United States Secretaries of War Quiz

Answer: Jefferson Davis

Before and after serving as Pierce's Secretary of War, Davis was a US Senator from Mississippi. As War Secretary he helped make plans which led to the construction of the Trans-Continental Railroad and was a major force in securing the Gadsden Purchase which acquired almost 30,000 square miles of land for the United States along the US/Mexican border.

His experience as Secretary of War has caused some historians to surmise that although Davis believed that a sovereign state had the right to secede from the Union, the reason he opposed immediate secession was that he knew that the North had too much of a military advantage for the South to win a war.

However, when the majority of the delegates voted for secession, the soon to be Confederate president acquiesced.

Answer: James Monroe

James Monroe was appointed Secretary of State by President Madison in 1811. When the War of 1812 got off to a catastrophic start, Madison asked him to become Secretary of War. In October of 1814, he resigned his post as Secretary of State to become the War Secretary.

However, no successor for him was named and so for all intents and purposes Monroe fulfilled both duties for a period of five months. As Secretary of War, Monroe worked to develop an offensive attack plan for the US military but in February of 1815, the ratification of the peace treaty between the US and England allowed Monroe to resign as Secretary of War and be reappointed as Secretary of Sate.

He remained in that position until 1817 when he became the 5th President of the United States.

Answer: Robert Todd Lincoln

Robert Todd Lincoln, the oldest son of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, was Secretary of War for both President James Garfield and Chester Arthur. It was during this time that he had to call out US troops to quell an 1884 riot in Cincinnati which had led to the deaths of 45 people.

He later served as minister to England during the Benjamin Harrison administration and President of the Pullman Company. He rebuffed several attempts to become the Republican Party's presidential or vice-presidential nominee.

His three brothers all preceded him in death. Eddie, the second born, died at the age of three in Springfield, Illinois. Willie died in 1862 at the White House at the age of 11. The youngest Lincoln child, Thomas, who was nicknamed Tad, died at the age of eighteen, six years after his father's assassination. Robert died in 1926 at the age of 82.

Answer: Fort Ticonderoga

In the spring of 1775 Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys captured Fort Ticonderoga from the British taking control of a lot of artillery. In the winter of 1776 George Washington's troops encircled British occupied Boston but did not have the firepower to dislodge them. Knox,a book seller by trade, suggested that he be allowed to travel to the fort located in eastern New York and transport the artillery that was stored there.

Many of Washington's advisers thought the plan was foolhardy but Knox was allowed. Using flat bottom bats, oxen drawn sleds and a brave group of men Knox moved the 59 disassembled cannons through ice, snow and rain to Boston.

When the British saw the newly acquired artillery, they evacuated the city given the Patriots a much needed victory and making Henry Knox a hero.

He went on to serve courageously during the rest of the war. In 1785 he was elected Secretary of War by Congress and in 1789 he was appointed Secretary of War as a part of President Washington's first cabinet.

He spent most of his time in that position dealing with unrest in the western edge of the new country.

Answer: William Howard Taft

Taft served as Teddy Roosevelt's Secretary of War from 1904 to 1908. During that time he also temporarily served as the provisional governor of Cuba and oversaw the initial construction of the Panama Canal. After Roosevelt decided not to run for reelection in 1908 Taft reluctantly accepted his party's nomination and was elected President.

However, a political feud between Roosevelt and Taft led to Roosevelt creating a third party which split the Republican vote and cost Taft a chance to be reelected.

In 1921 Taft achieved his life long dream when Warren Harding appointed him to become Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court.

Answer: Cuba

The Platt Amendment gave the US control over Cuban trade agreements, treaties and a strong voice in the domestic governmental affairs of Cuba. While the intent may have been to help Cuba gain its freedom the results of the effort were mixed. Many Cubans came to resent the restrictions placed on their economic, domestic and foreign affairs.

The amendment was repealed in 1934, but the provision allowing the establishment of a military base at Guantánamo Bay remained in force. Root was Secretary of War for both President McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.

He was Secretary of State for Roosevelt from 1905-1909 and a US Senator from New York from 1909 to 1915. In 1912 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize because of his efforts to help nations solve their differences through cooperative efforts and arbitration.

Answer: The Petticoat Affair

Margaret "Peggy" O'Neal Timberlake Eaton was the daughter of a popular Washington DC innkeeper. She was known for her flirtatious ways and rumors about her unfaithfulness to her first husband, John Timberlake, swirled. John Eaton was a US Senator from Tennessee who became close friends to the Timberlake family. Timberlake was a Navy purser and spent much time away from home at sea. When he died at a foreign port rumors once again started saying that he committed suicide because of his wife's unfaithfulness. This was never proven but when Peggy and Senator Eaton married soon after Timberlake's death people began to say they were having an affair before her husband's death. The Eatons were also friends with President Andrew Jackson. When he appointed Eaton to his cabinet, as Secretary of War, he set off a firestorm of controversy and the wives of other cabinet members refused to befriend Peggy Eaton because of her checkered past. The wives influenced their husbands to demand something be done to rid the cabinet of this immoral couple but Jackson refused to give in to their demands.

During the presidential campaign, Jackson along with his recently deceased wife Rachel, were targets of rumors regarding their alleged adulterous relationship, and the President soon came to believe that the attacks on the Eatons were political in nature as well. Neither side acquiesced and the scandal continued for over a year. Known as "The Petticoat Affair" the standoff ended only when, at the suggestion of Martin Van Buren, all the cabinet members resigned. John Eaton went on to serve as Governor of the Florida Territory (1834-1836) and Ambassador to Spain (1836-1840).

Answer: Alphonso Taft

Alphonso Taft was born in Vermont but spent much of his life as a successful lawyer and judge in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was appointed to head Grant's War Department in March 1876 to help the newly re-elected President get a handle on the many scandals that had hurt is administration. Three months later he was made the US Attorney General. Taft left a legacy of public service that was passed down to many generations.

His son became a US President and Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. He has also had family members serve as US Senators, a governor and an ambassador.

Answer: The Manhattan Project

Stimson served five different presidents during his long career in public service. He was William Howard Taft's Secretary of War from 1911 to 1913, Governor General of the Philippines during the Coolidge administration from 1927 to 1929 and Secretary of State for Herbert Hoover from 1929 to 1933.

After WWII broke out in Europe, Franklin Roosevelt appointed the 73 year old Republican to begin his second assignment as Secretary of War. He held that post from 1940 to 1945 continuing to serve when Harry S Truman became President after FDR's death.

As Secretary of War he oversaw the Manhattan Project whose mission was to develop the first atomic bomb. Even though he was an out spoken critic of carpet bombing during the war he reluctantly came to the conclusion that using the atomic bomb would end the war quicker and in the long run save lives.

In 1947 he defended the use of the atomic bomb in an article that appeared in "Harper's" magazine. After the war he spent his last days trying to control the further development and use of nuclear weapons.

Answer: Edwin M. Stanton

Stanton, a Democrat, was selected by President Abraham Lincoln to replace Samuel Cameron who was fired partly because of advice given to him by Stanton. At first Stanton was a strong critic of Lincoln and thought he was incompetent. However he soon grew to respect the President although they still would often disagree. Stanton was at the bedside of Lincoln when he died and reportedly said "Now he belongs top the ages" shortly after the President took his last breath.

The Secretary of War vigorously led the manhunt for of John Wilkes Booth and the capture, trial and execution of the others accused of having a role in the assassination of the Lincoln.

Answer: Andrew Jackson

Cass served as Jackson's Secretary of War from 1831 to 1836. In 1830, at the urging of President Andrew Jackson, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. Jackson's hope was that the removal of Native American Tribes from the Southeastern United States to west of the Mississippi River would free up land for settlers and help diffuse controversy between state governments and the Indians.

In theory the removal was to be voluntary but in practice the removals were often forceful and cruel. The removals infamously became known as the "Trail of Tears". Cass had many dealings with Native Americans during his time as governor over the Territory of Michigan (1813-1831) and in general supported the practice of removal. Cass went on to serve as a Minister to France from 1836 to 1842,US Senator from the state of Michigan from 1845 to 1848 and from 1849 to 1857, Democratic candidate for President in 1848 and Secretary of State for James Buchanan from 1857 to 1860.

Answer: Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson became US President after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. At the conclusion of the US Civil War their were two basic theories concerning Reconstruction. Johnson, like Lincoln, favored a more lenient approach which allowed former Confederate states to more easily be accepted back to the Union.

A group of "Radical Republicans" however wanted a stricter approach including putting the Confederate states under military rule. This group controlled Congress and overrode several of Johnson's vetoes in an effort to enforce their policy of "Radical Reconstruction".

The feud between the President and Congress came to a head when Johnson, in defiance of the Tenure of Office Act, demanded the resignation of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton.

The Tenure of Office Act was passed in 1867 over the veto of Johnson. It basically stated that a President could not remove someone from a position who was appointed by a previous President without the advice and consent of the US Senate. Many believe the act was passed in order to protect Stanton who was a supporter of Radical Reconstruction. Johnson removed Stanton while Congress was in recess but when they returned they demanded that Johnson reinstate Stanton.

When the President refused and appointed a new Secretary of War Congress impeached Johnson. After a three month trial Johnson was acquitted of committing "high crimes and misdemeanors" by one vote.

Answer: William T. Sherman

General William Tecumseh Sherman was a successful Union army officer who captured Atlanta and led the successful and destructive "March to the Sea" which hastened the demise of the Confederacy. His efforts made him a revered figure in the North and many called for him to seek political office.

But Sherman had a strong distaste for politics and rebuffed all efforts except one. In 1869 when Grant's Secretary of War, John Rawlins, died Grant persuaded Sherman to be his interim Secretary of War. His short stay in that position confirmed his dislike of politics and Sherman returned to the battlefield fighting in the Indian Wars that were taking place in the Western states.

Answer: John C. Calhoun

Calhoun Was Monroe's Secretary of War from 1817 to 1825. In that position he fought for better roads, a system of taxation that was not as dependent on international trade which could collapse during war time. During his time as Secretary of War he also established The Bureau of Indian Affairs. Calhoun became Vice-President in 1825 and served until 1832 under Presidents John Quincy Adam and Andrew Jackson.

Although a staunch nationalist in his early years, the controversial way that John Quincy Adams became President and his disagreements with Jackson regarding tariffs were factors in his change of philosophy from nationalist to states rights advocate.

In 1845 he resigned as Vice-President and became a US Senator representing the state of South Carolina.

There he spent the remainder of his career defending slavery and proclaiming his belief that states had the right to nullify federal law in order to protect their interests.

Answer: Secretary of the Army

Royall served as Secretary of War in 1947. In September of that year Congress passed the National Security Act of 1947. According to this new law the War Department and the US Department of the Navy were merged into what was eventually known as the Department of Defense. Royall became the first Secretary of the Army and was the only Secretary of the Army to hold cabinet level status.

In 1949 the law was amended making the Secretary of Defense a cabinet level position and making the Secretaries of the Army, Navy and the newly created Air Force sub-cabinet positions.

Other aspects of this law called for the creation of the US Air Force and the establishment of the National Security Council as well as the Central Intelligence Agency.