Ranking The Presidents

Ranking The Presidents

by Bryan Fox

Creating a ranking of any kind usually sparks passions and debates. For years, historians have debated on ranking the presidents. While many historians agree on a few of the usual suspects, many have disagreed on the order and who belongs at the top of this iconic lists. For some, their personal political leanings influence who makes the top of their list. At any rate, ranking the presidents are always interesting. Personally, every president leaves being 1 or 2 legacies whether they be good or bad. Some presidents have had the fortunes (or misfortunes) of events that occurred during their time in office while others cemented their legacies themselves.Without further ado, here is a list we feel are the top 10 best presidents. We based this on their lasting legacies, accomplishments, and popularity during their times in office. Call this ranking the presidents 2.0.

1. Abraham Lincoln-With the nation only being about 85 years old, his leadership saved the union from permanent separation. You can credit him for being the reason we are the United States from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. By pardoning the Confederacy, Lincoln was able to bring the country together like no one could imagine after a brutal civil war.

2. Theodore Roosevelt-You might be surprised to see him this high on the list; even before his second cousin (see #3). But during his time as president, Americans saw the building of the Panama Canal and breaking of the trusts. The reason why we have so many national parks and forests that still exists today is because of his efforts to preserve them.

3. Franklin Roosevelt-FDR came into office at the worse economic crisis in the countries history. Of course, I’m referring to The Great Depression. Out of this came FDR’s New Deal, which at the time helped people get jobs and it created the social security system we still have today. FDR showed great leadership during the second war as well. He will forever be the only president elected 4 times to the office.

4. George Washington-Being labeled “The Father Of Our Country” will get you some points. But during his time in office, he was more than a figurehead. Jay’s Treaty was a huge accomplishment as it kept the young nation out of war and resolved past issues between the United States and Britain. Washington also set the precedent of only serving two terms. A precedent that held for over 130 years.

5. Harry Truman-He dropped the bomb. But he did much more than that during his time in office. He also signed into law The Marshall Plan which greatly aided in rebuilding Europe after World War 2.

6. James Polk-Dark horse on the list. In his 1 terms as POTUS, Polk gained the Oregon territory by threatening to go to war with Britain. Britain didn’t want war, but a compromise was made so the U.S. present-day Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. He did go to war with Mexico in which the states of Texas, New Mexico, and California were gained as a result of that war.

7. Ronald Reagan-Call him the father of modern conservatism. During Reagan’s time, the country saw a period of prosperity. He will still be best know for ending the Cold War by bringing the Soviets to its knees and basically bankrupting them. He was so well-liked that he carried 49 states when he won re-election.

8. Woodrow Wilson-You don’t like paying income taxes? This is the guy to blame. No matter how unpopular, the income tax still exists. Wilson also had the idea of The League of Nations. While it never panned out, it would be considered a prelude to The United Nations. Wilson also showed leadership when the country was brought into World War 1.

9. Dwight Eisenhower-Sure glad we have the interstates. “Ike” was the one who brought this idea to America. Also, NASA was created under his administration. Both of these accomplishments remain in use today.

10. James Monroe-President during “The Era of Good Feeling.” Monroe is best known for having a doctrine named after him. The Monroe Doctrine basically told Europe there will be no more colonization in the Western Hemisphere. Florida was also acquired by the U.S under his administration. Monroe was so popular during his day he didn’t even have an opponent when he ran for a second term.