Oh Captain, My Captain

For those of you who already know some shit, you may know this title is from a poem. A Walt Whitman poem actually, and written about US president Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln is one of the perhaps 5 presidents most Americans can name. We're on our 44th president. To be able to name them all is an impressive skill that basically no one has. But all Americans should know the first 5 and the most recent 5. The first five presidents shaped the fledging nation that would become America. They fought in the Revolutionary War, they doubled the nations size, they basically ran shit, no big deal. Our most recent five presidents have shaped the times we live in and faced off against the new host of problems the world faces. So in terms of Shit you Should Know, here are some American leaders:

George Washington- Born and raised in Virginia. Married Martha Washington, another Virginian. Voted Commander in Chief by the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War. Unanimously voted to be the first president of the brand new United States of America and served two terms as president, setting the precedent that would later become law. His vice president was John Adams.

John Adams- Born and raised in Massachusetts. Married Abigail Adams, who frequently advised her husband on political matters. Adams served as an ambassador during the Revolutionary War and was key in securing funding for the war. Adams was a brilliant lawyer, educated at Harvard College, who defended the British soldiers who started the Boston Massacre (where British soldiers fired on American citizens, one of the first acts of war). He served one term as president. His vice president was Thomas Jefferson.

Thomas Jefferson- Born and raised in Virginia. One of the most influential and brilliant presidents the US has seen. Served as Governor of Virginia during the war and was the first Secretary of State. Jefferson was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence, the force behind Lewis and Clark's expedition, brokered the Louisiana Purchase, signed into law a bill declaring slave importation illegal, and founded the University of Virginia. In 1962 during a gathering of Nobel prize winners at the White House, JFK said of Jefferson: "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent and of human knowledge that has ever been gathered together at the White House – with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone." Jefferson served two terms as president. His vice presidents were Aaron Burr until 1805 and George Clinton from then onward.

James Madison- Born and raised in Virginia. Known as the "Father of the Constitution", he was the first president to have served in the US Congress. Largely responsible for the Bill of Rights, he was a huge supporter of the checks and balances theory to counter tyranny. He lead the US into the war of 1812 against Britain and oversaw the re-building of the White House after it was burned by the British. He married Dolley Madison and graduated from Princeton University. He served as Jefferson's secretary of State. His vice presidents were George Clinton and Elbridge Gerry.

James Monroe- Born and raised in Virginia. During his administration Monroe added Florida to the US, presided over the Missouri Compromise (1820), (where Missouri was declared a slave state) the admission of Maine as a free state; and the Monroe Doctrine (1823), declaring U.S. opposition to European interference in the Americas. He also broke all ties with France remaining from the War of 1812. He married Elizabeth Monroe. His vice president was Daniel D. Tompkins.

Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe- kicking ass and taking names.