Abraham Lincoln: What Makes A Great President?

Over the years we have associated certain presidents with the term “great”. How do we define greatness in the presidency? Arguably, one might suggest that the aspect of being considered a great president is a quality that comes from the individuals characteristics. Their moral beliefs and ethical standards. The way they live life, who they are as a person, and most importantly the choices they have to make as our president, is what makes them great. While others would say, that the pinnacle of their success, of their legacy, is all due to the significance of national and foreign events that transpired during their term in office. Shakespeare once said “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them”
(goodreads). I, for one believe that great presidents are not made over night. Their legacy is not the result of renowned events that took time over their course as Commander-in-chief. Personally, I think that these presidents were born for it. They were meant to lead our nation in the way they did. The decisions they had to make, whether right or wrong, proved to have greatly impacted society. Thus, forever claiming a title as one of the greatest to lead our nation. Let’s go into further detail as I explain how great presidents are not just the result of great times but rather, they are the result of their own achievements. To fully understand what makes a great president we need to look into the type hardships they were dealt with.
Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president is considered to have been a remarkable great overall man. Coming from a humble background, Lincoln was no stranger to honesty and integrity. He was a well-respected man who took pride in his work. His election of November 1860 was a huge win for the northern union states. Although not everyone was satisfied with his victory, it was marked the beginning of his legacy. While his inauguration hadn’t took place yet, seven states of the union had brought it upon themselves that it was the right time for them to secede from the union and form their own states known as; The Confederate States of America. This was not a welcoming idea for Lincoln, who believed that secession from the union was an illegal act of the constitution. Now faced with the decision of as to whether let these states divide the union and continue on their own path or step in and use his presidential power to declare their actions unconstitutional. With that, the civil war had begun. Clearly he was a man of good morals, distinguishing right from wrong. During the war he was under pressure from free black slaves in the north to end slavery and create an emancipation proclamation. Lincoln who was already against slavery, accusing it of contradicting the Declaration of Independence, went ahead with his own moral beliefs that “every man is created equal” and issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. And just like that “In a single stroke of his pen, Lincoln issued the most revolutionary measure ever to come from an American President up to that time” (Miller Center: University of Virginia). It was through his actions and selflessness that amounted to his great success as the nation’s president during the hardships of the times he was
facing. Franklin D. Roosevelt also known as one of the greatest presidents in our nation, faced difficult times during his term. The country was suffering from a devastating economic crisis known as the Great Depression. Poverty, starvation, and unemployment were the leading cause of the people’s struggles. How was Roosevelt going to regain the faith and trust of the American people? In his inaugural speech he reassured the people “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” (The White House: President Barack Obama). Through careful planning Roosevelt proposed the “New Deal”, a plan that would help stimulate the country’s economic crisis with the creation of jobs and regulation of the financial system. It was a huge boost to the recovery of the economy. He pushed congress to act swiftly and pass numerous bills through the legislature and it became known as his famous first “Hundred Days”. Although his new plan didn’t fully get us out of the depression, it was a slow recovery and a great effort by Roosevelt. One that proved him worthy of office power. By 1940 Roosevelt was re-elected into office because the American people believed in him and believed he could lead the country during great international affairs. On December 7, 1941, Japan had surprised America with a devastating blow, the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Now dealing with the U.S. as a full participant in the war he needed to act quickly to keep our country safe. With the war going on Roosevelt urged the people of America to help in the war efforts. The war contributed to the recovery of our economic crisis. It provided Americans with military jobs and helped the boost our industrialized economy. It was with his plans to help our economy recover and his “fireside radio chats”, which helped build a bond with the American people, that he became known as a great president. That brings us to George Washington, our first President. What made Washington such a great historical figure? How did he pave the way for future presidents?