LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. - -Sliell--^.- *1- TTn - UNITED STATES OF 'AMERICA. A CENTURY ■ OF Presidents of the United States FROM GEORGE WASHINGTON, 1789, TO BENJAMIN HARRISON, 1889, WITH IMPORTANT EVENT'S THAT OCCURRED DURING EACH ADMINISTRATION. Ir^l lln IDeree. ^ ' BY ^ \\:^.i,MARV L. PETER. BUFFALO, N. Y. PUBLISHED BY MARY L. PETER, No. 194 Bryant Street. 1892. PRICE, TWENTY- FIVE CENTS. 2^ 79^ .^ V'a"] Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1891. By MARY L. PETER, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. To My Dear Brother, WHOSE INTEREST IN THE WRITING OF THE FOLLOWING PAGES HAS BEEN BOTH ENCOURAGING AND IN- SPIRING, THIS LITTLE WORK IS NOW MOST AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED, BV THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. As the well-known lines beginning, "First William, the Norman, Then William, his son," have enabled many children to remember, in their order, the English Sovereigns; so this little work is offered to young students of American history, in the hope, that its metrical arrangement may fix in their memories, not only the names of the Presi- dents, but also the more important events that occurred during each administration. PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STA TES. NAMES OF THE PRESIDENTS. First, George Washington. Second, John Adams. Third, Thomas Jefferson. Fourth, James Madison. Fifth, James Monroe. Sixth, John Quincy Adams. Seventh, Andrew Jackson. Eighth, Martin Van Buren. Ninth, William Henry Harrison. Tenth, John Tyler. Eleventh, James Knox Polk. Twelfthy Zachary Taylor. Thirteenth, Millard Fillmore. Fourteenth, Franklin Pierce. Fifteenth, James Buchanan. Sixteenth, Abraham Lincoln. Seventeenth, Andrew Johnson. Eighteenth, Ulysses Simpson Grant. Nineteenth, Rutherford Birchard Hayes. Twentieth, James Abram Garfield. Twenty-first, Chester Alan Arthur. Twenty-second, Grover Cleveland. Twenty-third, Benjamin Harrison. Let the children compare the names of the Presidents in rhyme, with this table, that they may see for themselves that the proper order of the names is exactly preserved. PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STA TES. Names of the Presidents in Rhyme. First Washington, then Adams, Next Jefferson we view; James Madison, Monroe, and then John Adams' son — John Q. After General Jackson Van Buren's name we trace, Preceding Harrison, who died; John Tyler took his place. Then Polk, and General Taylor, Who shortly met his fate. When Fillmore, his Vice-President, Became chief magistrate. Frank Pierce, and James Buchanan, Then Lincoln, who was slain; His life was made a sacrifice, The Union to maintain. And after Johnson, Grant, A soldier valiant, tried. Followed by Hayes, then Garfield, Who like a martyr died. Arthur was the twenty-first, Then Grover Cleveland came. And eighty-nine brought Harrison, The second of his name. Andrew Jackson was the seventh President, and Andrew Johnson the seventeenth. PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 17 89. 1797, GEORGE WASHINGTON. Washington — Father of our Nation, First in war, in peace, in station, — Did, as our leader, thus advise : " Lay foundations deep and wise. From alliances refrain, Neutrality with all maintain." His Cabinet^ with care selected, By Hamilton's wise aid directed, That firm our currency might stand, A Mint and Central Bank they planned And with a rare financial skill. The war-drained Treasury to fill. And foster manufacturing — laid A tax on stills and import-trade. For whisky's tax one State^ rebelled; "Mad Anthony"^ the Indians quelled. Soon foreign credit we attained, And treaties with three nations* gained. The arts of peace, by wisdom led, A genial influence o'er us shed. An unknown value was revealed In every Southern cotton-field, This invention was When Whitney's^ inspiration wrought ney!"A7kwr1ght and The changc his cotton-gin has brought, three greaVfnvento^rs The inventive gcnius of the age, of the age. Thus early gave forth rich presage. W,\shington's Cabinet. Sec. of State, Thomas Jefferson. Sec. of the Treas., Alexander Hamilton. Sec. of War, Henry Kno.x. Attorney-General, Edmund Randolph. Pennsylvania. 3 General Wayne. 4 England, Spain, Algiers. PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. u 1797. 1801. JOHN ADAMS. John Adams, our next President, Unpopular became ; His "Alien and Sedition" laws Brought censure on his name. 1801. 1809. THOMAS JEFFERSON. Through Jefferson, whose Declaration The Declaration of Made US an independent nation, Independence, July 4tn, ' 1776. We purchased Louisiana' land, 2 And Mississippi's gate so grand. In 1803, for $15,509,- 000, Jefferson purchased , Nlp^oieonXnlparte"'" Within this term was set afloat Robert Fulton's first steamboat. PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED ST A TES. 13 1809. This war was with England, in 1812, and long- spoken of as the late war. 1817, JAMES MADISON. Came Madison. — Victorious Our arms on sea and lake, Did, for Columbia's naval fame, A valiant record make. 1817. Monroe's administra- tion was known afi the "era of good feeling." Florida was purchased from Spain, for $5,000,- 000. 1825. JAMES MONROE. Monroe's^ most famous doctrine reads " The Foreign Powers that dare Set foot upon this continent. Our foes we will declare." Fair Florida^ then came to us, A rich and welcome prize, And Henry Clay, with skill, obtained Missouri's compromise. PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED ST A TES. 15 1835. The Erie Canal was opened in 1825, and in derision was called 'Clinton's ditch." First railroad comple- ted 1826, at the Quincy franile quarries, Mass. n Jan. 1827, nine miles were finished from the coal mines at Mauch Chunk to the Lehigh river. 1839. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. In time of Adams' son — John Q. — Improvements great were planned ; Clinton's canal/ 'twixt sea and lake, And railways- through the land. 1839. 1837. ANDREW JACKSON. " Old Hickory " this chief was called- ' Though Jackson was his name; — When Carolina " nullified," He quenched rebellion's flame. PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 17 1837. 1841. iMARTIN VAN BUREN. This war was known as the "Patriot War." Van Buren, " Sage of Kinderhook," Found trouble near and far ; The money crash of thirty-seven, And Canada's brief war.^ March 4, 1841. April 4, 1841. WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. The Battfe of Tippe- Brave William Henry Harrison, canoe was fought in r»i-.- ..o iSii. "Hero of 1 ippecanoe, ■' 3 "Tippecanoe and Ty- For Only One short nionth did rule, ler too," the refrain of the political song in And then Came "Tyler, too."^ PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. W) April 4, 1841. A dispute with Eng-- laad about the bound- ary line between Maine iind Canada was settled in 1842 by Lord Ashbur- ton and Daniel Webster. Dorr'9 rebellion, in Rhode Island, in 1841. 3 Anti-rent troubles in New York, in 1846. 4 First message sent by teletrraph, was Irom Washington to Balti- more, in 1844. 1845. The United States claimed its boundary line west of the Rocky Mountains to be 54° 40'. England insisted it was 4Q°. It was settled in favor of England. March 4, 1845. JOHN TYLER. The Northeast boundary/ uncertahi, Was fixed by Webster and Ashburton ; Dorr's mad rebellion^ set at rest ; The anti-renters'^ claims suppressed ; The telegraph* — oh, wondrous thought — Flashed o'er the wire " What God hath wrought Of ill-famed Mormon first we heard ; All this in Tyler's term occurred. 1849. JAMES KNOX POLK. While Polk was President, the blow Was struck, by which, from Mexico, We took a goodly heritage ; And Texas, too — with forethought sage. The Northwest bound'ry^ was defined, And California's gold first mmed. About this time, for household aid, A marvelous machine was made. Grateful to good Elias Howe, Let every weary seamstress bow. PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STA TES. 31 March 4, 1849. July 9, 1850. ZACHARV TAYLOR. " Old Rough and Ready," loving term For General Taylor's name : Too soon he died, and Fillmore then Chief Magistrate became. July 9, 1850. March 4, 1853. MILLARD FILLMORE. Webster and Clay, those statesmen wise, Perceiving danger near at hand, Their peaceful measures did devise. And many Compromises planned. PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STA TES. •.>3 185.3. 1857. FRANKLIN PIERCE. With Pierce, came Kansas' border war, Fierce party feuds waged near and far All Compromises were defied. And " Squatter Sovereignty " was cried. 1857. 1861. JAMES BUCHANAN. When James Buchanan took the Chair, Surcharged with discontent the air ; The Dred Scott case, and John Brown's raid, To frenzy roused, and tumult made. PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 25 March 4, ^Hi^' '^*^f April 14, 1861. ^m''' "^:^» 1865. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. When Lincoln came, secession rose ; Our country heaved with mighty throes Of anguish, in the bloody strife That nearly cost our nation's life. Our trouble, all the world could see, Was mainly caused by slavery. To check the strife, 'twas plain we must Crush this great wrong into the dust. Then Lincoln, with a prescience rare, I " The will to do ; the soul to dare," On the eve of the bat- tle of Antietam, Sep- Thus^ to the God of battles, prayed : tember 17, 1862, Lincoln Ar^htrGodThrt i°f '-Most Holy Father, lend Thine aid the Union troops were successful, he would With full success this fray to crown ; crown the result by a dom wThe°s'la^?/s. ^'^^' Then may we put this evil down." The vict'ry came — the vow was paid This proclamation _, , . -r-> 1 ■ 1 was made September By his great Proclamation'' made. 22, 1862, and went into effect January i, 1863. gjx rnillion slavcs wcrc freed ; no more The badge of servitude they wore. Four long years war o'er us hung, Ere the bells of peace were rung. PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. • December 2g, 1845. 29th Iowa (Hawkeye) December 28, 1846. 30th Wisconsin (Badger) May 29, 184S. XIII. MILLARD FILLMORE. 31st California (Golden) September 9, 1S50. XV. JAMES BUCHANAN. 32d Minnesota (Gopher) May 11, 1858. 33d Oregon (Beaver) February 14, 1859. 34th Kansas (Garden of the West) January 29, 1861. XVI. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 35th West Virginia (Switzerland of America) June 19, 1863. 36th Nevada (Silver) October 31, 1864. XVIL ANDREW JOHNSON. 37th Nebraska (Black Waters) March i, 1867. XVIII. ULYSSES SIMPSON GRANT. 38th Colorado (Centennial) July i, 1876. XXIII. BENJAMIN HARRISON. 39th Montana November, 1889. 40th Washington November, 1889. 41st North Dakota November, 1889. 42d South Dakota November, 1889. 43d Idaho July, 1 890. 44th Wyoming July, 1890. The following Territories belong to the United States: New Me.xico, Utah, Arizona, Alaska, Indian Territory and Oklahoma, also the District of Columbia. J SWwKfas-'' 011 448 012 5 l^- ^M '?&'■