The Greatest Presidents Essay

Who was the greatest president of the United States? There have been many great presidents in the history of the U.S. Many presidents have led our country through very trying times. Some people believe Lincoln was the greatest president. However, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt led our country at times when a great leader was needed. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the greatest president of the United States because of his New Deal, his great leadership skills, and his strong and deep connection to the people of the United States.

Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin on February 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. In 1860, Lincoln was a self-described ‘’ prairie lawyer’’ He joined the Republican party and the ongoing argument over sectionalism in 1856. Lincoln ran for president against Northern Democrat Douglas, Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge, and Constitutional Union candidate John Bell. He defeats the three, declaring him the sixteenth president of the United States of America while Nathan Bedford Forrest chooses the different path by volunteered as a private in the Confederate Army on June 14, 1861.

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was the president of the United States during the time of 1901 to 1909. He was vice president during William McKinley’s term. When McKinley was assassinated in 1901 by Leon Czolgosz, Roosevelt had to step up. He was a Republican, but his foundations were more progressive. This plays a part in why he did not get the Republican nomination in the year 1912. He lost the nomination to his handpicked successor Taft, who had run as president in the previous term (1909-1913). When he did not get the nomination, Roosevelt decided to run as a third party which he called the bull moose party. By doing this, it splits the Republican vote between Taft and Roosevelt. This has a large effect on the election, causing the Democrat Woodrow Wilson to become president. Woodrow Wilson was president from 1913 to 1921 with World War I happening in 1914. Wilson declared neutrality. Because of this, some people ask, “What if Theodore Roosevelt has been president during World War I?” In the article, “The Election of Theodore Roosevelt, 1912” by John Lukacs, he writes about an alternate universe of sorts where Roosevelt wins the Republican nomination and the presidential election of 1912. In this report, the following questions will be answered: Was Roosevelt a productive president? How do Roosevelt and Taft compare and contrast, as well as Roosevelt and Wilson? Would Roosevelt be an efficient president if he won the 1912 election? My thoughts are weaved throughout the

The election of Ulysses S. Grant to President in 1868, was out of a need to for Radical Republicans to have a like-minded president in office unlike that of President Johnson who had been impeached, but not fired by Congress. This was a political power play that the Republicans needed to maintain control and to continue their version of Reconstruction upon the South. During his presidency his ability to wage war and place the correct people in charge did not transition well into the civilian role as President. President Grant’s terms would be plagued by indecision that nearly destroyed the nation’s economy, took advantage of the spoils of his position, and failed to maintain a platform which to politically stand on. President Grant may have been an excellent military General, but he was unable to let go the military man that he was and

Theodore Roosevelt is widely thought of as the first modern President of the United States. The influence that the office has today began to develop during Roosevelt’s time in office. His impact is one that will not be forgotten.

As the 26th president of the United States and also the youngest president ever elected, Theodore Roosevelt faced many challenging decisions, but he knew how to handle them. He fought for what he believed and never backed down from that belief. Theodore Roosevelt faced challenging circumstances while growing up which made many consider him to be frail and not likely to succeed; however, he came to be known as a notable statesman, military leader, governor, vice-president of the United States, and finally the most powerful leader in the free world, President of the United States of America.

Throughout the beginning of the 1900’s, Roosevelt became immensely favored and adored by the majority of United States citizens. After Theodore Roosevelt served his terms of presidency from 1901-1909, he declared that he would not accept a renomination for another term. With being in control of the Republican Party and also becoming quite favored, Roosevelt was able to name who his successor would be. With having being so popular and trustworthy, Roosevelt commanded the Republican Party to stay loyal to his ways by nominating and supporting Roosevelt’s secretary of war, William Howard Taft. When Roosevelt left office, he stated,

Although Ulysses S. Grant's contemporaries placed him in the highest position of great Americans along with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, the twentieth century has seen him fade. His presidency has been almost universally condemned, and he is consistently ranked second to rock bottom Warren G. Harding in polls of historians to rate the presidents.

     “Roosevelt was among the best-liked Presidents and, in many respects, the most interesting” (World Book 149). Theodore Roosevelt did many things, some in which impacted America.

Which of our forty-five presidents was the greatest? I can tell you he was born February 22nd, 1732 in Westmoreland County Virginia, VA; and he died December 14th, 1799 in Mount Vernon, VA. This president is one of the founding fathers of the United States of America and served as the U.S. president from April 30th, 1789 to March 4th, 1797. This man was the commander in chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War; then went to serve two terms as the first U.S. president. If you could not guess already it is George Washington.

Grant supported and sang the 15th Amendment to the Constitution. This gave the men in Africa the right to vote. Grant had a Native American policy, where he revised government relationships with Native Americans. He wanted to protect the Indians from people that wanted to take away their land. Grant worked for free public education for everyone, regardless of gender, religion or race. He was able to settle arguments with England over its support for the Confederacy during the Civil War. The recommendations of the Civil Service Commission wouldn’t become law until After President Garfield’s assassination in 1881 (https://www.nps.gov)

Grant fought for the abolishment of slavery during the Civil War, and during his presidency he pushed for more rights for African Americans. He advocated for the formation of the

Theodore Roosevelt was one of our greatest presidents. He created the FDA and improved the position of the presidency greatly. Before Theodore came to be president, the position of presidency was slow and wasn’t very interesting so he made the executive branch more powerful by starting new reforms and a strong foreign policy. The life of a president is hard. It is full of stress, responsibilities, and a strong dedication the welfare of your country. Theodore had to deal with all of these presidential stresses, taking up much of his time. Do you know, though, that despite being a president, he led a life of excitement and freedom that many other presidents had never before experienced? Theodore, “Teddy” as his first wife Alice called him,

          President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s program of relief, recovery, and reform that aimed at solving the economic problems created by the Depression of the 1930’s, was referred to as the New Deal. The Great Society was the name given to the domestic program of the U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson. Both programs had similar yet opposing points.

Historians and scholars have often debated the success and failures of Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency since 1945. A number of scholars argue that he created jobs, boosted the economy, and helped America get back onto the road of becoming a great nation. On the other hand, it can be argued that his plans and ideas to create jobs only lasted for the short term and his acts created long-term problems. This paper will discuss Roosevelt’s life, his reforms, and both the positive or negative outcome those actions had on America. However, it must be stated, for the struggles America was going through, and the perseverance they held to triumph over their trials, was in part due to Roosevelt’s boundless leadership as president. Franklin Delano