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.

Greatest American President? single choice
	George Washington
	Abraham Lincoln
	Franklin Roosevelt
Votes accepted starting: 12/31/69 08:00 PM You must vote before you can view the results of this poll.

You can make a good argument for any of the three ones listed, as well as a few others. The more I think about it, however the true greatness of Washington was that he quit after two terms, and started a precedent that contininued until FDR, and then was written into the constitution.

If you look at many democracies that got off to a good start, they ended up failing because the first president decided he was indispensible and turned into a dictator. Washington's greatness was that he saw the constitutional system was bigger than he, and he did not seek a third term. Had he done so, I think history would be very different, and we may have lost our constitutional system more than a century ago.

Certainly I agree with you dontom. Besides, people do forget that after the American Revolution ended in 1782/1783, a large number of American military officers demanded for the Continental Congress to finally pay up on the long-unpaid salaries of theirs, many of which planned to march to the capital(Philadelphia, I believe) and force "payment"...at gunpoint.

While Washington understood them, he of course realized what a terrible event this would be for the future of American democracy. With that, he had a private meeting with those officers, and without naming names, pleaded for them to not conduct such actions. Though reportedly, what convinced them was not the message itself, but Washington trying to read this letter from Congress to them that they will be paid "quite soon", he asked them to bear with him for his eyesight was failing, and took out his eyeglasses. That caused many of those officers, working with Washington for years, to tear up in their eyes. So possibly, Washington averted a possibly military coup and thus set an awful precedent from his sheer personality and love that his fellow people had for him.

I would dig to hear anymore thoughts from everyone...

I would choose FDR, because of the way he tought about economy.

What's about W. Wilson? How's he considered by the Americans?

None of those so I didn't vote!

Franklin Roosevelt?
Sorry, you guys probably know more about US presidents than I do, but wasnt his name Theadore Roosavelt?

You really need to stick to screwing up "The Godfather" character's names.

Who me?

I voted for George (the original "W").

He led the country well during its infancy and all other presidencies are measured against his.

Its interesting to note that of these three, two were wartime presidents and the third made his rep during another war.

George W. Bush

Although few will realize this until the historians prove it 50 years from now.

Apple

I must have missed his name when I read the poll.

FDR, hands down.

Then who?

Franklin D. Roosevelt

I'll say Lincoln, although Washington would also be an excellent choice.

Yea, I really love having a multi-billion dollar social security system that I will pay into for my entire working career and then never get a dime of. FDR was really a genius for coming up with that!

I also can't say I'm a fan of a racist like Woodrow Wilson, although I'm not sure what others might think.

George Washington

He's one of the underrated presidents but his legacy suffers the stigma of his intense racsim.

For a man that had a Ph.D in history, Wilson reportedly claimed that the quite racist southern-revisionistic BIRTH OF A NATION to be "history written in lightning". Not one of his better moments. :rolleyes:

Still, impressive with ideas that nations practice today, from his advocacy of Free Trade to Open Negotiations to of course the League of Nations.....

Yeh, because FDR totally predicted the baby boomer generation.

I voted for Lincoln, although George Washington is a close second.

Then who? [/b][/quote]Ronald Reagan!

What does it tell you Iceman when most such experts...even conservative....all agree on the Greatest of Greats?

Besides, there isn't a choice in democracy...

I don't care what those so-called experts say. As far as I'm concerned Ronald Reagan is the greatest president ever. Since he wasn't an option that's why I chose not to vote.

No excuse young man!

Funny enough, Reagan's personal role model as President was FDR....come on, vote one more for the Gipper!

There were two presidents who featured the last name of Roosevelt, and they were related.

Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th President, from 1901 (after President McKinley's assassination) until 1909.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, fifth cousin to Theodore (whom Franklin desired to emulate), was the 32nd President, from 1933 up to his death during his unprecedented fourth term in 1945, and someone who I would argue to be, despite his physical handicap, one of the greatest Presidents of all-time.

That being said, I'd also have TR in my Top 10 as well, if not my Top 5, depending on the breaks.

With regards to related Presidents, we've also had two Harrison's (William Henry & Benjamin), two Adam's (father John & son John Quincy), and two Bush's (father George Herbert & son George Walker).

Non-related duplicates are the Johnsons.

What, no votes from DoubleJ? I know Reagan wasn't on the ballot, but COME ON!

The greatness of all three was established by their success under very trying circumstances. But Lincoln gets my nod because he triumphed in the greatest crisis in our history. He entered office in the most weakened conditions of any president; was constantly underminded by his party and his cabinet officers; constantly pushed to compromise; constantly set back by poor generals. Yet he maintained undeviating focus on saving the Union. A very great man.

I'd have to go with Washington, mostly because he serves as the prime example to whom all others are compared.