Ever tried to name all the commanders-in-chief in one go? It’s harder than it looks. Most of us remember the big names—Washington, Lincoln, FDR—but the middle of the list of us presidents in order with party gets a little fuzzy for the average person. Honestly, who can really pinpoint the exact differences between the Whigs and the Federalists without a quick refresher?
Understanding the chronological flow of the presidency isn't just about memorizing names. It’s about watching the country’s identity shift in real-time. You see parties rise, crumble, and literally rename themselves overnight. It's messy. It’s human. And as of 2026, we’ve seen some of the most unusual electoral turns in American history.
The Founders and the Death of the Federalists
In the beginning, it wasn't about "Red vs. Blue." George Washington, our first president (1789–1797), famously hated the idea of political parties. He didn't have one. He thought they’d tear the country apart. Ironically, his own cabinet was the birthplace of the first major rift.
John Adams (1797–1801) was our only strictly Federalist president. They wanted a strong central government. But then came the Democratic-Republicans. Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809), James Madison (1809–1817), and James Monroe (1817–1825) held a 24-year grip on power. This era was basically a one-party show until it imploded.
John Quincy Adams (1825–1829) was the last of the Democratic-Republicans before the party fractured. It’s kind of wild to think that the party of Jefferson eventually birthed the modern Democrats under Andrew Jackson.
Why the Whigs Disappeared
If you look at the list of us presidents in order with party during the mid-1800s, you’ll see the Whigs. They were basically formed just to oppose Andrew Jackson.
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- Andrew Jackson (1829–1837): Democrat
- Martin Van Buren (1837–1841): Democrat
- William Henry Harrison (1841): Whig (died after a month)
- John Tyler (1841–1845): Whig (kinda—he was actually kicked out of his own party)
- James K. Polk (1845–1849): Democrat
- Zachary Taylor (1849–1850): Whig
- Millard Fillmore (1850–1853): Whig
The Whigs were a strange bunch. They couldn't agree on slavery, and that eventually killed them. By the time Franklin Pierce (1853–1857) and James Buchanan (1857–1861)—both Democrats—took office, the country was screaming toward a Civil War.
The Rise of the Grand Old Party
Abraham Lincoln (1861–1865) changed everything. He was the first Republican. At the time, the Republicans were the radical new party on the block. After his assassination, his VP Andrew Johnson (1865–1869) took over. Johnson was a War Democrat, but he ran on a "National Union" ticket with Lincoln. It was a mess.
Then came a long stretch of Republican dominance. Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877), Rutherford B. Hayes (1877–1881), James A. Garfield (1881), and Chester A. Arthur (1881–1885) all kept the GOP in power.
Grover Cleveland (1885–1889) finally broke the streak for the Democrats. He’s the only guy on the list to serve two non-consecutive terms. He was the 22nd and 24th president. Because of him, the number of presidents is always one higher than the number of people who have actually held the job.
The Modern Era and the 20th Century Shift
Fast forward past the Gilded Age and you hit the heavy hitters. Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) was a Republican who acted like a progressive. Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921) brought the Democrats back during WWI.
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Then the Great Depression hit. Herbert Hoover (1929–1933), a Republican, took the blame. This cleared the way for Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945), a Democrat who served longer than anyone else in history. Four terms! After him, they literally had to change the Constitution to stop that from happening again.
The mid-century was a game of political musical chairs:
- 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
- Gerald Ford (1974–1977): Republican
- Jimmy Carter (1977–1981): Democrat
The List of US Presidents in Order with Party (The Recent Guys)
The late 20th century and early 21st century have been defined by sharp polarization. We went from the "Reagan Revolution" to the first Black president, and then into the era of populism.
- 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
Yes, as of 2026, Donald Trump is serving his second term. He joined Grover Cleveland in that very exclusive "non-consecutive terms" club. His current Vice President is JD Vance, a Republican from Ohio.
Sorting Out the Misconceptions
People often think the parties today are the same as they were 100 years ago. They aren't. In the late 1800s, the Republicans were the party of big business and the North, while Democrats were the party of the South and rural farmers.
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By the 1960s, things flipped. The "Southern Strategy" and the Civil Rights movement basically swapped the voter bases. If you’re looking at a list of us presidents in order with party and trying to project modern values onto someone like Andrew Jackson or even Abraham Lincoln, you’re going to get confused. Lincoln's Republican party was the one pushing for a stronger federal hand, while the Democrats were the "states' rights" group.
Actionable Insights for History Buffs
If you’re trying to actually learn this list and make it stick, don't just stare at a page of names.
- Group them by war. It's easier to remember Madison (1812), Lincoln (Civil War), Wilson (WWI), and FDR (WWII).
- Follow the VPs. A huge chunk of our presidents—like Tyler, Fillmore, Johnson, Arthur, Teddy Roosevelt, Truman, LBJ, and Ford—only got the job because the guy before them died or resigned.
- Watch the "Years of Three Presidents." In 1841 and 1881, the US had three different presidents in a single calendar year. That's a great trivia fact that helps anchor the timeline.
To truly understand American politics, you have to see the presidency as a moving target. The parties change their platforms, the voters change their minds, and the list just keeps growing.
Next Steps for Your Research:
Verify the specific electoral college counts for the most recent 2024 election to see how the map shifted compared to the 2016 and 2020 cycles. This provides context for why the current administration’s party holds its specific platform today.