Since the 1940s, historians and scholars have done occasional studies, surveys, and polls that ranked the Presidents from the Greatest of Greats to the "Failures"(in case you're wondering, they are Grant and Harding). People rise and fall over the years in such things, and shift inbetween tones of ideology(for example, many so-called "liberal" surveys would rate men like Kennedy quite high, while so-called "conservative" surveys would vote Reagan quite more highly than the "liberal" surveys).
HOWEVER, what has stayed constant from 1948 to a recent Wall Street Journal study in 2005 is the 3 considered "Greatest of Greats" of the American Presidency: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt.
The question I ask to fellow BB.Net History buffs and regular citizens is this: WHO is the Greatest American President? Some facts to consider:
George Washington (1789-1797)
*Commander-in-Cheif of the American revolutionary Continental Army, and despite many, and many, losses, his forces were able to fustrate the British for years before the triumphant victory over General Cornwallis in 1783 in a little town in Virginia called Yorktown. Interestingly, he was involved much earlier in the skirmish that started what would become the Seven Years War, or the French & Indian War to us Americans.
*Presided over the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that drew up what would be the American Constitution, still the longest-active serving national constitution in the world. As well, many of the document's creators designed the Presidency in the image of Washington, including the absolute powers of Commander-in-Cheif of American Armed Forces.
*Unanimously-elected as the first American President, and re-elected without any opposition four years later. Set many traditions and presidential quirks that still stand to this day, from the tradition of a two-term Presidency(done to allow the young democracy to last much more than just a personality-cult) to the presidential "Cabinet" and declared American neutrality in European and international wars and alliances, which stood as precident until the 1910s. The National capital is named after him, and even a state as well, the only President to have such a honor.
Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)
*Despite having only political elected office experience in that of the Illinois state legislature and one two-year term in U.S. Congress, he was well-respected and his reputation of humbleness, honesty, and virtue still stands over more than 140 years.
*When the Mexican-American War occured in the 1840s, a war provoked by the Americans and fought mostly to gain western territory for itself under "divine" right, Lincoln was among the few prominent American lawmakers who heavily protested this offensive. His moral ground against the war caused negative backlash against him by the patriotic majority of the country, and forced him to quit Congress after one term. A statue of him stands in Tijuana, Mexico because of this noble opposition.
*American President who was elected and inagurated at a time when the terrible American Civil War was in full effect. Almost 5% of the Northern population died from the conflict, btu through sturdy leadership, plus learning more from both mistakes and on general areas, he was able to triumph in 1865. Gained pure respect from former Republican partisan enemies that later encompassed his Cabinet.
*Interestingly, most believe now that Lincoln suffered from what we would term medical depression, as well as possibly the long-extended genetic limb disorder Marfan's Syndrome.
*Became an American martyr to many after his assasination. In fact, because he was seen by many as the human embodiment of "liberty", he became the first American to be portrayed on American coinage.
*Legendary speeches from the Gettysburg Address to his famous "Malice towards none" 2nd Inagural Speech.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945)
*While people do debate whatever his "New Deal" policies did solve the Great Depression, his administration did bring inspiration and hope in a time when 1 out of 3 Americans were unemployed. Only American President elected to 3 terms of office, much less 4.
*While American majority opposition was against intervention, FDR did keep close communications and aid with Churchill's England against the Nazi menace in Europe. With Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Allies were able to defeat the Nazi regime by 1945, and the Imperial Japanese as well, though the final end for both came after FDR's death in 1945.
*Nevermind that Roosevelt was wheelchair-bound cripple due to polio.
