Potus - the People's Leaders

Countries are mere land until someone breathes life into it. We the people form the identity of a country and transform barren land, into a home for many. When a common man imagines a country, he finds himself amidst the memories he spent with the people who reside there. Similarly, a population gets to be known through their leader who is honored as the first person of the country. He/She is not anyone else but a representative of all the men and women in the nation. 

Long back, the world had kings and queens ruling them. Slowly things transitioned and people believed their leader should be their choice. Thus, democracy paved its way too many big countries. The United States of America had its first election on 15 December 1788, and George Washington became the first officially elected president. From then on, there have been 45 presidents of the United States, and there have been several unique changes that took place during their reign. The latest president being Donald Trump, who succeeded Barack Obama. The next elections are around the corner, and the country is moving towards a new and the 46th president of the country. 

George Washington

George Washington was the first president of the United States. Washington remains to be the first and only president who did not belong to a political party. He served as the commander-in-chief of the continental army during the American revolution. His skills and political views played a huge role in boosting the morale of the army and ultimately reaching a win. Washington refused to continue his term for the third time, even after his win, which later became a rule in the 22nd amendment. He is the most influential president till date, as many of his devised rules and laws have been functioning till date. They have proved victorious in the test of time. Washington sought farewell after 20 years of his service to the country. His farewell speech is considered as one of the most important documents in American History. 

John Adams

John Adams was the second president, and the first head of the government to reside in the White House. He played a significant role in administering the American Revolutionary War. Adams was often referred to as the "One-man war Department".

Adams' stubborn nature and love for his country were instrumental in making the Treaty of Paris possible. The Quasi-War was brought to a peaceful end by him alone. A prominent political author, he was behind the informative ‘A Defense of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America (1787)’. 

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was the primary cause of the appointment of the slave trade in the country. He was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Founder of the 'University of Virginia', he drafted the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom guaranteeing the US citizens their right to religion. His presidency saw the establishment of the United States Military Academy and the US territory got doubled through the Louisiana Purchase. 

James Madison

James Madison is considered the father of the constitution. The constitution that was crafted by Madison has been a universal model and people often refer to the constitution to learn about how a nation gets to work. Madison also drafted the Bill of Rights, which provided personal freedoms and rights and prescribed the limitations of the government’s power in all fields. 

James Monroe

The James Monroe presidency is known as the era of good feelings. He worked towards national unity and always tried to keep the citizens happy and in their best place. The treaty of 1818 was signed under his presidency that improved the US relations with the UK and Canada. The biggest act under his presidency was the Monroe Doctrine, which revolutionized foreign policies. The Doctrine stated that colonization of American states would be viewed as acts of aggression and the US would intervene, written by John Quincy Adams. 

John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams served as the US ambassador to several nations under different presidencies. Known for his vocal stance against the slave trade, John was one of the greatest secretaries of the state. He negotiated the Florida Purchase with Spain. His reign saw the country making the best out of the infrastructural projects and changing the look of the nation. The nullification crisis saw an end due to the help of Adams.

Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson remains to be one of the few presidents who led the country's most significant battles including the win against the British in the battle of New Orleans. The modern Democratic Party was formed under his primary guidance. The democracy that everyone once foresaw was a reality now. Embezzlement laws were reformed, and corruption came down substantially. His reign came to be known as the Age of Jackson. 

Martin Van Buren 

Martin Buren was one of the pillars who built The Modern Democratic Party as it is today. He was the craftsman behind the party. Having served in many positions from the New York Attorney General to The Senate of New York, Buren had a wide political career before becoming the president. His response to the Panic economic crisis is held high among economists to date. 

William Henry Harrison

William Henry was officially the president who served for the least number of days. He died 31 days into his presidency due to his deteriorating health conditions. Before assuming office, he participated in the 1794 Battle of Fallen Timbers, an American military victory that effectively ended the Northwest Indian War. 

John Tyler

John Tyler as a president met with a not so cooperating cabinet and his term was quite a challenging one. Yet, he did several reforms. He signed the Pre- Emption Act. His administration also ended the Seminole War in Florida. Before his retirement, he made Florida the 27th state. 

James Knox Polk

James K Polk led the US during the Mexican American war. Under his presidency, one-third of the US territory increased, and the US became a coast to coast nation. The Oregon Treaty was negotiated under his presidency. He increased the Anglo-American trade through economic reforms. He had set four major goals to achieve in his presidency and was successful in achieving all of them. 

Zachary Taylor 

Zachary was a war hero who was honored with the role of a president. He was one of the first leaders to oppose slavery and openly asked the people of California and New Mexico to draft their construction, believing they would be against slavery. He served in the army for 40 Years and stated that he does not fear death or offering death to people who created havoc. 

Millard Fillmore

Millard Fillmore studied law and was a teacher before getting into a political mission. He signed the Compromise of 1850 which kept the country away from any Civil War for 11 years. He abolished the slave trade in Columbia. And, California was admitted as a free state. The major accomplishment was opening Japan for trade. 

Franklin Pierce

Pierce was the youngest president to be elected until then. His most remarkable feat was the Gadsden purchase, which was done at 10 million dollars through which southern Arizona and New Mexico became part of the United States. But he was denied re-nomination even after insisting on it. 

James Buchanan 

James Buchanan was the 15th president of the United States. He was a Democrat well-endowed with legal knowledge and a good amount of knowledge but failed to bring his knowledge into implementation. He could not control the American Civil War from happening and handle the slavery crisis effectively. 

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln is one of the few leaders to become global leaders, inspiring people across borders. He is the only president to date to hold a patent. His presidency saw the establishment of the US Department of Agriculture. Income taxes and the ways university functioned were restructured. The issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation led to the abolishing of slavery in the United States. 

Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson's presidency was touted to be a challenging presidency and he was one of the few presidents to be impeached. He was constantly at disagreement with the Radical Republicans. He launched multiple rallies and speaking campaigns called the 'a swing around the circle'. The tour was later cited as unsuccessful. 

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses Grant tried his best to bring equality between the African Americans and others. He worked on several rights to protect them and elevate them socially. He destroyed the white supremacist organization Klu Klux Klan. His presidency saw the establishment of the United States Department of Justice and the nation's first National Park. He also initiated the influential Treaty of Washington.

Rutherford Birchard Hayes

Rutherford B Hayes withdrew the federal troops from Louisiana and South Carolina ending the Reconstruction era and retiring the South to home rule. He fought for equal and better rights, along with the protection of the blacks that saw results only years later under the rule of Chester A. Arthur. 

James Abram Garfield 

James Garfield was the only president who got elected to the presidency being a sitting member of the United States House of Representatives. He served as a president for only six and a half months. and was assassinated in office. He initially agreed with Radical Republican views on reconstruction, but later changed his views. 

Chester Alan Arthur 

Chester signed the Pendleton Civil Service Act that proposed that all federal jobs would be distributed based on merit rather than any sort of political connection. It prohibited compulsory political intervention in the ways people worked. He suspended Chinese immigration to the country for 10 years. He played a role in fighting fraud in the postal system and modernizing the Navy. 

Grover Cleveland

Grover Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms as a president. He came to be known as the 'veto-president' for smashing the power of the veto to gun down extravagant and special-privilege legislation. Before becoming the president, Cleveland served as the Mayor of Buffalo and the governor of New York. He strengthened the defenses and modernized the Navy. 

William McKinley 

William McKinley won the presidential elections by the largest margin in 25 years. Leading the country to a decisive victory in the Spanish-American War, and the ultimate start of the US intervention in global issues. He introduced the Dingley Tariff, which established security over the domestic industry. The Gold Standard Act was signed, which made gold the only standard for redeeming paper money. 

Theodore Roosevelt 

Roosevelt is the first American president to be honored with the Nobel Peace Prize. He was honored for successfully bringing the Russo - Japanese war to an end. He remains to be the first president who made nature conservation and the issues faced by nature a major national concern. He established several reserves and national forests. He curbed adulteration in the country to a great extent. 

William Howard Taft

William Taft is the only president to date, who has served as the Chief Justice as well. He was instrumental in bringing antitrust laws that benefited the customers and made the manufacturers and sellers aware of being truthful in the business. The postal savings system was established under his presidency.

Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow is also a proud recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He was honored for his contributions to the League of Nations. His presidency saw the establishment of the Federal Reserve, federal trade commission, the passing of the Clayton Antitrust Act, and the implementation of Nationwide Women's Suffrage. 

Warren G. Harding 

Warren Harding was a pro-business president. His norms and policies reformed the ways trade worked. He reduced the taxes, enacted high protective tariffs and immigration was limited. He made an exceptionally well-learned cabinet with people belonging to different fields, which later proved to be fatal. 

Calvin Coolidge

Coolidge left his prosperous career as a lawyer to serve the nation politically. His era came to be known as the Roaring Twenties when economic prosperity was at its best. His laws boosted the economy by many folds. He granted citizenship to Native Americans. The Dawes Plan solved the German Reparation. He also established the Federal Radio Commission. 

Herbert Hoover 

Herbert Hoover is the only president who became famous for his humanitarian acts and that paved way for his political career. He helped men and women come out of starvation during and after the First World War. He placed child healing and their well-being on the government's agenda and made it a national duty for everyone. A famous conservationist, he brought about changes in the Prison norms that were never given importance previously. He was partly responsible for the UNICEF creation. 

Franklin Delano Roosevelt 

Franklin is the longest-serving president who ruled the nation for four continuous terms. He is rated amongst the favorite presidents by the countrymen. Bringing the country out of the Great Depression was the biggest challenge he faced as he came to office and Franklin proved successful in doing so by the New Deal. After leading the Allied to victory in the Second World War, Roosevelt was one of the main people behind the United Nations. 

Harry S Truman

The 33rd president has been known as the best internationalist policymaker. His policies have benefited the neighboring countries along with making the foreign ties of the country better. He is touted as the man who put an end to the prevailing racial discrimination in the United States Armed Forces. He made it illegal to discriminate against people in the civil service based on race. 

Dwight D Eisenhower 

Dwight founded NASA in 1958, a president who was keen on warfare and science expeditionary. Dwight led the allied forces to victory in World War 2. He also threatened nuclear attacks to end the Korean war. The first significant civil rights enactment was passed. Health, education, and welfare prospered in his presidency gaining him the honor of one of the greatest presidents in the state. 

John F. Kennedy 

John F Kennedy is the youngest ever president elected. His reforms played the biggest role in bringing back the economy to normal after the recession. The Peace Corps was established under his rule. The partial nuclear ban also saw the daylight under his reform. The equal pay act was signed under his rule, along with the initiation of equal rights for the African Americans of the country. 

Lyndon B Johnson

Lyndon B Johnson is usually ranked among the top 10 American presidents and touted to be the most controversial president. He was appointed just after the assassination of John Kennedy. He transitioned his teaching career into a very amazing political career becoming a civil rights hero. 

Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon initiated the era of better relations with China. He helped reduce tensions between the US and the Soviet Union and ended US involvement in the Vietnam War. The environmental protection agency was established and made a significant contribution to energy consumption. 

Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford is the president who served the least number of days in the office. His reign lasted for only a total of 895 days. His economic policies ended the US recession and the rate of inflation decreased by more than half. The net farm income reached a record high under his presidency. 

Jimmy Carter 

Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the year 2002 for his work to establish proper Human Rights. He negotiated peace amongst the neighbors and averted any conflicts. He established the Carter Center to advance Human Rights and alleviate human suffering. He was also keen on energy consumptions and the US Department of energy was established. 

Ronald Reagan

Ronald became the president when the US was suffering from huge inflation and unemployment. He provided the nation with proper reforms along with optimism that boosted the spirits of the citizens. His economic policy came to be known as "Reaganomics", which led to one of the biggest peaceful economic regimes ever in the US. His Reagan Doctrine changed the way cold wars functioned then. 

George Herbert Walker Bush 

George Bush served as the youngest Navy pilot in the second world war before becoming the president. The biggest democratic policy that he signed was the landmark Americans with disabilities act in 1990. NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed under his presidency. Bush was awarded the presidential award for freedom in the year 2011.

Bill Clinton 

Bill Clinton brought about various educational reforms. He believed education is the key to success and helped students achieve all the resources by making higher education affordable and expanding access to technology. He regulated the growing crime through the largest crime bill in US history. Clinton was felicitated with the presidential medal of freedom in 2013. His reign also saw a significant drop in unemployment and poverty rates. 

George W Bush

George Bush made Texas the leading producer of wind-powered electricity in the US while serving as the governor. The Patriotic Act was proposed under his rule strengthening national security. He improved US relations with various nations and waged a war against global terrorism. Genetic Discrimination was prohibited by Bush and he went on to do several healthcare and educational reforms in the country. Bush was awarded the order of the star of Romania. 

Barack Obama

Barack Obama is one of the most famous and loved presidents of all time. He became the first African American president of the country. During the time he took over the office, the country was under an economic depression and Obama did the necessary reforms to bring about a change. His presidency saw the drop in unemployment and poverty rates and decreased the number of people who did not have insurance. The Obama administration quadrupled the use of solar and wind energy usage. The most important milestone is touted to be the killing of the Al-Qaeda terrorist, Osama Bin Laden in 2011. Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

Donald Trump 

Donald Trump is the current president of the state. He has been one of the most controversial presidents of all time. As of now, Trump has installed a total of 50 judges. He has also signed a 738 billion USD defense spending bill, officially making the Space Force the sixth force in existence. He has reformed the tax by signing the Republican tax bill. Currently, his term is nearing an end and the next elections are just around the corner. 

A country’s prosperity and progress depend highly on the leader whom the people have chosen as their representative. But it also is the responsibility of the citizens to exercise their rights properly, especially voting rights and electing the right person of their choice.