What 7 U.S. Presidents Did After Their Presidency
John Quincy Adams is often quoted as saying, “There is nothing more pathetic in life than a former President.” It’s a slightly harsh assessment, but perhaps not devoid of truth. Being President is, after all, a hard act to follow. What do you do when you step down from one of the most high-profile jobs in the world?
Some former U.S. Presidents have welcomed the chance for a quiet retirement after the stress and strain of being commander in chief. Others have actively sought to remain in politics, reluctant to edge away from the limelight. And some have gone on to do things that few expected of them: George W. Bush became a painter; Bill Clinton won a Grammy for Best Spoken-Word Album for Children; and Barack Obama signed a deal with Netflix. Then there’s Grover Cleveland, who left the presidency in 1889 only to return for a second term a few years later — a feat yet to be repeated.
Here are seven U.S. Presidents who went on to have particularly interesting post-presidency lives, variously involving whiskey production, epic epistolary output, and a perilous expedition to the Amazon jungle.
George Washington
Following the end of his presidency in 1797, George Washington retired to Mount Vernon, where he continued to receive a large number of visitors — in 1798 alone, the Washingtons hosted as many as 677 guests. In order to supplement his income, the founding father set up a whiskey distillery, despite having no prior experience in distilling alcohol. It wasn’t long before his business became one of the largest whiskey producers in America, operating five copper pot stills throughout the year. In 1799, Washington’s distillery produced nearly 11,000 gallons of liquor, which he sold to neighbors and in stores in Alexandria and Richmond. The distillery became one of Washington’s most profitable enterprises.
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Thomas Jefferson
When Thomas Jefferson retired to his Virginia estate in 1809, he certainly didn’t slow down. Monticello was a hive of activity, at times hosting 50 guests — forcing Jefferson to build a second house on his Bedford estate where he could find some solitude. When not working in his garden, the former President was often found writing letters to people of note across the globe; one year, he wrote an astonishing 1,268 letters. The rest of his time was spent on various architectural projects, including the never-ending development of Monticello. Jefferson was most devoted to another pet project, the University of Virginia. He designed its campus buildings, set up its curriculum, selected all the books for its library, and chose its faculty members. In fact, the inscription on Jefferson's tombstone at Monticello names the achievements that the founding father wished to be remembered for, and notably omits the role of President. It reads, "Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, & Father of the University of Virginia."
John Quincy Adams
Following his defeat by Andrew Jackson in the 1828 presidential election, John Quincy Adams — the son of America’s second President, John Adams — fell into something of a funk. Saddened by his loss and what he considered dark days ahead for the nation (the American Civil War began some 30 years later), he returned to his hometown of Quincy, Massachusetts. But he soon became bored by retirement. Against the wishes of his family, he ran for Congress and won election to the House of Representatives, becoming the first — and so far only — former President to run for and win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He held the position from 1831 until his death in 1848, and was one of the House’s most articulate and forceful voices against slavery.
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was never a man to sit on the sidelines twiddling his thumbs. Following his disappointing loss to Woodrow Wilson in the 1912 presidential election (which would have given Roosevelt a third term in office), the 55-year-old decided to embark upon a dangerous expedition down an uncharted tributary of the Brazilian Amazon called the Rio da Dúvida, or River of Doubt. Accompanied by his 23-year-old son Kermit and a team of porters, explorers, and scientists, Roosevelt set off in December 1913. By the time they reached the River of Doubt in February 1914, they had already lost a number of team members to tropical illnesses, and half their pack animals had died. As they ventured farther down the unmapped territory, they had to contend with everything from mosquitoes to alligators to the potential threat of attack from Indigenous peoples in the area. Roosevelt got malaria during the lengthy expedition, and became dangerously ill. Still, the team managed to reach the end of their journey, at which point Roosevelt sent an understated telegram describing it as “a hard and somewhat dangerous, but very successful trip.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
When his presidency ended in 1961, Dwight D. Eisenhower retired to his small farm adjacent to the battlefield outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The war hero’s involvement in politics, however, was far from over, and he remained active in the Republican Party as an elder statesman. He occasionally advised President John F. Kennedy, and was a frequent adviser to President Lyndon B. Johnson, especially after LBJ committed troops to Vietnam. Eisenhower also found the time to raise Angus cattle, paint, and write two volumes of his memoirs, as well as a bestselling book of anecdotal essays titled At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends.
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon was forced to resign in 1974 following the disgrace of Watergate, the worst political scandal in United States history. But rather than crawl away and hide, Nixon slowly but surely engineered a redemption arc that went some way to restoring both his tarnished reputation and his personal financial woes created by legal costs. First, he sold the rights to his memoirs for more than $2 million (RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon later became a bestseller); then he gave a now-legendary interview to British TV personality David Frost for $600,000. This helped pave the way for a more active return to politics, albeit often in an advisory role. He gave advice to President Jimmy Carter and was also consulted by Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush (although neither President publicized the fact). Nixon eventually became a widely acknowledged expert on foreign policy, and authored several well-received books that cemented his status as a political heavyweight.
Jimmy Carter
When Jimmy Carter lost his bid for reelection in 1980, it looked as though his legacy might be forever tarnished by a presidency marked by an array of problems: an energy crisis, Soviet aggression, the Iran hostage crisis, rising inflation, and rising unemployment. But over the years, Carter has been seen in a more positive light, helped immensely by his post-presidential life. Following his presidency, Carter emerged as a champion of human rights, and is now considered by some to be the nation's greatest former President. In 1982, he founded the Carter Center, an organization devoted to issues relating to democracy and human rights. He is also known for his tireless role with Habitat for Humanity International, a global organization that provides housing for underprivileged people. Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Now aged 99, he has had the longest post-presidency in U.S. history.
