“The Presidents (The Presidents in Rhyme)”

Description

To the tune of "Yankee Doodle": "George Washington, first President, by Adams was succeeded, And Thomas Jefferson was next, For the people's cause he pleaded...." And so on, through as many presidents as the teacher can think up rhymes for

Notes

This song probably originated some time in the nineteenth century, and has been periodically extended. Randolph's version, for instance, extends into the second administration of Cleveland, but it has been extended at least as far as Franklin Roosevelt. - RBW

It's been further extended, by Oscar Brand (up through Eisenhower) and yours truly (through Bush [Senior]). No doubt the Clinton verse will be, er, interesting. - PJS

Given the political tendencies of most folk singers, I suspect Bush Junior will get some interesting verses of his own....

Another anonymous poem on this general theme, "Our Presidents" (which runs through Wilson) is found on p. 603 of Hazel Felleman's _The Best Loved Poems of the American People_. - RBW

Historical references

• 1789-1797 - Administration of George Washington
• 1797-1801 - John Adams
• 1801-1809 - Thomas Jefferson
• 1809-1817 - James Madison. War of 1812. (1815: Battle of New Orleans, fought by Andrew Jackson)
• 1817-1825 - James Monroe
• 1825-1829 - John Quincy Adams
• 1829-1837 - Andrew Jackson (who previously won the Battle of New Orleans)
• 1837-1841 - Martin Van Buren
• 1841 - William Henry Harrison (died in office)
• 1841-1845 - John Tyler (filled out Harrison's term; he was a near-Democrat in Whig's clothing, and his succession led to constitutional and legislative crises)
• 1845-1849 - James K. Polk (began the war with Mexico and annexed Texas)
• 1849-1850 - Zachary Taylor (died in office)
• 1850-1853 - Millard Fillmore
• 1853-1857 - Franklin Pierce
• 1857-1861 - James Buchanan
• 1861-1865 - Abraham Lincoln (assassinated)
• 1865-1869 - Andrew Johnson (a Democrat who succeeded Lincoln. The partisan Republicans in congress impeached him on trivial grounds and tried to deprive him of office, failing by only one vote in the Senate)
• 1869-1877 - Ulysses S. Grant (the victor, more or less, at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862)
• 1877-1881 - Rutherford B. Hayes
• 1881 - James A. Garfield (assassinated)
• 1881-1885 - Chester A. Arthur
• 1885-1889 - Grover Cleveland (first term)
• 1889-1893 - Benjamin Harrison
• 1893-1897 - Grover Cleveland (second term)

Cross references

• cf. "Yankee Doodle" (tune) and references there

References

1. Randolph 877, "The Presidents" (1 text)
2. Randolph/Cohen, pp. 390-391, "The Presidents" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 877)
3. Roud #7542
4. BI, R877