The Presidents Ranked by Historians

[anvi]

Lincoln was surely our country's greatest president, with Washington and FDR following him.  I generally agree with the sentiment that Kennedy is an overrated president, although his maneuvering of the country and world through the Cuban Missle Crisis was obviously his greatest acheivement.  Truman was truly a great president for many reasons; bringing the second World War to a successful conclusion, recognizing correctly the threat of the Soviet Union and positioning the United States on strong footing for the Cold War by advocating the Marshall Plan and holding ground against Soviet advances, and especially for desegregating the military in the face of powerful political opposition.  I'm a little baffled by the high ranking James Polk gets on some lists.  Granted he acquired more territory for the United States than any president in history, but he did it through a war of aggression, and his administration eventually opposed the Wilmont Proviso in congress, which would have prevented slavery from expanding into the new southern and western states, and then they stood in favor of extending the Missouri Compromise.  To me, Polk represents as much of a failure of American ideals as Truman represents a protection of them.  Thumbs down on Polk.