In honor of President's day, I thought it would be fun to reflect back on American history and instead of focusing on the bad, focus on the good things that presidents have done for our great nation.
However, instead of going through all 45 presidents, I want to go through my six favorite presidents and the reasons why they are my favorites.
So, without further ado, in no particular order, these are my six favorite presidents:
Ronald Reagan.
Ronald Reagan was my dad's favorite president, so I grew up hearing all about him. I know that he's not necessarily a favorite among all Americans, but he holds a special place in my heart because he's my dad's hero.
Reagan was president from 1981 to 1989 and was a Republican. He ended the Cold War by pushing his Strategic Defense Initiative which eventually leads to the collapse of the Soviet Union, therefore, ending the Cold War. His tax cuts lead to an economic boost that lasted a long time.
John F. Kennedy.
JFK, while his presidency was tragically cut short, is also one of my favorite presidents. He was the first and only Catholic President, which, as a Catholic, is super cool to me. He also was the only president to win a Purple Heart and is credited with starting the Peace Corp.
Kennedy was president between 1961 and 1963 and was a Democrat. He took the U.S. economy out of a recession through his tax reforms. JFK, also, avoided nuclear warfare through negotiations with the Soviet Union. Kennedy fought for the Civil Rights Act and spent the end of his life trying to pass it through Congress.
Barack Obama.
Barack Obama is the first president I can remember being inaugurated. To me, he was a special guy because I looked up to him and his family from the time I was eight until sixteen which was a time where my own political opinions were developing. He was the first African-American president and an advocate for gay rights.
Obama was President from 2009 to 2017. He was a Democrat. During his terms as president, the leader of the terrorist group, al-Qaeda, was killed. Obama helped to create a nuclear program agreement with Iran and, also, lifted the embargo on Cuba, opening up diplomatic relations with them. He ended the 2008 Recession through cutting certain taxes, extending unemployment benefits, and funding public works projects.
Lyndon B. Johnson.
LBJ was Kennedy's Vice President who became president after his assassination in 1963. He wanted to have a new way of life. He called it the Great Society, where everyone would be treated equally and have equal opportunity for success in life.
LBJ was president from 1963 to 1969, he was from the democratic party. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was arguably his most important piece of legislation passed while he was in office. This act made acts of segregation illegal. He signed the Voting Rights Act which insured the rights of all voters.
Abraham Lincoln.
Abraham Lincoln was the president during the Civil War. He is known for leading the Union to victory against the Confederacy ultimately mending the United States back into a single country again.
Lincoln was president from 1861 to 1865. He was part of the Republican party. During his terms as president, Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation where he ordered to free the slaves. This didn't free the slaves but helped to pass the 13th Amendment which did free the slaves. Lincoln also gave the Gettysburg Address which is considered to be one of the greatest speeches in American history.
Theodore Roosevelt.
In my opinion, Teddy Roosevelt is by far the coolest president. He is the youngest president, yet he wasn't elected president. He became president after McKinley was killed. Roosevelt took on large corporations and established five National Parks. He was also the first American to earn a brown belt in Judo.
Roosevelt was president from 1901 to 1909. During his presidency, he passed the Meat Inspection Act which helped to regulate the food being put into the market. Roosevelt, also, incorporated his Square Deal into his presidency which worked to help the middle class while still allowing American business to be free.
