleveland, so the country re-elected Cleveland in 1892.
William Howard Taft (1909-1913) had been Secretary of War for Theodore Roosevelt and was Teddy's chosen successor. A lawyer at heart, Taft differed from Roosevelt on a variety of issues. In 1912, Taft found himself in a nomination fight with Roosevelt, which Taft won. Roosevelt then ran as a third-party candidate. Splitting the Republican vote, Roosevelt and Taft handed the presidency to Woodrow Wilson. Taft went on to become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, a job for which he was much better suited.
Herbert Hoover (1929-1933) had served as Secretary of Commerce for Presidents Harding and Coolidge before being elected to the presidency. He had the great misfortune to be in office for the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Being an engineer, Hoover sought to fix the economy by pouring money into the economy. Where most economic downturns only lasted a year or two, Hoover managed to drag this one out to the next election, which he lost in a landslide. Oddly enough, FDR continued Hoover's policies and expanded them.
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter (1977-1981) had been governor of Georgia, a peanut farmer, and a submariner in the Navy. Despite having both a Democratic House and Senate, Carter didn't get along with the legislative branch. The economy was troubled, inflation was high, and energy was such that he suggested everyone wear a sweater. Internationally, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan with little response from the US and Iran stormed the US Embassy and took Americans hostage. Carter was crushed in his re-election bid.
George Bush (1989-1993) had a lot in common with James Buchanan; his resume was suited for foreign policy. In that regard, he proved successful. The Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Gulf War was a success that pushed Saddam out of Kuwait, Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was deposed, and NAFTA was passed. However, a downturn in the economy and his inability to relate to average folks led to his defeat in 1992.
Donald Trump (2017-2021) was the first president to have neither served in government nor the military. A successful businessman with tremendous name recognition, Trump was able to persuade the voters that he was the best choice. His presidency started under a cloud when the Steele Dossier came to light before his inauguration. This cloud hamstrung his efforts to get anything done through legislation. However, he cut taxes, built part of the wall he campaigned for, renegotiated NAFTA, and facilitated the Abraham Accords. He was also impeached twice, a record unlikely to be matched anytime soon. He lost re-election, though he claimed it was stolen. He is currently seeking to repeat Grover Cleveland's feat of non-consecutive terms.
No comments:
Post a Comment