Chapter 12

 

1.     What makes a great President (not which Presidents have been great) . . . what qualities are essential to greatness?

 I think anyone who runs for the highest office in the land should first and foremost be honest. I think they should also be patriotic and love their country. They should always want the best for the people. Why? The entire United
States relies on the President to do what is right for them and if he is not honest and doesn’t love our country he would not be a very good candidate for that job.

2.     Other than Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, which two Presidents have been the greatest and why?

I think I would have to say our 32^nd President, Franklin Roosevelt and our 43^rd President, George W. Bush. They both were in office at very difficult periods in our nation’s history. President Roosevelt worked hard to pull our country out of a horrible depression and he found ways to put people back to work and put food on their tables. President Bush was in office during 911 and I think he handled it with grace and confidence. I will never forget his speeches in the aftermath. I was very proud to be an American during that period.

3. Research a President that you're previously unfamiliar with - list at least three things you learned. Was this President effective? Why or why not?

I chose our 6^th president, John Quincy Adams. I have never really thought very much about him but he did do some pretty amazing things. He raised taxes even though some people did not like it and he used the money to create and improve roads. Since travel was mostly by boat at that time he proposed that the Federal Government bring our country together with a network of roads and canals and, he was responsible for the 185-mile C & 0 Canal. He also started the national bank and established a National University because he wanted our country to take a lead in the development of the arts and sciences.

Also posted on Robert Cook and Jesse Griffith (awaiting 3rd person)