vii Preface This four-volume encyclopedia examines the life and times of each of the nation’s 45 presidents over more than 200 years of American history. The encyclope- dia offers readers a complete resource to examine the long history of the presidency, the men who held office, and the times in which they lived, and, per- haps, those times influenced their careers as presi- dent. Eighteen historians have accepted the responsibility to complete individual chapters for each of the chief executives. They have selected as their subjects presidents with whom they have a scholarly interest and knowledge. Some have had, perhaps, an easier task than others. William Henry Harrison died after only one month as president, from March until April 1841. Franklin D. Roosevelt won four terms as chief executive and held the office from 1933 until his death in 1945. He confronted issues as diverse and significant as the Great Depres- sion and World War II. Each president, however, has a story worth telling, and the contributors to these volumes have the expertise to do so. FEATURES The four volumes are published in chronological order: Volume 1—George Washington to Zachary Tay- lor Volume 2—Millard Fillmore to Grover Cleveland Volume 3—William McKinley to Dwight D. Eisen- hower and Volume 4—John F. Kennedy to Donald Trump. Each chapter includes three primary essays: a biographical sketch, a historical overview, and an ana- lytical essay. The biographical sketches cover each president’s life, including family history, education, issues that led him to the office, his life as chief executive, and his activities after leaving office. The historical overviews place the presidents into the broad American environ- ments during their lifetimes. They include not only politics but also the social, economic, and cultural his- tory of the United States to enable readers to better understand the age in which each president lived and served. Finally, the analytical essays identify the last- ing impacts of their time in office. They examine the consequences or significance of the presidents’ tenure and make a studied analysis of what they meant for the time and, perhaps, the future. Following these essays are lengthy selections of primary documents, including speeches, letters, legis- lation, or other documents to announce, explain, or clarify a president’s views, opinions, and ideas. The primary documents have a key function in this ency- clopedia, and each offers an explanatory headnote to place the document in the appropriate context. Also included for each president is a chronology of events during the president’s life, including major national events that occurred during his life and presi- dency. Finally, there are lists of further reading sources at the end of each section, allowing readers to broaden their study of each president. There are a few exceptions to the features above, based on the fact that some presidents barely served for any significant amount of time or were in office for multiple but nonconsecutive terms. Two presi- dents died shortly after taking office: William Henry Harrison and James Garfield. As a result, we have decided to only include biographical sketches for these presidents. Grover Cleveland served two nonconsecutive terms, as the 22nd and 24th presi- dent. Due to his unique circumstance, his biographi- cal sketch only appears in the chapter covering his first term as president.
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