If there was a United States presidents hall of fame and you could put 5 in it, which 5 would you pick & why?

Answer 1

I'll be the naysayer who wouldn't put Washington in there. Yes, a righteous and honorable man...even a good leader. But he gets too much glory and would be taking the spot of another great leader who doesn't get his birthday as a national holiday.

First on my list in Theodore Roosevelt. No one realizes that he was the one who started the US on the road to real civil rights. He was responsible for sweeping labor reforms, the clean up of government, establishment of the National Parks System, our first legitimate efforts at ecology, and the road to universal suffrage.

Follow him with Lincoln who had the unenviable job of steering a divided nation through an inevitable Civil War.

Andrew Jackson lead the US during one of our more difficult periods of expansion and brought a real sense of nationalism to the country. He made us proud to be Americans, not just Virginians or Georgians or Floridians. He also shunned the old boy network in favor of bringing in the best and the brightest to advise the president.

Ronald Reagan may have been controversial at home (but then, so was Lincoln in his day), but Reagan will go down as the man who stood against the Communist empire and didn't blink until the entire Communist regime crumbled.

Lastly, I'd put in John Quincy Adams. He was probably one of the greatest legal minds in the period of national expansion. His arguments in the Armistad case were brilliant, even though he was almost completely deaf. He laid the groundwork for social reforms that lead to the downfall of the slavery industry.

Answer 2

George Washington because he shaped the Presidency to be what it is today He could be king but said no.

Thomas Jefferson because of his brilliant move of the Louisiana Purchase and he kept us out of war with France or England despite the conscription of our sailors; investigate the Louuisians Purchase which greatly increased the size and value of our country

Abraham Lincoln kept the country together despite personal problems , general incompetency and he never really became a tyrant . Could have suspended elections but did not and his home spun humor eased the pain of the nation e also knew that healing not retribution was needed to bring the country back on its feet and become a solid force.

Woodrow Wilson was a visionary and intellectual who knew that a post world war I era needed countries of self-reliance and they would be able to grow. His 14 Points are a model to which we still study . The League of Nations was a precursor to the UN. The League of Nations was weak not because it was a weak idea but that we did not become involved which made it weak and vulnerable and ineffective.

Franklin D. Roosevelt- What can be said. He is the only 4 term president in US history , His New Deal and fireside chats embraced a nation that needed to heal from its wounds of a hard , worldwide depression. When other countries fled to totalitarianism, the US kept firmed to a republic's stance and would support those powers against totalitarianism. His political timing was pure genius and he knew the right time to perform his policies.

Answer 3

1.)Thomas Jefferson- "Revolution of 1800" allowed for greater democracy and eventual representation
- Anyone who opposed the Whigs can't be that bad

2.)Andrew Jackson-Vetoed the national bank
-Wasn't fond of elitist sentiment- "kitchen cabinet" as advisors
-Was perhaps the last "real" president we've had

3.)Abraham Lincoln-Kept the union together
-Wanted to patch things up with the south with the 10% plan, which was more forgiving than what members of his own party wanted to do to the south

4.)Franklin Roosevelt-Provided hope to thousands
-Saw us through WWII
-Saw us through the depression
-Gave us many good government programs that are around today

5.)Ronald Reagan-Provided the American people with confidence and pride
-Pressed the Soviet Union

Worst Presidents

1.)Nixon-Watergate
-Domestic surveillance of practically everyone
-Paranoid
-Really didn't do that much domestically

2.)Hoover-Broke up the Bonus Army protest

3.)Clinton-Lots of potential, just squandered it all

4.)U.S. Grant-Corruption

5.)Warren G. Harding-Albert Fall & Charles Forbes
-Should've known what his own people were doing, but didn't

I must argue a little here, If I had to replace any of these presidents on my list it would be Lincoln being replaced with Teddy Roosevelt. Teddy did alot of this country and we can see his program alive and working beautifully today. On the other hand, realistically, Lincoln could have maybe avoided war by sending relief ships instead of war ships to Fort Sumter, then negociating with the southern states diplomatically. Finally, the Amancipation Proclamation was just a shear act out of disperation, because; the North at that point was losing the war. Slavery would have simply died of old age with the inventions of the machines by the 1880's.

Answer 4

Washington --first president
Lincoln-- kept the country together
Jefferson--wrote Declaration of Independence, started Library of Congress, and Louisiana Purchase
FDR--out of Great Depression and World War II
James Knox Polk--stood up to the British about Canadian border

Answer 5

Owen Hart The Rock Trish Stratus Crash Holly Ron Simmons

Answer 6

Andrew Jackson - fought against nat'l bank and over nationalization

FDR - screwed up quite a bit, but made the first headway aganist the depression and actually listened to the people about international politics

Chester A Arthur - started giving out gov't jobs based on merit rather than connections

Washington - told people to avoid political parties and 'entangling alliances'-two of the biggest causes of our country's issues in the past.

Clinton - Dont Ask Dont Tell Policy-back when it was used to help rather than hurt homosexuals; avoided war with good media coverage

Answer 7

James Madison, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. I just think they made the best out of their time in office.

Answer 8

Lincoln...ended slavery and the civil war

Roosevelt...panama canal

Truman...the guts to take on the war

Kennedy...he redefined the presidency

Carter...the work he has done since

Answer 9

I know two that I would put into the hall of outstanding garbage, GWB and Nixon.

But Lincoln was a cool guy. It's such a shame that he ended slavery and that all his successors could not end racism.