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American President Reference GuideCreated by Nicholas Seider – June 22, 2015

Source: Wikipedia

List of U.S. Presidents1789 – 2016

1. George Washington2. John Adams3. Thomas Jefferson4. James Madison5. James Monroe6. John Quincy Adams7. Andrew Jackson8. Martin Van Buren9. William Henry Harrison10. John Tyler11. James K. Polk12. Zachary Taylor13. Millard Fillmore14. Franklin Pierce15. James Buchanan16. Abraham Lincoln17. Andrew Johnson18. Ulysses S. Grant19. Rutherford B. Hayes20. James A. Garfield21. Chester A. Arthur22. Grover Cleveland

23. Benjamin Harrison24. Grover Cleveland25. William McKinley26. Theodore Roosevelt27. William Howard Taft28. Woodrow Wilson29. Warren G. Harding30. Calvin Coolidge31. Herbert Hoover32. Franklin D. Roosevelt33. Harry S. Truman34. Dwight D. Eisenhower35. John F. Kennedy36. Lyndon B. Johnson37. Richard Nixon38. Gerald Ford39. Jimmy Carter40. Ronald Reagan41. George H. Bush42. Bill Clinton43. George W. Bush44. Barack Obama

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Source: Wikipedia

1. George WashingtonTerms Served: 2

April 30, 1789 – March 4, 1797State: Virginia

Political Party: IndependentVice President: John Adams

Notes of Significance:- Founding Father- Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution- Unanimously elected twice- Supported Alexander Hamilton’s programs to satisfy all debts- Secured a decade of peace and trade with Great Britain through the Jay Treaty in 1795

2. John AdamsTerms Served: 1

March 4, 1797 – March 4, 1801State: Massachusetts

Political Party: FederalistVice President: Thomas Jefferson

Notes of Significance:- Founding Father- First President to reside in the executive mansion (white house)- Promoted republicanism and strong central government (was a Federalist)- Signed the Alien and Sedition Acts- Built up army and navy, especially during the Quasi-War with France (1798-1800)- Often called “father of the American Navy”- Supported strong military defense

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3. Thomas JeffersonTerms Served: 2

March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1809State: Virginia

Political Party: Democratic-RepublicanVice President:

1st Term – Aaron Burr2nd Term – George Clinton

Notes of Significance:- Founding Father- Polymath in arts, sciences, and politics- Principal author of Declaration of Independence- Served as governor of Virginia during Revolutionary War- First secretary of state under George Washington- Oversaw acquisition of Louisiana Territory from France in 1803 (Louisiana Purchase)- Initiated process of Indian tribal removal to Louisiana Territory west of Mississippi

(1803)- Drafted and signed into law a bill that banned import of slaves into United States (1807)- Publicly opposed slavery, yet owned hundreds of slaves

4. James MadisonTerms Served: 2


Political Party: Democratic-RepublicanVice President:

1st Term – George Clinton (Died during term)2nd Term – Elbridge Gerry (Died during term)

Notes of Significance:- Founding Father- Key champion and author of the Bill of Rights- Secretary of State under Thomas Jefferson’s administration- Led United States into the War of 1812 against Great Britain- Slave owner who supported the Three-Fifths Compromise

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5. James MonroeTerms Served: 2


Political Party: Democratic-RepublicanVice President: Daniel D. Tompkins

Notes of Significance:- Last Founding Father to serve as President- Studied law under Thomas Jefferson- Served as Secretary of State and Secretary of War under James Madison- Bought Florida from Spain- Treaty of 1818 extended United States to Pacific via Oregon Country- Supported the founding of colonies in Africa for free African Americans. Those colonies

eventually became Liberia, whose capital was named in his honor (Monrovia)- Monroe Doctrine (1823)

6. John Quincy AdamsTerms Served: 1

March 4, 1825 – March 4, 1829State: Massachusetts

Political Party: Democratic-RepublicanVice President: John C. Calhoun

Notes of Significance:- Son of John Adams- Served as Secretary of State under James Monroe- Won the presidential election in close race against Andrew Jackson (corrupt bargain)- Promoter of education- Paid off much of the national debt

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7. Andrew JacksonTerms Served: 2

March 4, 1829 – March 4, 1837State: Tennessee

Political Party: DemocraticVice President:

1st Term – John C. Calhoun (resigned in 1832)2nd Term – Martin Van Buren

Notes of Significance:- Gained national fame during War of 1812 where he won victory over British invasion

at the Battle of New Orleans- Narrowly lost to John Quincy Adams because of the “corrupt bargain”- Faced a threat of secession from South Carolina over the “Tariff of Abominations”

(Nullification Crisis)- Vetoed the renewal of the second National Bank, and dismantled it by 1836- Began the “spoils system” in American politics- Supported, signed, and enforced the Indian Removal Act

8. Martin Van BurenTerms Served: 1

March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1841State: New York

Political Party: DemocraticVice President: Richard Mentor Johnson

Notes of Significance:- Was Secretary of State and Vice President under Andrew Jackson- Blamed for the depression of 1837 (Panic of 1837)

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9. William Henry HarrisonTerms Served: 1

March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841State: Ohio

Political Party: WhigVice President: John Tyler

Notes of Significance:- Gained national fame during the War of 1812- Last president born as a British subject- First president to die in office. He died 32 days after inauguration succumbing to

pneumonia.- Grandfather of Benjamin Harrison (23rd President)- Reformed executive appointments and opposed partisan patronage

10. John TylerTerms Served: 1

April 4, 1841 – March 4, 1845State: Virginia

Political Party: Initially Whig – Expelled in September of 1841Vice President: NoneNotes of Significance:

- Served as Vice President under William Henry Harrison- Took office after the death of William Henry Harrison- Supporter of states’ rights- Found much of the Whig platform unconstitutional, and was expelled by the Whigs

within the first year of his presidency- Annexed the Republic of Texas at the end of his term

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11. James K. PolkTerms Served: 1

March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849State: Tennessee

Political Party: DemocraticVice President: George M. Dallas

Notes of Significance:- Considered the last strong pre-Civil War president- Split the Oregon Country region between the United States and the United Kingdom- Led United States into Mexican-American War (1846–1848), expanding U.S. territory

into much of the Southwest.- Established treasury system that lasted until 1913

12. Zachary TaylorTerms Served: 1

March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850State: Louisiana

Political Party: WhigVice President: Millard Fillmore

Notes of Significance:- National hero in the Mexican-American War- Died 17 months after inauguration- Did not push for the expansion of slavery

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13. Millard FillmoreTerms Served: 1

July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853State: New York

Political Party: WhigVice President: NoneNotes of Significance:

- Was Vice President under Zachary Taylor and became president after Taylor’s death- Appointed the only Whig Supreme Court Justice- Supported the Compromise of 1850- Was in favor of opening trade with Japan

14. Franklin PierceTerms Served: 1

March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857State: New Hampshire

Political Party: DemocraticVice President: William R. King (died in office)

Notes of Significance:- Supported and signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act repealing the Missouri Compromise,

and allowing for popular sovereignty in regards to slavery- Supported the Fugitive Slave Act- Signed the Gadsden Purchase, expanding U.S. Territory to what is now Southern

Arizona and New Mexico

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15. James BuchananTerms Served: 1

March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861State: Pennsylvania

Political Party: DemocraticVice President: John C. Breckinridge

Notes of Significance:- Served as Secretary of State under James K. Polk- Northerner with Southern sympathies- Was unable to successfully maintain peace between the North and South, and the

southern states seceded during the last months of his term- The only president that was a lifelong bachelor

16. Abraham LincolnTerms Served: 2

March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865State: Illinois

Political Party: RepublicanVice President:

1st Term – Hannibal Hamlin2nd Term – Andrew Johnson

Notes of Significance:- Confederacy had already formed before Lincoln’s inauguration- Led United States through Civil War- Primary goal was to reunite the nation- Signed the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863- Championed and signed the Thirteenth Amendment, outlawing slavery- Assassinated just days after the Confederacy surrendered

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17. Andrew JohnsonTerms Served: 1.5

April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869State: Tennessee

Political Party: DemocraticVice President: NoneNotes of Significance:

- Served as Vice President under Abraham Lincoln, and took office after Lincoln’s assassination

- Worked toward a quick restoration after the Civil War- His restoration plans did not give protection to former slaves- Violated the Tenure of Office Act when he replaced his Secretary of War. This violation,

among other charges, led to the House of Representatives impeaching him in 1868, however the Senate acquitted him.

18. Ulysses S. GrantTerms Served: 2

March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877State: Illinois


1st Term – Schuyler Colfax2nd Term – Henry Wilson (Died in office)

Notes of Significance:- Served as Commanding General for the Union during the Civil War- Stabilized the nation during Reconstruction- Prosecuted the Ku Klux Klan- Enforced civil and voting rights laws by using the army and the Department of Justice- Implemented a gold standard- Unsuccessfully relieved the nation from the Panic of 1873

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19. Rutherford B. HayesTerms Served: 1

March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881State: Ohio

Political Party: RepublicanVice President: William A. Wheeler

Notes of Significance:- Lost the popular vote, but won a controversial electoral college vote- Oversaw the end of Reconstruction- Ended all U.S. federal army intervention in Southern politics, largely because of the

Compromise of 1877- Used federal troops to end the Great Railroad Strike of 1877- Pledged not to run for re-election, and kept his promise at the end of his term

20. James A. GarfieldTerms Served: 1

March 4, 1881 – September 19, 1881State: Ohio

Political Party: RepublicanVice President: Chester A. Arthur

Notes of Significance:- Brought back presidential authority in executive appointments- Advocated agricultural technology, an educated electorate, and civil rights for African-

Americans- Assassination: Garfield was shot at a train station in Baltimore on July 2nd, 1881. He

initially survived the wound, but died from healing complications on September 19th, 1881.

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21. Chester A. ArthurTerms Served: 1

September 19, 1881 – March 4, 1885State: New York

Political Party: RepublicanVice President: NoneNotes of Significance:

- Served as Vice President under James A. Garfield, and took office after Garfield’s death- Signed the Pendleton Act in 1883, which states that government jobs are awarded for

merit and not political affiliation- Criticized for not alleviating the federal budget surplus that had been continually

growing since the Civil War

22. Grover ClevelandTerms Served: 3


Political Party: DemocraticVice President: Thomas A. Hendricks (died in office)

Notes of Significance:- Firmly objected the Tenure of Office Act, and refused to abide by it leading to its repeal

in 1887- Opposed American imperialism and expansion- Extended the Chinese Exclusion Act, and supported the passing of the Scott Act,

preventing the return of Chinese immigrants who left the United States- Served two consecutive terms, as well as a third term in 1893

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23. Benjamin HarrisonTerms Served: 1

March 4, 1889 – March 4, 1893State: Indiana

Political Party: RepublicanVice President: Levi P. Morton

Notes of Significance:- Grandson of William Henry Harrison (9th U.S. President)- Signed the McKinley Tariff, setting protective trade rates- Signed the Sherman Antitrust Act, giving the federal government the right to prohibit

anti-competitive business practices (monopolies, cartels, etc.)- Facilitated the creation of the National Forests through the Land Revision Act of 1891

24. Grover ClevelandTerms Served: 3


Political Party: DemocraticVice President: Adlai Stevenson

Notes of Significance:- Was also the 22nd President between 1885 and 1889- Faced economic depression after his second term began (Panic of 1893)- Campaigned against voting rights protections, further disenfranchising black voters- Used the army to put an end to the Pullman Strike in 1894

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25. William McKinleyTerms Served: 2

March 4, 1897 – September 14, 1901State: Ohio


1st Term – Garret Hobart (died in office)2nd Term – Theodore Roosevelt

Notes of Significance:- Promoted the Dingley Tariff in 1897, protecting domestic manufacturers and workers

from foreign competition- Secured the passed of the Gold Standard Act- Led the nation to victory in the Spanish-American War, resulting in the U.S. colonies of

Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines – Cuba was promised independence- Oversaw the annexation of the Republic of Hawaii in 1898, when it became a U.S.

Territory- A strong supporter and enforcer of American interventionism- Assassinated on September 6th, 1901

26. Theodore RooseveltTerms Served: 1.5

September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909State: New York

Political Party: RepublicanVice President:1st Term – None

2nd Term – Charles W. FairbanksNotes of Significance:

- Gained national recognition for his courage in the Spanish-American War- Served as Vice President under William McKinley, and succeeded the presidency after

McKinley’s assassination- Conservation was central to his policy where he established many national parks,

forests, and monuments- Began construction of the Panama Canal- Won the 1906 Novel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the Russo-Japanese War- Groomed William Howard Taft for the presidency

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27. William Howard TaftTerms Served: 1

March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913State: Ohio

Political Party: RepublicanVice President: James S. Sherman (died in office)

Notes of Significance:- Was groomed by Theodore Roosevelt for the presidency- Passed the Sixteenth Amendment, giving Congress power to levy income taxes- Strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission- After the presidency he was appointed by President Warren G. Harding to the position of

Chief Justice of the United States, which he served until his death in 1930

28. Woodrow WilsonTerms Served: 2

March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1921State: New Jersey

Political Party: DemocraticVice President: Thomas R. Marshall

Notes of Significance:- Leader of the Progressive Movement- Passed unprecedented legislation including the Federal Reserve Act, Federal Trade

Commission Act, and Income Tax- Passed the Adamson Act, which granted railroad workers an 8-hour workday- Maintained neutrality during the first years of World War I, but eventually entered the

U.S. into the war in 1917 after Germany continued unrestricted submarine warfare- Suppressed anti-war movements with the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act

of 1918- Endorsed the Nineteenth Amendment, granting women the right to vote- Promoted the formation of the League of Nations- Suffered a severe stroke in 1919, and died in 1924

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29. Warren G. HardingTerms Served: 1

March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923State: Ohio

Political Party: RepublicanVice President: Calvin Coolidge

Notes of Significance:- Oversaw the first years of the Prohibition- Major player in the Washington Naval Conference of 1921-1922, where the largest

naval powers agreed on a limit of naval presence that lasted a decade- Scandals and corruption took place under him during his presidency- Died of heart disease on August 2nd 1923

30. Calvin CoolidgeTerms Served: 1.5

August 2, 1923– March 4, 1929State: Massachusetts

Political Party: RepublicanVice President:1st Term – None

2nd Term – Charles G. DawesNotes of Significance:

- Served as Vice President under Warren G. Harding, and succeeded the presidency after Harding’s death

- Restored public confidence in the executive branch after the corruption that took place during the Harding administration

- Signed the Revenue Act of 1924, reducing the top marginal tax rate and the income tax rate

- Signed the Indian Citizenship Act on June 2nd, 1924, granting all American Indians U.S. Citizenship while also permitting them to retain tribal land and cultural rights

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31. Herbert HooverTerms Served: 1

March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933State: California

Political Party: RepublicanVice President: Charles Curtis

Notes of Significance:- Supported the Efficiency Movement, seeking to improve the government and economy

by involving experts who could identify major problems and find solutions- Donated all presidential paychecks to charity- Attempted to relieve the economic downturn after the Wall Street Crash of 1929

through government public works, including the Hoover Dam- Strongly supported the Prohibition- Increased corporate taxes and increased the top tax bracket from 255 to 63%

32. Franklin D. RooseveltTerms Served: 4

March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945State: New York


1st & 2nd Term – John Nance Garner3nd Term – Henry A. Wallace4th Term – Harry S. Truman

Notes of Significance:- Consecutively won presidential elections four times, the highest of any U.S. President- Within his first 100 days he had instituted the New Deal; a variety of extreme (and

often controversial) executive orders meant to relieve the nation from the Great Depression

- Repealed the Prohibition through the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933- Led the U.S. into World War II after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941- Died of a stroke on April 12th, 1945

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33. Harry S. TrumanTerms Served: 1.5

April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1953State: Missouri


1st– None2nd – Alben W. BarkleyNotes of Significance:

- Served as Vice President under Franklin D. Roosevelt, and succeeded the presidency after Roosevelt’s death

- Forced Japan’s surrender in World War II by dropping atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945

- Assisted in the founding of the United Nations- Issued the Truman Doctrine in an attempt to keep communism from spreading to

different nations- Oversaw the Berlin Airlift in 1948- Gained United Nations approval for the Korean War in 1950- Began racial integration in the military and federal government through executive

orders

34. Dwight D. EisenhowerTerms Served: 2

January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961State: New York & KansasPolitical Party: Republican

Vice President: Richard NixonNotes of Significance:

- Served as a five-star general in the U.S. Army during World War II, and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces

- Deposed the prime minister of Iran in the 1953 Iranian coup d’état- Authorized the establishment of NASA in 1956 in response to the Soviet Union’s launch

of Earth’s first artificial satellite- Launched the Interstate Highway System- Sent federal troops to Arkansas to enforce court orders to desegregate public schools in

1957

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35. John F. KennedyTerms Served: 1

January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963State: Massachusetts

Political Party: DemocraticVice President: Lyndon B. Johnson

Notes of Significance:- Only president to have won a Pulitzer Prize- Ordered the Bay of Pigs Invasion in April of 1961, which unsuccessfully attempt to

overthrow Castro’s regime in Cuba- Negotiated with Russia and brought an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis in October,

1962- Created the Peace Corps- Put into motion the Apollo program, beginning an endeavor that would eventually land

humans on the moon in 1969- Assassinated in Texas on November 22, 1963

36. Lyndon B. JohnsonTerms Served: 1

January 20, 1963 – January 20, 1969State: Texas

Political Party: DemocraticVice President: Hubert Humphrey

Notes of Significance:- Served as Vice President under John F Kennedy, and succeeded the presidency after

Kennedy’s assassination- Introduced his “Great Society” legislation, which included a variety of profound

legislation such as civil rights, Medicare, and Medicaid- Greatly escalated U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War

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37. Richard NixonTerms Served: 2

January 20, 1969 – August 9, 1974State: California


1st & 2nd Term - Spiro Agnew (resigned)2nd Term – Gerald FordNotes of Significance:

- Initially escalated the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War- Opened diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China in 1972- Ended U.S. involvement in 1973 and brought an end to the military draft- Enforced desegregation of Southern schools- Established the Environmental Protection Agency- Resigned in 1974 when facing impeachment after the Watergate scandals became

public knowledge

38. Gerald FordTerms Served: 1

August 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977State: Michigan

Political Party: RepublicanVice President: Nelson Rockefeller

Notes of Significance:- Only individual in U.S. history to fill the rolls of Vice President and President without

being elected- Pardoned former President Richard Nixon for his role in the Watergate Scandal- Implemented conditional amnesty to those who dodged the military draft during the

Vietnam War- Signed the Helsinki Accords, which helped lead the U.S. and the Soviet Union toward

détente

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Source: Wikipedia- Survived two assassination attempts, both within three weeks of each other

39. Jimmy CarterTerms Served: 1

January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981State: Georgia

Political Party: DemocraticVice President: Walter Mondale

Notes of Significance:- Created two cabinet departments: the Department of Energy and the Department of

Education- Returned the Panama Canal Zone to Panama- Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002

40. Ronald ReaganTerms Served: 2

January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989State: California

Political Party: RepublicanVice President: George H. W. Bush

Notes of Significance:- Implemented economic policies (Reaganomics) that reduced tax rates to rejuvenate

economic growth, curb inflation through control of currency, deregulation of the economy, and reduced government spending

- Survived an assassination attempt- His policies reduced inflation from 12.5% to 4.4%- Increased military spending- Brought an end to the Cold War, however also escalated the arms race with the USSR

earlier in his presidency

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41. George H. W. BushTerms Served: 1


Political Party: RepublicanVice President: Dan Quayle

Notes of Significance:- Conducted military operations in Panama and led the U.S. into the Gulf War- Signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990- Signed the Immigration Act of 1990, resulting in a legal immigration increase of 40%

42. Bill ClintonTerms Served: 2

January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001State: Arkansas

Political Party: DemocraticVice President: Al GoreNotes of Significance:

- Signed into law NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement- Passed the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, providing health coverage to

millions of children- Impeached for perjury related to a scandal involving White House employee Monica

Lewinsky; acquitted by the U.S. Senate and completed his term as President

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43. George W. BushTerms Served: 2


Political Party: RepublicanVice President: Dick Cheney

Notes of Significance:- Won the presidency against Democrat Al Gore in a close and controversial election- Responded to the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001 by launching the War on

Terror, which included the war in Afghanistan (beginning in 2001) and the war in Iraq (beginning in 2003)

- Prohibited same-sex marriage through a Constitutional amendment- Signed into law the Patriot Act- Faced the “Great Recession” in December 2007, and passed multiple economic

programs with the intention of preserving the U.S. financial system- Received both the highest and lowest recorded approval ratings in U.S. history at

different points during his presidency

44. Barack ObamaTerms Served: 2

January 20, 2009 – PresentState: Illinois

Political Party: DemocraticVice President: Joe Biden

Notes of Significance:- Signed into law economic stimulus legislation in response to the Great Recession- Championed and passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, also

known as “Obamacare”- Ended U.S. military involvement in the Iraq War, but also increased U.S. troop levels in

Afghanistan- Promoted gun control policies and equality for LGBT Americans- Ordered U.S. military involvement in Iraq in response to the rise of the Islamic State

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Source: Wikipedia- In the process of normalizing U.S. relations with Cuba

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