Bourbon and History

At long last we have arrived at the top president in the presidential rankings! As America’s first president, Washington faced the monumental task of forming the nation’s new federal government, and establishing the norms and customs surrounding the new office of the president. 
But aside from nation building, Washington faced critical tests in both foreign and domestic policy; tests that would coincide with the growing rise of partisanship during the 1790s and threaten to destroy everything Washington and the nation’s founders had worked to achieve. 

Undoubtedly, Abraham Lincoln was one of Americas greatest presidents. From his dirt-poor upbringings, Lincoln would rise in Illinois state politics to become a U.S. Congressmen in 1847. After sparring with Senator Stephen Douglas in the 1858 Illinois Senate race, Lincoln would go on to become the moderate choice for the newly formed Republican Party in 1860, where he would win in a heated election, and be forced to grapple with a crisis unprecedented in the country’s history. 

As the nations longest serving president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, or FDR, was forced to tackle the monumental task of rescuing the country from the depths of the Great Depression. After enacting a wide-range of legislative initiatives to rescue the nations economy, FDR then had to combat the rise of fascism abroad, eventually dragging a reluctant, isolationist nation into the doldrums of a world war. 

On this day 246 years ago, the Declaration of Independence was presented by the Continental Congress, officially severing all ties between the 13 American colonies and Great Britain. The Declaration, written mostly by Virginian Thomas Jefferson, espoused the enlightenment ideals set-forth by the enlightenment philosopher John Locke, and affirmed the 13 British colonies were, henceforth, to be considered “free and independent States.” The Declaration served as a rallying cry for The fledgling American cause, but it’s passage on July 4, 1776, was anything but certain, and by early July, it’s fate still remained up in the air as pro-independence Congressmen worked diligently in the days and hours leading up to the vote on independence to ensure the Declarations ultimate success. 

The general-turned-president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, served during a remarkable transition in American history. After emerging victorious from the Second World War, the United States found itself as a global superpower charged with preserving and protecting the fragile peace won during the war against Soviet aggression. 
After almost seven years of Harry Truman, Americans placed their faith in the general that had steered them to victory in the war, and charged him with continuing the booming economy that had begun elevating many Americans to new-found wealth and prosperity. As president, Ike would serve as his own man, often bucking party authority, and endeavoring to promote policies beneficial to ALL Americans. 

The Supreme Court wasn’t always the powerful third branch of government it is today. In the Courts early years, individuals rarely wanted to serve on the Court, and the institution itself had vague, Ill-defined powers. It wasn’t until the appointment of John Marshall as Chief Justice in 1801 that the Courts power and role as the final arbiter of constitutional questions began, and the concept of judicial review was established. 

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt has become one of the most influential and well-known presidents to ever hold office. Coming to power after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901, Roosevelt embarked upon a crusade to transform the very foundations of American society by fighting against the massive corporate monopolies controlling American business and working to improve the lives and working conditions of ordinary Americans. His efforts at reform would largely pay-off, and his determination to conserve the nations natural resources would pave the way for conservation-centered legislation for years to come. 

William McKinley is one of the most overlooked presidents in US history. But his five years in office helped shape the modern United States as it entered the twentieth century, and for the first time, expanded beyond the borders of North America, inaugurating a period of what would become known as the imperial presidency. McKinley’s affable nature in dealing with both friends and foes in Congress, combined with his determination, political astuteness, and decisive decision making, helped shape the office of president and laid a foundation for the modern presidency that future presidents would follow throughout the first half of the century. 

Serving during the height of Reconstruction, Ulysses Grant fought admirably to bring the nation back together in an effort to fulfill his campaign slogan: let us have peace. 
But ultimately, Grants efforts would be largely forgotten amidst an array of political scandals committed by the men and associates around him, marring an otherwise successful president that helped bridge the gap between the Civil War and the Gilded Age.