American Presidents

“Another Voice for Cleveland,” September 1884

President Cleveland’s Problem Child

Not even a specific allegation of philandering, illicit pregnancy and coverup barred Grover Cleveland from the White House

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Harry Truman’s Adorable Love “List” to His Wife, Bess

As a celebration of 38 years of marriage, the former president shared his memories, both fond and bittersweet, from each anniversary

Illustration from Illustrated London News, April 8, 1865.

Document Deep Dive: The Menu From President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Ball

What delicacies and confectionaries were found on the 250-foot-long buffet table?

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A Brief History of the Teleprompter

How a makeshift show business memory aid became the centerpiece of modern political campaigning

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George Washington and Abigail Adams Get an Extreme Makeover

Conservators at the National Gallery Art restored Gilbert Stuart portraits of our founding figures, making them look good as new

The Dark Side of Thomas Jefferson

A new portrait of the founding father challenges the long-held perception of Thomas Jefferson as a benevolent slaveholder

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How Would You Rank the Greatest Presidents?

In a new book, political junkie Robert W. Merry shares his three-part test

President William Howard Taft and his sons, Robert, right, and Charles Phelps.

When the Country's Founding Father Is Your Founding Father

The descendants of American presidents are the athletic trainers, lawyers, salesmen and executives of everyday life

Ninety percent of Mount Rushmore was carved using dynamite.

The Making of Mount Rushmore

The 70th anniversary of the completion of the South Dakota monument prompts a look back at what it took to create it

Where Nixon’s Troubles Began

On this day in 1974, President Nixon resigned from his office. Find out how it all started with a file cabinet

In her new book, Founding Gardeners, London-based historian Andrea Wulf argues that the founders' love of gardening and farming shaped their vision of America.

Founding Fathers, Great Gardeners

In her new book, Andrea Wulf argues that the founding fathers' love of gardening shaped their vision of America

On February 4, 1789, the 69 members of the Electoral College made George Washington the only chief executive to be unanimously elected.

George Washington: The Reluctant President

It seemed as if everyone rejoiced at the election of our first chief executive except the man himself

John F. Kennedy, right, with his brother Robert, during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.

Power and the Presidency, From Kennedy to Obama

For the past 50 years, the commander in chief has steadily expanded presidential power, particularly in foreign policy

John Wilkes Booth leans forward to shoot President Abraham Lincoln as he watches a play at Ford's Theatre in 1865.

Lincoln's Missing Bodyguard

What happened to Officer John Parker, the man who chose the wrong night to leave his post at Ford's Theatre?

Eleanor Roosevelt used Val-Kill, located in New York, as a retreat, office and “laboratory” for social change. This is the only national historic site dedicated to a first lady.

Revisiting the First Ladies’ Homes

The oft-overlooked lives of America's first ladies are on display in house museums across the country

The Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.

Lincoln's Contested Legacy

Great Emancipator or unreconstructed racist? Each generation evokes a different Lincoln. But who was our sixteenth president?

Philip B. Kunhardt III, author of Lincoln's Contested Legacy.

Philip Kunhardt on “Lincoln’s Contested Legacy”

As First Dog, Laddie Boy was worthy of an official portrait.

The White House’s First Celebrity Dog

Bo, the Obama’s First Pooch, has a legacy to live up to in Laddie Boy, the family pet of President Harding

U.S. Marine Band on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

After an Inauguration, the Stars Come out to Play

Ever since George Washington danced after his inauguration, the ceremony has brought big names in the arts to the capital city

Wordle is an application that takes text from any source and enlarges words that appear more frequently. Conversely, words that are smaller appear less frequently. Small words, like the or of, are not included in the Wordles above.

Behind Inaugural Speeches, Meaningful Words

What words do presidents focus on most in their inaugural addresses? Explore speeches, from Washington to Obama

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