U.S. Presidents Random Quiz #2

His Secretary of the Interior, Lucius Q. C. Lamar, caused railroads to forfeit about 81 million acres of land for failing to extend their rail lines according to agreements with the government.

His attempt to annex Santo Domingo (now the Dominican Republic) as a U.S. territory was foiled by Congress in 1869.

Domestically, he signed the Federal Highway Act of 1921 (which pumped $162 million into the U.S. highway system), advocated for regulation of radio broadcasting, inserted himself into labor disputes (notably those of coal miners and railroad workers), and convinced steel manufacturers to reduce steelworkers’ 12 hours per day/7 days per week schedule to a standard 8-hour day.

Won a Nobel Peace Prize for mediating a peace conference during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

Signed the Edmunds Act into law in 1882, making polygamy a federal crime, barring polygamists from holding public office, and taking away their right to vote.

Attempted to reform the civil service to a merit-based system, but was foiled by a Congress whose members preferred to retain the spoils system that supported cronyism and nepotism.

Ended Reconstruction and returned the South to “home rule” (1877).

The 26th President of the United States (1901-1909).

Became the first President to use federal troops to break a strike against a private company during the Great Railroad Strike of 1877.

Was instrumental in establishing the League of Nations — the first worldwide intergovernmental organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace.

The 28th President of the United States (1913-1921).

Colorado (1876) was admitted to the Union during his presidency.

Signed into law the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, which prohibited anticompetitive agreements and unilateral conduct that monopolized or attempted to monopolize a market.

Was a committed non-interventionist, declining to continue foreign policy initiatives begun by his predecessors.

His veto of the Volstead Act, designed to enforce Amendment XVIII (prohibition), was overridden by Congress.

Presided over most of the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865).

His administration ended the Spanish-American War in 1899 with the Treaty of Paris, by which Spain relinquished its claims on Cuba and the U.S. paid $20 million to annex Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines.

The 17th President of the United States (1865-1869).

His Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg participated in writing the Kellogg-Briand Pact (ratified in 1929), which provided the founding principle for international law after World War II.

Continued his predecessor’s policy of breaking up monopolistic businesses, bringing 70 lawsuits under the Sherman Antitrust Act.