Bourbon and History

At long last we have arrived at the top president in the presidential rankings! As America's first president, Washington faced the monumental task of forming the nation's new federal government, and establishing the norms and customs surrounding the new office of the president. But aside from nation building, Washington faced critical tests in both foreign and domestic policy; tests that would coincide with the growing rise of partisanship during the 1790s and threaten to destroy everything Washington and the nation's founders had worked to achieve. 

Undoubtedly, Abraham Lincoln was one of Americas greatest presidents. From his dirt-poor upbringings, Lincoln would rise in Illinois state politics to become a U.S. Congressmen in 1847. After sparring with Senator Stephen Douglas in the 1858 Illinois Senate race, Lincoln would go on to become the moderate choice for the newly formed Republican Party in 1860, where he would win in a heated election, and be forced to grapple with a crisis unprecedented in the country's history. 

As the nations longest serving president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, or FDR, was forced to tackle the monumental task of rescuing the country from the depths of the Great Depression. After enacting a wide-range of legislative initiatives to rescue the nations economy, FDR then had to combat the rise of fascism abroad, eventually dragging a reluctant, isolationist nation into the doldrums of a world war. 

On this day 246 years ago, the Declaration of Independence was presented by the Continental Congress, officially severing all ties between the 13 American colonies and Great Britain. The Declaration, written mostly by Virginian Thomas Jefferson, espoused the enlightenment ideals set-forth by the enlightenment philosopher John Locke, and affirmed the 13 British colonies were, henceforth, to be considered “free and independent States.” The Declaration served as a rallying cry for The fledgling American cause, but it's passage on July 4, 1776, was anything but certain, and by early July, it's fate still remained up in the air as pro-independence Congressmen worked diligently in the days and hours leading up to the vote on independence to ensure the Declarations ultimate success. 

The general-turned-president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, served during a remarkable transition in American history. After emerging victorious from the Second World War, the United States found itself as a global superpower charged with preserving and protecting the fragile peace won during the war against Soviet aggression. After almost seven years of Harry Truman, Americans placed their faith in the general that had steered them to victory in the war, and charged him with continuing the booming economy that had begun elevating many Americans to new-found wealth and prosperity. As president, Ike would serve as his own man, often bucking party authority, and endeavoring to promote policies beneficial to ALL Americans. 

The Supreme Court wasn't always the powerful third branch of government it is today. In the Courts early years, individuals rarely wanted to serve on the Court, and the institution itself had vague, Ill-defined powers. It wasn't until the appointment of John Marshall as Chief Justice in 1801 that the Courts power and role as the final arbiter of constitutional questions began, and the concept of judicial review was established. 

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt has become one of the most influential and well-known presidents to ever hold office. Coming to power after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901, Roosevelt embarked upon a crusade to transform the very foundations of American society by fighting against the massive corporate monopolies controlling American business and working to improve the lives and working conditions of ordinary Americans. His efforts at reform would largely pay-off, and his determination to conserve the nations natural resources would pave the way for conservation-centered legislation for years to come. 

William McKinley is one of the most overlooked presidents in US history. But his five years in office helped shape the modern United States as it entered the twentieth century, and for the first time, expanded beyond the borders of North America, inaugurating a period of what would become known as the imperial presidency. McKinley's affable nature in dealing with both friends and foes in Congress, combined with his determination, political astuteness, and decisive decision making, helped shape the office of president and laid a foundation for the modern presidency that future presidents would follow throughout the first half of the century. 

Serving during the height of Reconstruction, Ulysses Grant fought admirably to bring the nation back together in an effort to fulfill his campaign slogan: let us have peace. But ultimately, Grants efforts would be largely forgotten amidst an array of political scandals committed by the men and associates around him, marring an otherwise successful president that helped bridge the gap between the Civil War and the Gilded Age. 

Harry Truman ascended to the presidency in the wake of Franklin Roosevelt's death in 1945. Over the next seven years, Truman would be faced with the daunting challenges of transitioning a massive wartime economy back to a peacetime footing in addition to confronting a hostile Congress determined to roll back the programs of FDRs New Deal. Overseas, Truman would have to confront the growing threat of communism and deter an expansionist-minded Soviet Union from shattering the hard-won peace established on the European continent. 

Thomas Jefferson's election as president in 1800 became the first time in American history power was peacefully transferred from one political party to another. Over his  eight years as president, Jefferson would roll-back a majority of Federalist policies and restore the nation to, what he believed, were its limited-government roots. But tensions with France and Great Britain would subsequently lead to a disastrous trade embargo that would leave the nations economy reeling in the final year of Jefferson's presidency, and set the stage for war with Great Britain just a few years later. 

James Monroe was one of the most qualified men to ever serve as president. His eight years in office marked the beginning of a new, broader American foreign policy within the Western Hemisphere,  and witnessed the transformation of the country from a young republic to a confident, established nation. 

James K. Polk achieved more success in one term as president then most presidents have in two. But after expanding the nations borders all the way to the Pacific Ocean, Polk voluntarily stepped aside, leaving less-qualified men to try and steer the ship-of-state through the turbulent years of the 1850s.  

One of the most controversial figures in American history, Andrew Jackson's rise to fame was unprecedented. Rising from orphaned teenager to military hero, Jackson cultivated the image of a man of the people and used it to catapult him into the presidency in 1828, inaugurating a period that would become known as the Age of Jackson. 

John Adams was elected as America's second president in 1796 and was given the unenviable task of trying to fill the shoes of George Washington. Though Adams was able to achieve a high degree of success in foreign policy, his domestic policies, notably the Alien and Sedition Act, doomed his chances at a second term. 

John F. Kennedy's election sparked hope that a "new frontier" had dawned for the United States. But after navigating the country through multiple foreign crisis, mostly with regards to Cuba, JFK's life, and presidency, was tragically cut short, thrusting the nation into the grips of the tumultuous 1960s. 

George Bush came into office with expectations he would carry on the legacy of the Ronald Reagan. But despite significant foreign policy successes, domestically, economic worries would prove too costly for Bush to overcome. 

Why is Washington, D.C. not a state? And how did the city that became our nations capital come to be? 

Ronald Reagan ushered in a new era of American conservatism, changing the face and identity of the Republican Party and American government. Click here to check out Buzzsprouts podcast opportunities!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=934867

Bill Clinton's eight years in office established a period of economic prosperity and redefined America's role in a post-Cold War world.Click here to check out Buzzsprouts podcast opportunities!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=934867

This Thanksgiving weekend, I decided to release the first Topics in History episode, explaining the intent and origins behind the Electoral College,  and why it's still relevant today. Click here to check out Buzzsprouts podcast opportunities!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=934867

Woodrow Wilson's two terms in office saw the largest expansion of executive power and oversight since Lincoln. From banking reform to expanded rights for workers, Wilson's New Freedom agenda expanded the governments role in peoples lives more so than at any other point, and laid the ground work for Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal in the 1930s. Click here to check out Buzzsprouts podcast opportunities!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=934867

Riding into office on a promise of “hope and change”, Barack Obama's two terms in office failed to deliver on either. Click here to check out Buzzsprouts podcast opportunities! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=934867

Grover Cleveland became the first Democrat elected to the White House following the Civil War, and the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms. But the public image of Cleveland as an honest public crusader may have been exaggerated, and behind the scenes, Cleveland harbored secrets his enemies were all to willing to use against him. Click here to check out Buzzsprouts podcast opportunities!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=934867

From helping to write the Constitution to leading the nation through its first war, James Madison was an intellectual giant in his time, and brings us into the top 20 of my rankings. 

Calvin Coolidge, or “Silent Cal” as he was known, was another accidental president saddled with the sins and failed policies of his predecessor. But Coolidge would emerge from the shadow of the Harding years and prove to be a capable leader in his own right, steering the United States through a period of unprecedented economic prosperity. 

Chester Arthur was not supposed to become president.  But following the death of President James Garfield in 1881, the Republican Stalwart Arthur suddenly found himself in the highest office in the land. But despite being a product of the spoils system himself, Arthur would go his own direction and support reform efforts to bring to a close the system of corruption that helped define the Gilded Age of American politics. 

Herbert Hoover is mostly remembered as the president who did nothing to avert or abate the effects of the Great Depression. Elected in 1928, Hoover's one term in office would be defined by high unemployment, bread lines, and the complete paralysis of the US economy, leading to a surge of resentment towards Republican fiscal policies, and the rise of a relatively unknown governor from New York, who would promise a “new deal” for the American people in 1932. 

Zachary Taylor's brief time in the White House came at a turning point in the countries history. With the US victorious in its war with Mexico, new territories were added to the Union, reigniting the contentious issue of slavery. Taylor, a slave owner, but also a nationalist, believed slavery should not be extended into the West, but also believed the president lacked any authority to interfere with what he deemed a “state issue.” 

As the first accidental president in American history, Tyler's administration was hindered from the start from a perceived lack of legitimacy.  His stubborn refusal to work with Whig Party leaders only further estranged Tyler from the party, preventing him from enjoying any meaningful accomplishments during his four years in office. 

This supplemental episode to episode 1.6 briefly discussed Martin Van Buren's Vice President, Richard Mentor Johnson, and the controversy surrounding him during the Election of 1836. 

Martin Van Buren could be considered America's first political science. Through his efforts the Democratic Party was born and emerged as the dominant political party of the mid-19th century. But Van Buren's one term as president was rocked by financial turmoil, which doomed any chance the "Little Magician" had at winning a second term in office.  

Millard Fillmore's two years as president brought the nation into the turbulent and transformative decade of the 1850s. Though effectual in staving off civil war for another ten years, Fillmore's time in office was largely uneventful and left no significant lasting impact on the nation. 

Warren Harding's promise of a “return to normalcy” helped usher in a decade of economic prosperity in the post-war United States. But scandals, combined with a general unwillingness to lead on important issues, ultimately doomed Harding's presidency to irrelevancy in the annals of American history. Click here to check out Buzzsprouts podcast opportunities!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=934867

Franklin Pierce's inaction and failure to lead as president in the mid-1850s helped propel the nation closer to civil war. Click here to check out Buzzsprouts podcast opportunities!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=934867

If not for Andrew Johnson, James Buchanan would easily rank as America's worst president. From his tacit support for southern slave owners to his failure to exert any kind of executive leadership on the eve of the civil war, Buchanan failed to live up to the expectations of the presidency, which not only doomed his legacy but the nation as well. Click here to check out Buzzsprout podcast opportunities!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=934867

How do you become the worst president in U.S. history? Obstructing civil rights legislation for newly freed African Americans and pandering to ex-Confederate leaders, all while earning the contempt of a majority of Congress is a good way to start.  And that's exactly what Andrew Johnson would do in the years following the civil war, leading to the first ever impeachment of a U.S. president.