The effectiveness of a president is often a metric in which we all determine our country's progress. A successful and well-performing president makes us believe the country will thrive. Effective presidents have a very deliberate and clear pathway for the way they want to guide their nation. They are fulfilled with significant concerns and challenges that help explain their goal in a way to help people understand how things stand and create trust in those agreements. One of the most important things to become a successful president is to have a clear overall understanding about American history.
One of the first few things to know about is, of course, the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence has particular importance for the people of America because that is what guided our freedom. It worked to help justify our right to rebel against a government that no longer guaranteed our rights and privileges to us. The Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. The Declaration plays a meaningful role in America today and in American history. Because of the words in this document, women are now treated in the same manner as men, and all races are treated in the same way. Some of the civil rights that have been passed may never have come to light without the terms of our founding fathers.
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Another characteristic that is important to know about American history is Franklin Roosevelt's Fireside chats, where he sparked the nation to battle through the Great Depression. Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in early 1933. He was the only president to be elected to four consecutive terms in American history. One of his most outstanding actions as president was to announce a bank holiday, a time that would close all banks until they were confirmed by federal inspection. “It was then that I issued the proclamation providing for the National Bank holiday, and this was the first step in the Government's reconstruction of our financial and economic fabric. I want to tell our citizens in every part of the Nation that the national Congress Republicans and Democrats alike showed by this action a devotion to public welfare and a realization of the emergency and the necessity for speed that it is difficult to match in all our history” (Franklin Roosevelt, 'Fireside Chats', 1933). Roosevelt called Congress to develop a different urgent banking laws to once again assist America's ailing financial institutions.
Every president should know to understand the importance of the Emancipation Proclamation. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. It helped the nation end slavery, including the 13th Amendment. “And by virtue of the power and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States and parts of States are, and henceforward shall be, free” (The Emancipation Proclamation, 1861). The Emancipation Proclamation has done more than bring the fight to the point of a human rights crusade. This brought some extraordinary practical results because it allowed black soldiers to be recruited by the Union. The 13th Amendment ended slavery in 1865. The 13th Amendment states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction”.
Andrew Jackson was America's most influential and polarizing political figure during the 1820s and 1830s. “In 1828, Jackson's board appeal as a military hero won him the presidency. He was 'Old Hickory', the 'Hero of New Orleans', a leader of plain frontier folk. His wartime accomplishments appealed to many voters' pride” (‘The American Yawp’, ‘The Rise of Andrew Jackson’). Jackson assumed that wealthy elites for their advantage controlled the bank. He felt it was cruel to the liking of the people. Going through many ways, Jackson ended up destroying the bank. “Andrew Jackson's bank veto was one of the most significant executive actions of the early nineteenth century” (Andrew Jackson, ‘Veto Message on Bank of the United States’, 1832). Another prominent figure in American History was John Brown. John Brown was a leading figure in the abolitionist movement during the Civil War. He wasn't a pacifist, unlike many anti-slavery protesters. He believed slaveholders and any government officials who encouraged them to act aggressively. “John Brown remains one of the most fiercely debated and enigmatic figures in American history... considered Brown a warrior-saint whose assaults on slavery represented the first crucial steps toward emancipation” (‘John Brown: Villain or Hero?’).
A significant event that ended World War II made such an impact on American history. The U.S. dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities in August 1945. The first was dropped over Hiroshima, and then days later was dropped over Nagasaki. President Truman foresees the development and use of nuclear power for control in the United States and as a power for the protection of world peace. Truman authorized the bomb because it appeared to offer the most assuring way to produce an American victory. “Dropping the bombs ended the war, saved lives, and gave the free nations a chance to face the facts” (Truman, ‘Reflections on the Atomic Bomb’, 1953).
In conclusion, a successful and well-performing president makes us believe the country will thrive. Effective presidents have a very deliberate and clear pathway for the way they want to guide their nation. Understanding American history will help with knowing how our country came together. I feel like these were some of the important people and events that helped make American the way it is today.
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