List of All Presidents and Their Party: The Real History of Who Ran America

Ever tried to win a bar trivia night and got stumped on which party Millard Fillmore belonged to? Don’t feel bad. Most people think it’s always been a simple "Red vs. Blue" showdown between Republicans and Democrats. Honestly, that’s not even close to the full story. If you look at a list of all presidents and their party, you’ll find a chaotic mess of defunct organizations, temporary alliances, and bitter rivalries that make modern politics look kinda tame.

The U.S. presidency has been home to Federalists, Whigs, and even a few guys who didn't want a party label at all. Understanding where these leaders stood helps clear up why the country works—or doesn't work—the way it does today. Let's break down the roster from Washington to the current occupant of the Oval Office.

The Era of No Parties and Early Factions

George Washington hated the idea of political parties. He famously warned against them in his Farewell Address, calling them "factions" that would tear the nation apart. He was right, but he couldn't stop it. While Washington is the only president on the list of all presidents and their party to be truly unaffiliated, his administration was essentially a battleground between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.

John Adams, the second president, was a Federalist. They liked a strong central government and big banks. But after Adams, the Federalists basically vanished. They were replaced by the Democratic-Republicans, a group led by Thomas Jefferson that eventually held the White House for 28 straight years.

The Founding Leaders

1. George Washington (1789–1797): None. He was the exception to every rule.
2. John Adams (1797–1801): Federalist. He spent his term fighting with his own Vice President, Jefferson.
3. Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809): Democratic-Republican.
4. James Madison (1809–1817): Democratic-Republican.
5. James Monroe (1817–1825): Democratic-Republican. This was the "Era of Good Feelings" because there was only one party. It didn't last.

When the Whigs and Democrats Took Over

By the 1820s, the Democratic-Republicans split into pieces. Andrew Jackson, a guy who basically invented the modern populist campaign, formed the Democratic Party. His enemies? They called themselves the Whigs.

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The Whigs were a weird mix of people who mostly just agreed they hated Andrew Jackson. They managed to get four presidents into office, but two of them died shortly after taking the job. Bad luck, honestly.

• John Quincy Adams (1825–1829): National Republican (sorta the bridge between the old and new systems).
• Andrew Jackson (1829–1837): Democrat. The first of the "modern" party.
• Martin Van Buren (1837–1841): Democrat.
• William Henry Harrison (1841): Whig. He caught pneumonia at his inauguration and died 31 days later.
• John Tyler (1841–1845): Whig (kinda). He was actually kicked out of his own party while he was president because he disagreed with them so much.
• James K. Polk (1845–1849): Democrat.
• Zachary Taylor (1849–1850): Whig. Another one who died in office.
• Millard Fillmore (1850–1853): Whig. The last of the Whig presidents.

The Rise of the Republicans

In the 1850s, the issue of slavery blew the Whig party apart. A new group formed: the Republican Party. Their first big win was a guy named Abraham Lincoln. For a long time after the Civil War, Republicans dominated the list of all presidents and their party because they were the party that saved the Union.

Interestingly, during the 1864 election, the Republicans actually changed their name to the National Union Party to attract War Democrats. That’s how Andrew Johnson—a Democrat from Tennessee—ended up as Lincoln’s VP and later the 17th president.

Civil War to the Turn of the Century

• Franklin Pierce (1853–1857): Democrat.
• James Buchanan (1857–1861): Democrat.
• Abraham Lincoln (1861–1865): Republican / National Union.
• Andrew Johnson (1865–1869): National Union (Democratic roots).
• Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877): Republican.
• Rutherford B. Hayes (1877–1881): Republican.
• James A. Garfield (1881): Republican (assassinated).
• Chester A. Arthur (1881–1885): Republican.
• Grover Cleveland (1885–1889): Democrat. The only guy to serve two non-consecutive terms!
• Benjamin Harrison (1889–1893): Republican.
• Grover Cleveland (1893–1897): Democrat (back again).
• William McKinley (1897–1901): Republican.

The Modern Era: Democrats and Republicans

Since 1852, every single president has been either a Democrat or a Republican. But the parties themselves have changed a lot. A "Republican" in 1910 like Teddy Roosevelt might have supported more government regulation than a "Democrat" from 1980. It’s a bit of a shell game.

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In the early 1900s, Republicans were often the party of business and expansion. By the time FDR arrived in 1933, the Democrats became the party of the New Deal and social safety nets.

The 20th and 21st Century Roll Call

The Early 1900s:
Theodore Roosevelt took over after McKinley was shot. He was a Republican, but a "Progressive" one. Later, Woodrow Wilson brought the Democrats back to power for a stint during WWI.

• Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909): Republican.
• William Howard Taft (1909–1913): Republican.
• Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921): Democrat.
• Warren G. Harding (1921–1923): Republican.
• Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929): Republican.
• Herbert Hoover (1929–1933): Republican.

The Cold War Era:
This was a back-and-forth period. FDR’s four terms cemented the Democrats for a long time, but Dwight Eisenhower (a war hero) proved Republicans could still win big.

• Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945): Democrat.
• Harry S. Truman (1945–1953): Democrat.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961): Republican.
• John F. Kennedy (1961–1963): Democrat.
• Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969): Democrat.
• Richard Nixon (1969–1974): Republican. He resigned before he could be impeached.
• Gerald Ford (1974–1977): Republican. Never actually elected to the VP or President spot!
• Jimmy Carter (1977–1981): Democrat.

The Contemporary Age:
The list of all presidents and their party in the last 40 years shows a very divided country. We’ve tended to swing back and forth every eight years or so, with a few exceptions.

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• Ronald Reagan (1981–1989): Republican.
• George H.W. Bush (1989–1993): Republican.
• Bill Clinton (1993–2001): Democrat.
• George W. Bush (2001–2009): Republican.
• Barack Obama (2009–2017): Democrat.
• Donald Trump (2017–2021): Republican.
• Joe Biden (2021–2025): Democrat.
• Donald Trump (2025–Present): Republican. (Wait, Cleveland isn't the only one anymore! Trump joined the "non-consecutive term" club after winning the 2024 election).

Why This Party List Actually Matters

You might think this is just a boring history lesson, but the party labels tell you a lot about the friction points in American life. When the list of all presidents and their party shows a lot of one party, it usually means the country was unified by a crisis—like the Civil War or the Great Depression. When it flips back and forth quickly, it’s a sign that voters are restless or that the parties are fighting over the same middle ground.

Also, notice how "Third Parties" never make the list? Ross Perot got 19% of the vote in 1992, but zero electoral votes. The system is basically rigged against anyone who isn't a Republican or a Democrat.

Surprising Takeaways

• Most Common Party: Republicans have held the office more times since the party was founded in 1854.
• The Switch: People often debate when the parties "switched" platforms. It wasn't overnight; it happened slowly between the 1930s and the 1960s.
• The Outsiders: Only a few presidents, like Trump or Eisenhower, didn't spend their whole lives as career politicians before winning.

Next Steps for Your Research

If you’re trying to memorize these for a test or just want to be the smartest person in the room, start by grouping them into "Eras." Don't just look at the names. Look at the years.

1. Print a physical copy of the list and highlight the party changes.
2. Read one biography from each major party (one Whig, one Federalist, one Democrat, one Republican) to see how their language changed.
3. Check out the Electoral College maps for the years where the party shifted—it usually shows you exactly which states changed their minds first.

Knowing the list of all presidents and their party isn't just about names; it's about seeing the patterns of how power moves in America. From Washington's warning to today's heated debates, the labels might change, but the struggle for the "soul of the nation" is basically the same as it was in 1789.