presidents

"George Washington hated having his portrait painted, but as president of the United States, he knew his image needed to live on. This nonfiction picture book explores how artist Gilbert Stuart created Washington's most lasting and recognized portrait--the one that's used on the one-dollar bill"--Provided by publisher.

"In The Presidents Decoded: A Guide to the Leaders Who Shaped Our Nation, author Katie Kennedy presents the 45 people who have held the role of President of the United States. From George Washington to Joe Biden, each leader's time in office is broken down and explained through primary sources--documents, letters, policies, and diaries--that show the what, how and why of our leaders' thoughts, decisions and policies. Familiar documents like the preamble of the Declaration of Independence, The Emancipation Proclamation, and The Fugitive Slave Act--the part of the Compromise of 1850 that set the country on a path to Civil War--are included. But we've also included things like George Washington's letter to Martha as he learns that he's been chosen to be the General of the Continental Army, the types of letters FDR received from desperate families during the Great Depression, a letter from baseball legend Jackie Robinson urging JFK to do more to push for civil rights, and the Executive Order limiting the hours of the federal work day, are only a handful of the examples included in this book. Full-color illustrations bring each president and their time in office to life on the page in their career-defining moments as history marches forward and changes the job - and the way of life - through inventions like the camera, the telephone, the first metal detector, services like the Navy and the Red Cross begin, and Twitter"--Provided by publisher.

"On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the fluky victor in a tight race for president. The country was bitterly at odds; Southern extremists were moving ever closer to destroying the Union, with one state after another seceding and Lincoln powerless to stop them. Slavery fueled the conflict, but somehow the passions of North and South came to focus on a lonely federal fortress in Charleston Harbor: Fort Sumter. Master storyteller Erik Larson offers a gripping account of the chaotic months between Lincoln's election and the Confederacy's shelling of Sumter-a period marked by tragic errors and miscommunications, enflamed egos and craven ambitions, personal tragedies and betrayals. Lincoln himself wrote that the trials of these five months were "so great that, could I have anticipated them, I would not have believed it possible to survive them." At the heart of this suspense-filled narrative are Major Robert Anderson, Sumter's commander and a former slave owner sympathetic to the South but loyal to the Union; Edmund Ruffin, a vain and bloodthirsty radical who stirs secessionist ardor at every opportunity; and Mary Boykin Chesnut, wife of a prominent planter, conflicted over both marriage and slavery and seeing parallels between them. In the middle of it all is the overwhelmed Lincoln, battling with his duplicitous secretary of state, William Seward, as he tries desperately to avert a war that he fears is inevitable-one that will eventually kill 750,000 Americans. Drawing on diaries, secret communiques, slave ledgers, and plantation records, Larson gives us a political horror story that captures the forces that led America to the brink-a dark reminder that we often don't see a cataclysm coming until it's too late"--.

Looks at the presidency of James Madison, focusing on his relationhsip with the Native Americans and the War of 1812.

From the rich history of the National Archives to the famous Lincoln Memorial, there's lots to see and do in Washington, DC.

This picture book biography of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky touches on his childhood and Jewish upbringing while highlighting the importance of standing up for what one believes in, defending freedom at all costs, and maintaining hope in the face of war's atrocities.

A brief biography of Grover Cleveland, who went from New York governer to president of the United States, serving two nonconsecutive terms.

A brief biography of Lyndon B. Johnson, who became the thirty-sixth president of the United States.

A brief biography of Harry S. Truman, who became the thirty-third president of the the United States.

A brief biography of William McKinley, who went from Union soldier to Ohio governer to president of the United States.