Does anybody know the saying that helps you to remember the names of the presidents in the order they served?

Question

My great grandmother used to know it. Granted the last few are probably missing...but I am still curious. Thanks!

Answer 1

The one Linda listed is posted various places on the internet. Here's one
http://www.quibs.co.uk/quibs/mnemonic.html

(It does have a few odd twists, that don't make much sense, but if it works for you. .. !)

Other resources:

An excellent little book that my kids used for this, with lots of silly pictures/images and something of a 'storyline' and a few other key facts about some of them was Will Cleveland's *Yo! Millard Fillmore* (Lerner Publishing Group, 1997). My son seemed to remember most of it without having reviewed it for several years.

There are even songs used for this sort of thing
- '88 Lines about 42 Presidents" may not be quite as easy for remembering the order, but it includes some info about each, (which is more than just getting the names straight), up to Clinton (though some of its valuations might be debated).
The lyrics begin:
"Washington proclaimed "We're Neutral!", Created Money, Bill of Rights
Adams, with his Midnight Judges, Used XYZ to pick some fights
Jefferson sent Lewis & Clark, killed the slave trade, bought some land
Madison's War of 1812 gave America the upper hand
"
http://www.brunching.com/88lines2.html

Answer 2

Just memorize them on your own. I did it when I was 7 (that was almost 40 years ago.....ancient history) and it took me 30 minutes. I've just added the presidents who have come after onto the list as they have served. I was joked on by my family for learning them in order (and the dates they served) but I didn't care. History is a great subject. I just repeated them in order a few at a time until it became 2nd nature to say for example the first 5 (Washington, John Adams, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe) then I'd do the next 5 and repeat the whole list (of 10) and so on. Hope you are able to memorize them all.

Answer 3

Will a jolly man make a just but harshly treated president
The First American Presidents:
Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Adams, Jackson, van Buren, Harrison, Tyler, Polk



Taylor felt proud but Lincoln just grinned happily, gargling and could hardly contain McKinley
The Middle American Presidents:
Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln, Johnson, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, Harrison, Cleveland, McKinley



TRoosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, FDRoosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower
Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton
American Presidents of the 20th Century:
Theodore takes Wilson's hand cooly hoovering Franklin's true experiences.
Ken, justly noted for candour, ruled but cooly

Answer 4

I think that the simple memorization of names and dates has become quite passe (add accent). It's more valuable to know what John Quincy Adams did (and didn't do) and who beat him, than to just know when some of the Gilded Age presidents served. History is a narrative, not a list.

Answer 5

Many people have found crative ways of doing this, but I don't think it helps any one remember anything.

Answer 6

Thanks, Linda S. I find it hard to keep the boring ones in order. That will help.