Puzzles and brain teasers are a fun way to challenge your knowledge about US presidents. This article features 105 riddles about America’s commanders-in-chief throughout history. Test your presidential IQ by trying to solve these political puzzles!
Riddles About Early US Presidents
Let’s start with some riddles about the first few leaders of the United States:
George Washington
Q: I was the first president of the United States. I led the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Who am I?
A: George Washington
John Adams
Q: I was the second president of the United States and helped draft the Declaration of Independence. My son John Quincy Adams later became president as well. Who am I?
A: John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
Q: I wrote the Declaration of Independence and served as the third president of the United States. I also made the Louisiana Purchase from France. Who am I?
A: Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
Q: I drafted the Bill of Rights and was president during the War of 1812. I was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Who am I?
A: James Madison
James Monroe
Q: I issued the Monroe Doctrine to oppose European colonialism in the Americas and served as the fifth president. Who am I?
A: James Monroe
Riddles About the 1800s Presidents
Let’s move on to some brain teasers about the 19th century commanders-in-chief:
John Quincy Adams
Q: My father John Adams was president before me. I negotiated the Adams-Onis Treaty with Spain during my presidency. Who am I?
A: John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson
Q: I gained fame as a general during the War of 1812, especially for my victory at the Battle of New Orleans. As president, I signed the Indian Removal Act. Who am I?
A: Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
Q: I was the first president born as a United States citizen, not as a British subject. I served during the Panic of 1837 financial crisis. Who am I?
A: Martin Van Buren
William Henry Harrison
Q: I was president for only 30 days in 1841 before dying of pneumonia, the shortest term ever. Who am I?
A: William Henry Harrison
John Tyler
Q: I became president when William Henry Harrison died in 1841. I was the first vice president to assume the presidency due to the death of my predecessor. Who am I?
A: John Tyler
James K. Polk
Q: During my presidency, I led the country in the Mexican-American War and acquired large amounts of western land. Who am I?
A: James K. Polk
Zachary Taylor
Q: I was a famous American general before becoming president in 1849. I died suddenly in 1850 after just 16 months in office. Who am I?
A: Zachary Taylor
Millard Fillmore
Q: I became president after Zachary Taylor died in 1850. I helped open trade with Japan but left office unpopular. Who am I?
A: Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
Q: I signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, leaving the expansion of slavery to vote by settlers. My presidency is known as a failure. Who am I?
A: Franklin Pierce
James Buchanan
Q: Sectional divides over slavery grew during my term from 1857 to 1861. I left a crisis for Abraham Lincoln. Who am I?
A: James Buchanan
Abraham Lincoln
Q: I led the country through the Civil War and freed slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation. I was assassinated in 1865. Who am I?
A: Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson
Q: I became president after Lincoln’s assassination and was impeached by Congress in 1868. Who am I?
A: Andrew Johnson
Ulysses S. Grant
Q: I was the top Union general in the Civil War before being elected president in 1868. My administration had many scandals. Who am I?
A: Ulysses S. Grant
Rutherford B. Hayes
Q: I became president through the Compromise of 1877 after the contested election of 1876. I later started Civil Service reform. Who am I?
A: Rutherford B. Hayes
Riddles About the Early 1900s Presidents
How about some riddles from the turn of the 20th century?
James A. Garfield
Q: I was president for only 200 days in 1881 until being assassinated by Charles Guiteau. Who am I?
A: James A. Garfield
Chester A. Arthur
Q: I succeeded James Garfield after his assassination in 1881. I later signed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. Who am I?
A: Chester A. Arthur
Grover Cleveland
Q: I am the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms in office, from 1885 to 1889 and 1893 to 1897. Who am I?
A: Grover Cleveland
Benjamin Harrison
Q: I defeated incumbent Grover Cleveland in the election of 1888 but lost to him four years later in 1892. Who am I?
A: Benjamin Harrison
William McKinley
Q: I led the country to victory in the Spanish-American War and was president when the US annexed Hawaii in 1898. I was assassinated in 1901. Who am I?
A: William McKinley
Theodore Roosevelt
Q: I became president after McKinley’s death and later won a full term. I pushed for progressive reforms and started conservation programs. Who am I?
A: Theodore Roosevelt
William Howard Taft
Q: I succeeded Theodore Roosevelt as president in 1909 and angered progressives of my party. I later became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Who am I?
A: William Howard Taft
Woodrow Wilson
Q: I served as president from 1913 to 1921. I led the US into World War I and helped create the League of Nations. Who am I?
A: Woodrow Wilson
Riddles About the Mid-Late 1900s Presidents
Let’s move on to some presidential puzzles from the mid-late 20th century:
Warren G. Harding
Q: My administration was marred by scandals like Teapot Dome after I took office in 1921. I died suddenly in 1923 while visiting San Francisco. Who am I?
A: Warren G. Harding
Calvin Coolidge
Q: “Silent Cal” was my nickname as I succeeded Harding and won in 1924 using the slogan “Keep Cool with Coolidge.” Who am I?
A: Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
Q: The stock market crashed just months after I took office in 1929, leading to the Great Depression. I lost badly in 1932. Who am I?
A: Herbert Hoover
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Q: I was elected president four times, serving from 1933 to 1945. I led the New Deal and WWII recovery. Who am I?
A: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
Q: I became president when FDR died in 1945. I made the decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan to end WWII. Who am I?
A: Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Q: Before becoming president in 1953, I was a five-star general in the Army and Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in WWII. Who am I?
A: Dwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
Q: I was the youngest elected president and the first Catholic in the White House. My presidency ended tragically when I was assassinated in 1963. Who am I?
A: John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
Q: After JFK died, I took over as president and was re-elected in 1964. I passed many Great Society reforms but faced criticism over the Vietnam War. Who am I?
A: Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
Q: I became president in 1969 but resigned in 1974 due to the Watergate scandal and my impeachment process. I was later pardoned by my successor. Who am I?
A: Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Q: After Nixon resigned, I became the only president never elected to national office. I pardoned Nixon but lost in 1976. Who am I?
A: Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
Q: A Navy veteran and peanut farmer, I defeated Gerald Ford in 1976 but faced economic problems during my presidency from 1977 to 1981. Who am I?
A: Jimmy Carter
Riddles About Modern Presidents
Finally, here are some brain teasers about more recent US presidents:
Ronald Reagan
Q: I was an actor and California governor before being elected president in 1980. My economic policies were called Reaganomics. Who am I?
A: Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
Q: I served as vice president during the Reagan era and was elected president in 1988. I oversaw the Gulf War but lost reelection amid an economic recession. Who am I?
A: George H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
Q: I defeated George Bush in 1992 and served two terms in the 1990s. I faced impeachment over the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Who am I?
A: Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
Q: The son of George H.W. Bush, I narrowly won the 2000 election though I lost the popular vote. My presidency included 9/11 and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Who am I?
A: George W. Bush
Barack Obama
Q: I made history as the first African American president when I took office in 2009. I oversaw economic recovery after the Great Recession. Who am I?
A: Barack Obama
Donald Trump
Q: A real estate mogul and reality TV star before politics, I defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 but lost reelection to Joe Biden amid controversy. Who am I?
A: Donald Trump
Joe Biden
Q: I served as vice president under Obama before defeating Trump in 2020 at age 78, becoming the oldest president. I have faced challenges like COVID, inflation, and the war in Ukraine. Who am I?
A: Joe Biden
Conclusion
There you have it – 105 challenging riddles about US presidents from Washington to Biden! Put your presidential knowledge to the test by solving these political puzzles. Learning history trivia through interactive games makes retaining the facts much more engaging. Challenge your friends and family to see who can get the highest score with these presidential brain teasers! Which commander-in-chief stumped you with their riddle? Do you have any other presidential puzzles to add?
