When you read about past Presidents, especially the early ones...?

Question

you get a sense that they were strong-minded, determined people who did not always agree with Congress or the American people, but we seem to show them more respect then we do recent presidents. Do you agree, and if so, why do you think that is?

Answer 1

Having taught AP U.S. History, I've raised this very issue many times with students. I believe the reason to be that time is a great purifier. Given enough time and we forget much of the facts surrounding famous events. But careful historical research reveals that ALL presidents have come under fire and been the subjects of intense social criticism in their day. Washington, whom we today revere with bowed heads, was constantly attacked while in office for his poor decisions and his inability to resolve problems with England. Jefferson was abused endlessly over the Embargo of 1807, Adams was denied reelection for his refusal to go to war against France following the XYZ Affair. People referred to Jackson as a tyrant and a king who was an adulterous, Indian murdered. Lincoln was called a babboon by his critics and on and on and on.

So if we read the papers OF THE TIME PERIOD, we see that there is no new thing under the sun. Presidents have faced the harsh eye of criticism from Washington to Bush.

Answer 2

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that when we look at past Presidents we tend to look at the major national and world events that occurred during their administration and we don't focus much on their personal side. FDR and JFK were both womanizers like Clinton, but people don't focus on that as much as they do WWII and the Cuban Missle Crisis, nor should they. A lot of Presidents, even Lincoln, were ridiculed and mocked and disrespected in their time, but as time goes on those things fade away and the important things stick out.

Almost all of the books I've read about Presidents show that they hated the job and they couldn't wait to get out of the White House because of all the criticism, pressure, and spotlight.

Answer 3

I definitely agree with you! I think that we often don't want to bother finding out about our past presidents. There's often a whole other side to the lives of these men that's really important to understand when we pass judgements on them. For instance, people praise Woodrow Wilson for being such a good president, but if you looked deeper into his life you would see that he was racist and sexist! We don't respect out current presidents as much becasue we live in a world where we know everything they do and say. We don't have to worry about digging deeper for info on someone like Bush becasue everything he says and does is always in the public eye.

Answer 4

Agree- We are more emotionally detached form that period. Now we know too much, are too familiar with them. FOr ex. I live in arkansas and really don't like either of the Clintons. Having lived here when Bill was governor and seeing them that way is much different from reading about them 100 years from now.

Answer 5

Yeah, because the times were different and there was probably somewhat more character.This is especially true of Washington(excusing the whole West Ford thing).