A Citizen’s Voice

The forgotten presidents

In honor of Presidents’ Day, instead of looking at current events, we will turn our gaze to the past. There have been 43 U.S. Presidents since the country’s government was formed. But how many does the normal American really know? Even if people were able to name every one, what knowledge would they truly have of that president? They were all citizens of the United States. There were some good and bad presidents; intelligent and not as brilliant ones; some are revered and some are hated, but they were all Americans.

It is really important to have knowledge of your history. As Patrick Henry said, “I know of no way to judge the future than by the past.” Of course, it is implausible to write about every president America has had, but there are three in particular whom I want to concentrate on. They are now relatively unknown, or only known for their bad qualities, but they shouldn’t be. They made a huge difference to our country, and they deserve to be remembered.

John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams, was our sixth president. He came into office surrounded by controversy. Although another candidate had received more electoral and popular votes than him, neither received enough electoral votes to become the chief. The issue was taken to the House of Representatives, where John Quincy Adams became president by a single vote.

During his term, Adams was known as a very moral man. He did not believe in the spoils system and, therefore, gave jobs to those whom he thought were best suited for the task. Thus, he lost his party’s support. He was given the nickname “Old Man Eloquent” because of his extraordinary speeches opposed to slavery. Adams also proposed an American System package that included roads, canals, a national university, astronomical observatories and other such ideas. Adams was one of the few who stood up to party pressure and did what he thought was right, rather than what was beneficial to him. His example should be admired and followed.

His successor was Andrew Jackson. Jackson is probably best known today for his famous insult to Native Americans. He was quoted as saying, “The only good Indian is a dead Indian.” His hatred of Native Americans was, at the time, applauded by the common people. He was also a big fan of the spoils system and gave most jobs to his party members. Jackson was the only president to fight in both the American Revolution and the War of 1812. He was acclaimed as a war hero.

Jackson received no formal education and was a typical frontier man. Jackson’s trials from a poor to successful man made him extremely popular with the people. The commoners looked to him as an extension of themselves. To his contemporaries he was not only an idol but a national hero. Historians who admire Jackson point to his preservation of civil liberties, individualism and insistence on doing right for the common people. Regardless of personal opinion on Jackson, the fact remains that he was a very influential president. He was the only American to have an age named after him—The Age of Jackson.

Woodrow Wilson, 28th U.S. president, was also very critical to the country’s success. He was in office during World War I, after which he created his famous Fourteen Points. In them, Wilson advocated a “new democracy” with no secret treaties; a system in which colonies would eventually be allowed to self-rule; a refusal to perform a hostile takeover of the defeated Central Power; and freedom of trade all over the world. He also proposed the League of Nations, which was a model for the United Nations. Most of his propositions were lost in negotiations, but many of his original ideas are used today.

Historians rank Woodrow Wilson as the fourth most important president, behind only Washington, Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt. In addition to handling the responsibilities of a wartime president, Wilson made important domestic policy decisions. Child labor was outlawed, the Clayton Anti-Trust Act was passed and many humanitarian efforts were made; however, during the war many civil liberties were lost. Wilson was called the “visionary president” for his high ideals and strong pursuit of them.

These men, who made such a difference in our country, are nearly forgotten. They have faded from the memories of most Americans. A teacher may have mentioned them in passing, or a small bit of scandal about them might leap to the mind at the mention of a name, but their importance is forgotten. If anything is remembered about them, it is probably negative. America must certainly move forward, but we must not trample on the memories of the people who have gotten America to where it is today.