The United States of America (USA) is recognised for its military might, economic clout, diversity, technical advancement, political system, and status as a democratic arsenal. And in recent years, it has been recognised as the oppressor’s face in economically impoverished nations such as Syria, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and others, where it has wreaked havoc with guns and wars. The home of tech behemoths such as Facebook, Google, and Apple. Mass shootings, militarised police, race riots, significant anti-government sentiment, and the Grand Canyon are also well-known.
So it would be eloquent if we talked about some of America’s most prominent presidents and how they etched their names into people’s hearts, but at what cost?
According to scholarly opinion, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D Roosevelt (FDR), George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt are the top five presidents of the USA:
Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office, owing to assassination and hemorrhagic stroke, respectively, at the height of their careers (both died precisely 5 months after winning their last elections). They died as a hero before they had a chance to turn ugly.
- Abraham Lincoln won the civil war, but the difficult task of rebuilding was left to his successor Ulysses S. Grant, who botched it terribly. People watched Lincoln do what he did best (lead the country in war) while ignoring his mediocre performance in the economy and other areas. His rating would probably have slid a few spots if he had completed both of his terms and then moved on with his life. He was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth as part of a bigger plot to resurrect the Confederate cause by assassinating three of the United States government’s most powerful officers (President, Vice President and Secretary of State).
Lincoln is the most liked president of the US, why? For his role as a leader in maintaining the Union during the Civil War and initiating the process (the Emancipation Proclamation) that eventually led to the abolition of slavery in the USA.
According to a remark in National Treasure 2 (the movie), people used to say “The United States are” before the Civil War, but after the Civil War, they began to say “The United States is,” which was made possible by Lincoln.
- From 1933 until 1945, FDR was the only president to be elected four times. When he died in April 1945, the Second World War in Europe was virtually done. Only 2 weeks later, Germany surrendered. He didn’t have to deal with the matter of how he would deal with Japan or the contentious deployment of the Atom bomb, unlike his successor Harry Truman. FDR guided the country through the Great Depression and WWII, but he avoided some of the most difficult post-war issues (such as what to deal with the Soviet Union and how to rebuild Germany).
- From 1789 until 1797, George Washington served as the first president of the United States. He was exceptional in leading the troops in the American Revolution, but his performance in other areas, such as establishing a new system of government, dealing with massive financial debt from the War of Independence, and disagreements about how to proceed with foreign policy and domestic conflicts, was below average. He did, however, “die” a hero by leaving the White House after two terms. He presided over the conference that produced the Constitution of the United States.
The most powerful leaders in the US have been Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson, whose abilities were considerably more diversified than simply leading the country in a battle.
- Theodore Roosevelt is still the youngest president of the United States. He was a progressive politician who promoted his “Square Deal” domestic programmes, which promised the common person fairness, trust-breaking, railroad control, and clean food and pharmaceuticals. Later in his career, he struggled as he sought to defeat his protégé, Taft. In 1912, he lost heavily to his protege, and in his second term, he struggled to control the Congress.
- Thomas Jefferson was not just a war commander, but also a thoughtful leader. He was a crucial figure in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. Through the Louisiana Purchase, he increased the size of the United States without losing a single soldier. That is a wise leader. He decreased force levels and drastically reduced the government debt, preventing the new republic from going bankrupt. Despite this, he was able to promote free commerce by fighting Barbary pirates near Tunisia with his surviving men.
He commissioned the Lewis and Clark expedition, which immensely aided Americans in understanding their surroundings and rendered the slave trade illegal. He voluntarily resigned from office (this had not yet become customary; only Washington had done so previously). Jefferson lived a long life, but he died a hero (on July 4th, the Independence Day of the USA).
You tell me, who as per you is the best USA President ever? Like and leave a comment.
