Presidential Courage
Presidential courage
Definition- The audacity of a President to go against the voice of the people and to make a decision that may not be approved by the people but is ultimately the best decision for the country. The President is the leader of the country and as a leader he or she has to make decisions not only based on what the people say but in the best interest of the country's present situation and future situation.
John F. Kennedy- JFK showed presidential courage throughout his time as President especially when he dealt with the Civil Rights Movement. JFK had to manage tensions between the large African-American population and Caucasian population of the United States while also not favoring a side or else he would have lost credibility with one side of the population. JFK would eventually show presidential courage by supporting the Civil Rights Movement to the dismay of many Americans but he did what he thought was the best decision for the stability of the nation as the leader of the nation his number one goal is to make decisions that are in the best interest of the nation. JFK was president during one of the most controversial and trying times in America's history but he was able to make a decision that most people look back at and say that it was the right decision for the nation. All in all, if JFK wasn't willing to show presidential courage during the Civil Rights Movement then America would be vastly different from how it is, today.
Dwight E. Eisenhower- Eisenhower led America through a time of uncertainty and concern caused by the pressures of the Cold War and the domestic pressure of racial tension between African-Americans and Caucasians in the South. Eisenhower should presidential courage while guiding the nation through the Cold War by ordering the CIA to conduct secret interventions in the Governments of other countries to insure that anti-communist leaders would not be overthrown by communist regimes. Eisenhower also showed presidential courage on an international level when he decided that it was in the best interest to not help the French when the French were fighting with the people of Indochina. To continue, Eisenhower showed presidential courage when he sent U.S. Troops to Little Rock Central High School because as the President it is his job to up hold the laws of the nation but he never stated whether he approved of integration which allowed him to keep his credibility. This was an extremely difficult decision but Eisenhower was able to handle is calmly and with presidential courage.
Franklin D. Roosevelt- FDR showed presidential courage during one of America's most tragic times, he not only dealt with the Great Depression, but he also got America through WW II and renewed the spirit of the nation. FDR showed an enormous amount of presidential courage when he went against the voice of the people and plunged America into WW II; he decided to do this because as president he knew that his first priority was to lead the nation and if that meant going against the people then so be it. FDR again showed presidential courage in how he handled the Great Depression. FDR was able to get the people to rally behind him and was able to inspire them to stop feeling sorry for themselves and to get on their feet and get back to work. FDR was able to turn around the American job market by making more jobs that manufactured items that were essential to the war effort. Furthermore, FDR was very creative in how he went about solving America's problems but nevertheless he was very effective and well received by the American people. FDR was able to renew the spirit of the American people by inspiring them to get back to work and by getting America out of the Great Depression. In conclusion, FDR showed that he truly was a great leader with enough presidential courage to last a lifetime.
Abraham Lincoln- Abraham Lincoln showed presidential courage on numerous occasions throughout his presidency. The first instance when he showed presidential courage was when he issued the Emancipation proclamation which further angered the Confederacy. Lincoln knew that this would further anger the Confederacy but he knew that it was his job as president to make decisions in the best interest of the nation and if that angered people then he was willing to accept that. Lincoln again showed presidential courage when he decided to postpone making peace with the south in order to allow for the 13th Amendment to be passed, the Amendment would abolish slavery. Lincoln found it more important to get slavery abolished than it was to end the war with the South and had the people found out that he was stalling peace then they would have turned against him but Lincoln was willing to take the risk because he felt that his decision was the right decision for the nation. Lincoln is one of the most courageous presidents that America has ever had.
Work Cited-
"Dwight D. Eisenhower." Dwight D. Eisenhower. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
"PRESIDENTIAL COURAGE." PRESIDENTIAL COURAGE. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
"Summary of Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789-1989 - Michael Beschloss." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
John F. Kennedy- JFK showed presidential courage throughout his time as President especially when he dealt with the Civil Rights Movement. JFK had to manage tensions between the large African-American population and Caucasian population of the United States while also not favoring a side or else he would have lost credibility with one side of the population. JFK would eventually show presidential courage by supporting the Civil Rights Movement to the dismay of many Americans but he did what he thought was the best decision for the stability of the nation as the leader of the nation his number one goal is to make decisions that are in the best interest of the nation. JFK was president during one of the most controversial and trying times in America's history but he was able to make a decision that most people look back at and say that it was the right decision for the nation. All in all, if JFK wasn't willing to show presidential courage during the Civil Rights Movement then America would be vastly different from how it is, today.
Dwight E. Eisenhower- Eisenhower led America through a time of uncertainty and concern caused by the pressures of the Cold War and the domestic pressure of racial tension between African-Americans and Caucasians in the South. Eisenhower should presidential courage while guiding the nation through the Cold War by ordering the CIA to conduct secret interventions in the Governments of other countries to insure that anti-communist leaders would not be overthrown by communist regimes. Eisenhower also showed presidential courage on an international level when he decided that it was in the best interest to not help the French when the French were fighting with the people of Indochina. To continue, Eisenhower showed presidential courage when he sent U.S. Troops to Little Rock Central High School because as the President it is his job to up hold the laws of the nation but he never stated whether he approved of integration which allowed him to keep his credibility. This was an extremely difficult decision but Eisenhower was able to handle is calmly and with presidential courage.
Franklin D. Roosevelt- FDR showed presidential courage during one of America's most tragic times, he not only dealt with the Great Depression, but he also got America through WW II and renewed the spirit of the nation. FDR showed an enormous amount of presidential courage when he went against the voice of the people and plunged America into WW II; he decided to do this because as president he knew that his first priority was to lead the nation and if that meant going against the people then so be it. FDR again showed presidential courage in how he handled the Great Depression. FDR was able to get the people to rally behind him and was able to inspire them to stop feeling sorry for themselves and to get on their feet and get back to work. FDR was able to turn around the American job market by making more jobs that manufactured items that were essential to the war effort. Furthermore, FDR was very creative in how he went about solving America's problems but nevertheless he was very effective and well received by the American people. FDR was able to renew the spirit of the American people by inspiring them to get back to work and by getting America out of the Great Depression. In conclusion, FDR showed that he truly was a great leader with enough presidential courage to last a lifetime.
Abraham Lincoln- Abraham Lincoln showed presidential courage on numerous occasions throughout his presidency. The first instance when he showed presidential courage was when he issued the Emancipation proclamation which further angered the Confederacy. Lincoln knew that this would further anger the Confederacy but he knew that it was his job as president to make decisions in the best interest of the nation and if that angered people then he was willing to accept that. Lincoln again showed presidential courage when he decided to postpone making peace with the south in order to allow for the 13th Amendment to be passed, the Amendment would abolish slavery. Lincoln found it more important to get slavery abolished than it was to end the war with the South and had the people found out that he was stalling peace then they would have turned against him but Lincoln was willing to take the risk because he felt that his decision was the right decision for the nation. Lincoln is one of the most courageous presidents that America has ever had.
Work Cited-
"Dwight D. Eisenhower." Dwight D. Eisenhower. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
"PRESIDENTIAL COURAGE." PRESIDENTIAL COURAGE. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
"Summary of Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789-1989 - Michael Beschloss." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.