Before They Were President: Washington to Lincoln

The Presidential contest of 2008 has had many twists and turns. But the one feature that will make it stand out in the history books, at least in my mind, will be the issue of experience. What is acceptable experience for the nation's highest office? Who has it and where did they get it? More and more, each side is making claims of superiority in this piece of the Executive resume while downgrading the past experience of their opponents.

So it got me to thinking. There have been forty-three Presidents so far in our country's history. Just what kind of experience did each of them bring to the table before they were elected? Here is a first look at our Presidents from Washington to Lincoln, covering the first fifteen Chief Executives.

George Washington, our nation's first elected leader, was a landowner (by inheritance) prior to being asked to serve in the military. He became the first commander in chief and was a national hero. He served as delegate to the first and second Continental Congress. He was also a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1897. He was then elected our first President. Washington was well aware of his role in history in accepting to govern this new and emerging nation. He once wrote "I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent." But more importantly, he gave up his military authority and refused to seek political or financial gains from his service to country. He could have ruled as many other military leaders have in other countries throughout history, but he would explain it thusly, "It is said that every man has his portion of ambition. I may have mine I suppose as well as the rest; but . . . my only ambition is to do my duty."

John Adams, as our second President, had a much more varied political background. After working as a school teacher and lawyer, he served as a member of the Massachusetts legislature (1768), the Revolutionary Provincial Congress of Massachusetts (1774), as a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congress, a member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention (1779), minister to France (1779), the Netherlands (1780 - 1785), and Great Britain (1785 - 1788). Finally, he became Vice President under George Washington. He was the first President to live in the White House.

Thomas Jefferson became our third President, serving from 1801 to 1809. His was quite the impressive political portfolio. Aside from having written the Declaration of Independence, he served his country in various capacities from Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress and its House of Burgesses, from Virginia's Governor to minister to France, and even Secretary of State under Washington and Vice President under Adams. Before serving in politics, however, he was a writer, a lawyer and an inventor. (One of his inventions was macaroni and cheese.)

Our fourth leader was James Madison. His first career was that of a lawyer. Though his education led him to a Jeffersonian view of service to his country, his physical limitations excluded him from such ventures as military action. Instead, Madison essentially became our first career politician.

Number five, James Monroe, was another career politician, having numerous positions within Virginia legislature and its Congress, as well as it Governor. He was minister to several countries and served as Secretary of State and Secretary of War under Madison.

Then came John Quincy Adams, who became the first son of a President t be elected. Another in a line of career politicians, he was a member of the US and the Massachusetts Senate, minister to several countries and Secretary of State under Monroe. Prior to public office, he was an officer under Washington, a lawyer and a writer. His most ambitious writing was the Monroe Doctrine, imbedbed in his 1823 message to Congress.

Andrew Jackson was a General in the Army. After his military service, he was also a delegate at the Constitutional Convention, a member of Congress (both in the Senate and the House), a judge in the Tennessee Supreme Court (as well as a member of the Tennessee Senate) and the Governor of the Florida Territory. (He was also the first President to come from South Carolina and the first Democrat Party President.)

Martin Van Buren was a legislator, attorney general, state senator and Governor of New York. And he was minister to Great Britain, Secretary of State and Vice President. Before such political aspirations, he earned his pay as a lawyer.

After his start in life as a soldier, William Henry Harrison held numerous offices including a member of the House of Representatives, US Senate, territorial Governor of Indiana and a member of the Ohio Senate. He died in office three and a half months after heading to the White House.

John Tyler also was a lawyer. He served as Harrison's Vice President. He previously held many political offices in Virginia, including Governor and member of the Senate. Interesting note on Tyler is that he had no VP while in office and later served in the Confederate Provisional Congress. Also, his ascendancy to the Presidential office was the first test of succession upon the death or removal of the sitting office holder. Though Constitutionally unclear, his bold moves in regards to the Cabinet and his taking the reigns of office forever made this matter of succession to be called the Tyler Precedent.

James Knox Polk was a lawyer before serving as the Chief Clerk in the Tennessee Senate, a member of the US House of Representatives, Speaker of the House and Governor of Tennessee. Interestingly, he was the only President to serve as Speaker of the House.

Zachary Taylor was a soldier (some forty years of service) and served in no other political office aside from the Presidency. He was also a plantation owner, though most of his farming was done by mail with his plantation managers, as his military service took him across the continent.

Millard Fillmore was a lawyer who then became a member of the New York state assembly, was in the US House of Representatives Controller of the state of New York and Vice President under Taylor.

Franklin Pierce was a lawyer and a career politician, holding numerous offices in New Hampshire politics, as well as being the President of New Hampshire's fifth state Constitutional Convention.

James Buchanan was an infantryman in the US Army. After attending college at Dickinson, he became a lawyer.. He then went on to serve the state of Pennsylvania in the state House, the US House and the US Senate. He was also Secretary of State under Polk and minister to Great Britain. He was also a prizefighter.

Abraham Lincoln was a Captain in the US Army Volunteers and a lawyer. He served as Postmaster in New Salem, IL and was then a member of the General Assembly of Illinois, and the US House of Representatives. Notably, he was the first President to be elected from outside the original thirteen colonies, the first to be from the Republican party and the first to be assassinated. Before being elected to office, Lincoln was a store owner (with a license to operate as a saloon) and a steamship pilot (the Talisman).

Bibliography:

The World Almanac of Presidential Facts
© 1998 By Lu Ann Paletta and Fred Worth
Published by World Almanac NY, NY

The American President
© 1999 by Phillip B. Kunhardt, jr, Phillip B. Kunhardt III and Peter W. Kunhardt
Published by Riverhead Books NY, NY
ISBN: 1-57322-149-X

American Heritage: Illustrated History of The Presidents
© 2000 by American Heritage; ed. Michael Bescheloss
Published by Crown Publishers NY, NY
ISBN: 0-8129-3249-8