A Hard Act to Follow – The 4 Most Inspiring Presidents of America

The best leaders are those who can inspire others through their words and deeds. Most of the 43 presidents of the United States have been characterized as great candidates either through their actions in office or their overall historical influence. Here are the top 4 presidential role models that have inspired children throughout all generations.

1. George Washington:
   One of the four Presidents immortalized on Mount Rushmore, George Washington has always won the sweepstakes for presidential greatness. The undisputed Father of the Country first began his career as a Virginia planter. Next, he became the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and later, reluctantly, became the first President of the newly independent United States of America - the only president to win with 100% electoral votes. After serving two terms, he selflessly refused to be nominated for a third term, choosing to retire to his home in Mount Vernon. In fact, it was President Washington who established the policy that an American president can only serve two terms. The life and accomplishments of this Founding Father have sparked the imaginations of every patriotic American.
2. Abraham Lincoln:
   Abraham Lincoln is a unanimous candidate in this list of inspirational presidents. ‘Honest Abe’ wrote the Emancipation Proclamation, which gave a definite boost to the anti-slavery movement. He played a vital role in preserving the Union during the Civil War and survived extraordinary pressures that no other president ever faced before or since – assassination threats, refractory generals, bickering party members and the horrors of a war that he greatly despised. At the end of the Civil War, the addition of the Thirteenth Amendment resulted in the formal abolition of slavery. Lincoln has now left us a lasting legacy, one that reaffirms the ideals proclaimed by the Declaration of Independence.
3. Thomas Jefferson
   President Thomas Jefferson is considered to be one of the most important figures in American history. Known as a true Renaissance man, Jefferson wanted to be remembered for only three out of his many accomplishments. His three main accomplishments included –founding the University of Virginia, being one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence, and establishing the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom. A little known fact about Jefferson is that he was an ardent naturalist who recognized that the European invasion of America was slowly but surely destroying indigenous civilizations.
4. Dwight D. Eisenhower
   Most people would consider one of President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s greatest achievements to be becoming the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War 2. However, some of his other achievements included - the initiation of the interstate highway system, balancing the federal budget, and his thoroughly accurate analysis of the US military-industrial complex hijacking the American taxpayers. Apart from his wartime heroic acts, Eisenhower pulled off the near-miracle of keeping America at peace in the midst of every Cold War crisis that loomed during his presidency. Eisenhower was a level headed president who dealt with every situation rationally and calmly. He always sought the solution that averted war without lowering America’s prestige.

These great men did not woo the people with clever words or empty theories. They set an example through their actions and were brave enough to stand up for their principles.

Are you ready to be inspired?