Brian Thornton - The Everything Kids Presidents Book: Puzzles, Games and Trivia--for Hours of Presidential Fun

THE
EVERYTHING
KIDS'
PRESIDENTS
BOOK

Puzzles, games,
and trivia
for hours of
presidential fun!

Copyright 2007, F+W Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews and photocopies made for classroom use.

An Everything Series Book.

Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Publications, Inc.

Published by Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company 57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322. U.S.A. www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN-10: 1-59869-262-3

ISBN-13: 978-1-59869-262-4 (paperback)

ISBN-13: 978-1-60550-267-0 (EPUB)

Printed in the United States of America.

J I H G F E D C B A

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. When those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

Cover illustrations by Dana Regan. Interior illustrations by Kurt Dolber. Puzzles by Beth L. Blair.

This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases. For information, call 1-800-289-0963.

See the entire Everything series at www.everything.com.

Dedication

In memory of my friend Jeffrey Edward Nelson. Long may you run, Jeff.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A book is never solely the product of the author. The words are his, but the entire work is a production of many different hands and many different hearts. So thanks to the staff at Adams, to the art department for making several of our chief executives come back to life, to the Adams editorial staff for poring over the enclosed text and making it better for their effort.

Lastly, thanks to you, the reader, for taking the time to read this book. I hope you enjoy it!

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to The Everything Kids' Presidents Book! You're about to begin a great adventure through your country's history and meet each of the people who have served in the most highly regarded and powerful position in the United States government: the presidency. Ours truly is a remarkable country, and we as Americans are lucky to live here. In this country we elect our leaders by voting for them. This is what makes our government a democracy. It's pretty exciting to realize that we, the people of America, are the ones who really have the power to make changes in our country. Someday you'll be able to vote in elections and make your voice heard too!

If you think about it, you probably have a lot of questions about the presidents. How many presidents has the United States had? Who were they, and where did they come from? What were their childhoods like? What did they do before becoming president? What do we really know about them?

Chances are you already know a thing or two about some of the presidents. For example, you probably know that George Washington was the first president, and you may know that the tall man with the big black hat, Abraham Lincoln, was president during the Civil War. While those are a couple of the names that really stand out, each and every president has done something different to make a mark on our history. From writing books to fighting bravely in battle, each one offered something different to our nation's identity.

So are you ready to start learning about some really interesting people? Just turn the page!

1

THE FOUNDING PRESIDENTS (17891817)

GEORGE WASHINGTON: The First President (17891797)

Do you have some money in your pocket? Take a look at a quarter or a dollar bill. The man whose face you see is George Washington! As the first president of the United States, Washington helped to establish what it means to be president. He was also the commanding general of the army that won the American War of Independence from Great Britain. Because of his courage, his honesty, and his actions as the first president, Washington was without a doubt an outstanding figure in our history.

ALL ABOUT WASHINGTON

NICKNAME: The Father of His Country

BIRTH: February 22, 1732; Westmoreland County, VA

DEATH: December 14, 1799; Mount Vernon, VA

YEARS AS PRESIDENT: 17891797

SPOUSE: Martha Dandridge Custis (17311802)

VICE PRESIDENT: John Adams of Massachusetts (17891797)

Early Life

Washington's father died when he was still very young, and he didn't get along very well with his mother. We know this from the letters they wrote each other. As a result, he was very close to his older brother, Lawrence, who was like a father to George.

Lawrence was fourteen years older than George, and George looked up to him. (If you have an older brother or sister, you probably know what that's like!) Lawrence taught the future first president good manners. When George was sixteen, he went to live with Lawrence on his estate at Mount Vernon (which George later inherited). Lawrence arranged for George to learn surveying. Surveying is the practice of measuring land to be used for buildings, roads, or other manmade structures.

Professional Career Before Becoming President

George Washington had a lot of jobs and was very successful even before he became our first president. Washington worked as a surveyor and farmer, was a member of Virginia's colonial legislature (the place where laws for the state of Virginia were made), and was an officer in Virginia's colonial militia (which was sort of like today's National Guard). He rose to the rank of colonel and was a hero of the French and Indian War.