The Presidents of the United States on the Presidents of the United States: The Early Republic, George Washington to John Quincy Adams

The Presidents of the United States on the Presidents of the United States is a comprehensive historical resource for anyone interested in the early days of the US presidency.

The first six presidents of the United States were remarkable men. George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, and John Quincy Adams in effect shaped the office into what it is today. Arguably, they were the most extraordinary men ever to lead the nation—and their influence endures.

The six men were contemporaries, and five of them served in the Continental Congress. They knew each other well and frequently expressed their opinions on the presidency and each other through letters, speeches, public documents, autobiographies, and memoirs.

Author and historian David Anthony Clark spent ten years assembling this comprehensive collection of presidential quotes. Each is presented without commentary, allowing readers to arrive at their own interpretation of its meaning and importance.

Standing alone, each quote is notable. Viewed together, they reveal fascinating ongoing stories from the Revolutionary War through the nineteenth century—commentaries that illuminate the development of a nation’s political system as well as the thoughts of the men who helped found Western democracy.