The argument over what makes a president great or who was the best president ever has no solution. Each president offers certain qualities that allow them to reach the highest levels of government; they all have certain problems that prevent them from reaching their full potential and meeting the goals they set out when they run for election.
To determine which presidents were the greatest I looked at several factors: how did they benefit the nation, what was the result of their policies, what adversity did they face, and how did they handle that adversity.
10. Lyndon Baines Johnson – 36th President
Lyndon B. Johnson took office after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. While he spent most of his first term finishing work that that Kennedy began, he truly emerged as a great president in his second term.
Why he was great
Johnson during his first term of office put his political capital behind the civil rights bill that Kennedy developed. While this was Kennedy’s idea and bill, it was Johnson who got it passed and began the process of true equality in America for all citizens.
In his second term, Johnson designed the Great Society, which began a war on poverty and crime that has made America a better nation today. Eliminating poverty is a great, but impossible goal and some of the programs to come from this were a true benefit to the people.
Johnson also worked to improve voting rights for all Americans, insuring that any registered voter could cast a ballot in any election. This also lowered the voting age to 18, allowing people that were subject to the draft the opportunity to cast a vote in elections.
Problems he faced while in office
Kennedy began the process of moving troops into Vietnam to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. Johnson not only continued this, but also escalated the conflict into a full war that lasted over ten years. This war also became incredibly unpopular at home, causing protests and unrest among the youth of America.
Johnson also faced a great deal of civil unrest due to the slow process of people accepting the civil rights policies and the level of poverty in American cities.
9. Thomas Jefferson – 3rd President
Thomas Jefferson became president by the vote of the House of Representatives, because the Electoral College cast a tie between him and his Vice-President, Aaron Burr. After taking office Jefferson began reversing and eliminating many laws that came from his predecessor, John Adams.
Why he was great
Jefferson was one of the more active members of the American Revolution, writing the Declaration of Independence and helping set up the government of the new nation. Jefferson also had a true belief that no person should ever tolerate tyranny, and he brought this belief to the office when he eliminated Adams’ Alien and Sedition Acts.
Jefferson also worked to expand American trade and influence into Europe and the Mediterranean region. With American merchant ships facing harassment from the Barbary Pirates in the Mediterranean Sea, he used the Navy to end the piracy and harassment.
When France needed cash for the Napoleonic Wars against Europe, mostly Britain, they needed to sell some of their land holdings. Jefferson took advantage of this situation and greatly increased the size of America’s territory with the Louisiana Purchase.
Jefferson not only managed to eliminate the Whiskey Tax, dropping government revenues, he also cut the National Debt by one-third. This accomplishment came from the cutting of government spending and reductions in the military, which he feared could cause tyranny.
Problems he faced while in office
With Britain and France locked in a war, Jefferson made every attempt to remain neutral in this conflict. When both nations began violating American neutrality, Jefferson did the unthinkable; he passed the Embargo Act and blockaded American ports preventing American businesses from exporting products to Europe. This policy became a huge failure and Jefferson quickly reversed his position.
8. Franklin Delano Roosevelt – 32nd President
Franklin Roosevelt is the only president to serve more than two terms, winning election four times. Taking office the first time in 1933, at the height of the Great Depression, He quickly began enacting programs to offer relief to those facing the greatest hardships. He also led America though one of the greatest times of global threat, World War II.
Why he was great
While trying to sustain a viable recovery from the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt attempted to maintain neutrality and keep America out of the wars in Europe and Asia. When this became impossible, he called on Americans to prepare for war. This preparation involved Americans at home suffering, gasoline rations, food rations, and women filling factory jobs, anything that could help the war effort. America responded with overwhelming support and enthusiasm. This led to America creating a military that still today is able to handle problems around the world and cemented America’s place as a leader of nations.
Prior to the outbreak of war, Franklin Roosevelt faced an even greater challenge at home, The Great Depression. While the Supreme Court struck many of the programs created by his New Deal down, he managed to keep Americans united and working towards the goal of greater prosperity and better times ahead.
Problems he faced while in office
Franklin Roosevelt and the Supreme Court faced off over numerous programs he enacted as part of his New Deal. Finally, after his first reelection he attempted to increase the number of justices so that he could control the voting of the court. This attempt failed and several of the older and more conservative justices either stepped down or died, allowing the appointment of new more friendly justices.
7. William Howard Taft – 27th President
Handpicked by Theodore Roosevelt to succeed him in office, Taft became president mostly due to the support of Roosevelt and the inability of William Jennings Bryant to form an effective campaign against him. While he only served one term as president, Taft is the only person to hold office in all three branches of the federal government, ending with his appointment to the Supreme Court.
Why he was great
Taft continued some of the programs that Roosevelt began in turning America into an international power. However, no policy affected American standing in the world as much as Taft’s Dollar Diplomacy. This policy made American Dollars the currency of international trade, a benefit still realized today. This policy guaranteed other nations the ability to exchange dollars for gold, and with the Dollar as good as gold, countries switched to trading in Dollars. This set the beginning of America becoming a world economic power and has benefited Americans for a hundred years.
Problems he faced while in office
Since he succeeded Theodore Roosevelt, a great reformer, and Roosevelt handpicked Taft as the next president he had great pressure to continue with the reforms of Roosevelt. When Taft failed to continue with the progressive agenda Roosevelt formed, a third party and ran against him in his bid for reelection. This caused both candidates to split the republican vote and allow Woodrow Wilson to win the election.
6. Dwight David Eisenhower – 34th President
Dwight D. Eisenhower came to office near the end of the Korean War and the beginning of the Cold War. While he became president because of his military record, he often warned about the problems of sustaining a large military force and its threats to freedom.
Why he was great
Eisenhower set the policy for America during the Cold War and often worked to find peaceful solutions and compromise with his Soviet counterparts. This led to the neutralization of Austria and the policies that kept America and the Soviet Union from actually facing off in direct war. These policies also eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.
Without Eisenhower, there would be no interstate highway system. Realizing the importance of putting soldiers returning home from two wars to work Eisenhower created the interstate highways. This idea was first used in Germany to move troops from different are as faster, and then in America to develop interstate commerce.
Eisenhower’s domestic policies led to a period of great economic boom and greater prosperity for American families. He also kept government spending under control and focused on balancing the federal budget.
Problems he faced while in office
With the beginning of the Cold War and the space race with the Soviet Union, Eisenhower had to work to catch up to the Soviets after the launch of Sputnik. While this did not hamper his presidency it did show a threat to recently established American dominance in the world.
5. James Madison – 4th President
Elected president after serving as Thomas Jefferson’s Secretary of State, Madison entered a period of great difficulty for the new nation. Neither Britain nor France respected America’s right as a neutral nation and both made trade difficult to impossible with Europe, America’s largest trading partner.
Why he was great
James Madison is known as the “Father of the Constitution” because of his contributions in writing the constitution and his writings of the Federalist Papers with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. He also authored the Bill of Rights guaranteeing Americans certain rights and freedoms.
Madison is also the first president to ask Congress for a declaration of war. This came in 1812 when Madison sought to declare war on Britain. While America did not meet many of the goals of the war and the British burned Washington; Madison did achieve some success. First during the attack on Washington, he became the only sitting president to lead soldiers into battle against any enemy. Even though America did not meet many of the goals of the war, the war was a victory for Americans, because America solidified their independence from Britain and achieved key naval and ground victories against the best military in the world at the time.
Problems he faced while in office
The War of 1812 was not popular with the Federalist in the Northeast. Many of these states even threatened to secede from the Union as a result. This put a great strain on the country and nearly tore the new country apart. However, after the war ended people were so pleased with the president that the Federalist Party vanished and America entered a period of unity and prosperity, known as the Era of Good Feelings.
4. Andrew Jackson – 7th President
Andrew Jackson became president after one of the bitterest campaigns in American history. He also became the first president not from Virginia or named Adams, which made him a president of the people. He is also the first president to have an assassination attempt made upon him. However, it is Jackson’s work as president not his interesting life as a man that made him a great president.
Why he was great
Andrew Jackson led a war against the Second Bank of the United States, a bank much like the Federal Reserve today, that he viewed as a threat to the American people. Jackson refused to renew the bank’s charter because he viewed it as a government sponsored monopoly. This fight led to a split within his party and led to the formation of a second major political party. However, the people agreed with Jackson and he easily won reelection.
Jackson also began the process and policy of expanding America westward. This policy, manifest destiny, sought to have an America that span the continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. President James K. Polk finally reached this goal.
Problems he faced while in office
Jackson faced problems within his own party and within the country due to his policies and actions that many thought should belong to Congress not the president. One such problem came from South Carolina over a tariff. South Carolina sought to nullify a high protective tariff. When Jackson ordered the military to South Carolina, and even threatened to hang John C. Calhoun, William Clay negotiated a compromise where the federal government lowered the tariff and South Carolina ended nullification.
Jackson also faced problems with his westward expansion, because the land was not vacant and had people living there. When these people proved to be in the way or not part of his plans, Jackson had them removed. The Trail of Tears is one of the worst atrocities committed by Americans against the American Indians. The treatment of American Indians is Jackson’s biggest weakness as president.
3. George Washington – 1st President
As the first President, Washington set many precedents in relation to the office and position. Staunchly opposed to political parties and regional interests he believed America the federal government should work for all people within the country. Washington sought peace and unity within the country despite the individual states having different interests and greater power than the federal government.
Why he was great
Washington being the first President had no precedents to rely on when making decisions. This meant he set all precedents that succeeding presidents follow. He deferred to Congress many of the responsibilities in creating law and solidified the system of checks and balances that keep any portion of the government from gaining too much power.
Washington also being the first President became the first president to give up power willingly when he retired after his second term and he peacefully transferred the office to his Vice-President, John Adams.
Washington resisted getting involved in the war between Britain and France, despite different members of his cabinet openly supporting both sides, Thomas Jefferson supported France, and Alexander Hamilton supported Britain. Washington used wisdom and judgment to keep America neutral in this conflict, because he knew America was not strong enough to assist either side and maintain independence.
Problems he faced while in office
Washington faced a pair of rebellions during his presidency and used the military and state militias to curb these rebellions. However, he also relented on the problems that caused the rebellions and sought to find peaceful solutions to the problems.
2. Theodore Roosevelt – 26th President
Becoming President not through election, but through the assassination of President William McKinley, Roosevelt used his great personality and ambition to reform American policy. He also created policies that made America stronger on the international stage. Worked for common people, as the “Trust Buster”, put forth the first safety standards dealing with food, and began the national parks program. He even survived an assassination attempt himself, when an assassin shot him through the chest during a speech in Milwaukee; he finished the speech then sought medical treatment.
Why he was great
Roosevelt a great believer in wildlife conservation and preserving nature set up the national parks program that preserved land for wildlife and nature. Because of this, we have numerous national parks of indescribable beauty preserved in their natural state.
Roosevelt formed the US Food and Drug Administration, resulting for the first time safety standards on food sold to the American people. The USDA has since set standards on food quality and removed countless fraudulent and unsafe drugs from the market, saving unknown numbers of lives.
To expand America’s influence around the world Roosevelt sent the Great White Fleet on a world goodwill tour. This not only showed other nations the willingness of America to assist them in times of need, but also that America was a military power they could no longer disregard. This mission led to Roosevelt personally negotiating peace between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War, an event that earned Roosevelt a Nobel Peace Prize.
Roosevelt created what he termed the “Square Deal” to end a coal miners strike. This deal showed his support for the common worker and his ability to form a reasonable compromise in any situation. The result was safer working conditions for the workers.
Problems he faced while in office
Coming out of the Gilded Age, a period of extreme corruption in business and government, Roosevelt led a series of reforms to eliminate corruption and put the government back to work for the people, not businesses. These reforms meant that many people within his party and the government would lose much of the graft they had become accustomed to and this policy met great resistance. Roosevelt; however, was able to use his commanding personality to effect change at all levels of government and limit the power of businesses.
1. Abraham Lincoln – 16th President
Abraham Lincoln became president during a period of divide and adversity greater than any other president before or after him has faced. While his only goal was to unify the nation and not change the nation, he had no choice but to enter into a situation that would cause more American deaths during his presidency than in all of America’s other wars combined. While Lincoln survived to see the Civil War end, John Wilkes Booth assassinated him before there was peace.
Why he was great
After his election, Abraham Lincoln knew there was little hope for a peaceful resolution to the growing conflict between the states. Several states already seceded before he took office. Despite this, Lincoln still hoped to achieve a peaceful resolution. When all options for peace failed, he raised an army and used the military to preserve the nation. His actions during the war show how this conflict weighed on him and his plans for peace after the war show his desire to hold the nation together. While he could not find a suitable military commander until late in the war Lincoln was the right man to lead the nation through the war.
Problems he faced while in office
The Civil War was the greatest problem any president could ever face. This war was not a rebellion against Lincoln, but his personality and determination led America through the most difficult period of American history.
While any list of greatest anything, is clearly open for debate. This list takes into account the adversity these presidents faced and the affect they had on America. Please let me know in the comments section if you agree or disagree.
