🇺🇸 THE PRESIDENTIAL INNOVATORS

Science, Spies, and Space in the White House

When we think of U.S. Presidents, we usually imagine speeches and laws. But many of America’s leaders were obsessed with science, engineering, and the future. They used technology to win wars and explore the unknown.

Here are the “Innovators-in-Chief” who inspired today’s workshop:

1. GEORGE WASHINGTON: The Spymaster

Role: 1st President (1789–1797)

The Science: Chemistry & Espionage

• The Secret: Washington wasn’t just a General; he was a master of intelligence. He ran the Culper Spy Ring, a secret network that operated behind enemy lines.

• The Tech: His spies used “sympathetic stain” (invisible ink) to write secret messages between the lines of normal letters.

• Today’s Mission: You will use chemistry to recreate Washington’s invisible ink technique.

2. THOMAS JEFFERSON: The Cryptographer

Role: 3rd President (1801–1809)

The Science: Mathematics & Cybersecurity

• The Secret: Jefferson was an inventor who loved gadgets. He was terrified that European postmasters were reading his private mail.

• The Tech: To keep his secrets safe, he invented the Wheel Cipher in the 1790s. It was a mechanical device that scrambled letters into nonsense. It was so effective that the U.S. Army used a version of it all the way until World War II!

• Today’s Mission: You will engineer your own 3D-printed Jefferson Wheel to send encrypted messages.

3. ABRAHAM LINCOLN: The Engineer

Role: 16th President (1861–1865)

The Science: Marine Engineering & Patents

• The Secret: Lincoln is the only U.S. President to hold a patent (Patent No. 6469). He invented a device to lift boats over shallow water.

• The Tech: During the Civil War, he championed the Ironclads (like the USS Monitor). These were the first metal-armored ships, which made wooden warships obsolete overnight.

• Today’s Mission: You will take on the “Ironclad Challenge” to design a boat hull that can carry heavy armor without sinking.

4. JFK & TRUMP: The Space Pioneers

Role: John F. Kennedy (35th) & Donald Trump (45th & 47th)

The Science: Aerospace Engineering & Rocketry

• The Vision: In 1962, JFK famously said, “We choose to go to the Moon.” His vision launched the Apollo missions.

• The Return: In 2017, President Trump signed Space Policy Directive-1, creating the Artemis Program. While Apollo was about visiting, Artemis is about staying. The goal is to land the first woman and next man on the Moon—specifically at the South Pole—to build a permanent base.

• Today’s Mission: You are the flight engineers for Artemis III. You must design a “squeeze rocket” capable of executing a precision landing in the Moon’s Shackleton Crater.

5. BENJAMIN HARRISON: The Electric President

Role: Benjamin Harrison (23rd President)

The Science: Electrical Engineering & Circuitry

• The Spark: In 1891, the White House was wired for electricity for the first time. It was such new technology that President Harrison and his wife were terrified of getting electrocuted! They refused to touch the light switches and often slept with the lights on until staff turned them off.

• Today’s Mission: You are the White House Electricians. You must wire the mansion’s windows with “modern” electric lights (LEDs) and build a safe copper-tape circuit that even a scared President would trust.

Let’s review the US Presidents here

Ready to try the Blooket?