#1 LINCOLN: Lincoln's life tells a good tale of America: Born in a log cabin to a common family, pursued an education, worked hard, cared about the American ideals, and wielded power in their defense. Lincoln quipped, "Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him." When the war ended, Lincoln called for "malice towards none; with charity for all."

LINCOLN said, "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the principle that all men are created equal... This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom..." After the Union victory, the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments transformed the Constitution. The 14th was revolutionary. It was a new birth of freedom.

#2 FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT led America through the Great Depression and to victory in WWII. His optimism brought hope. He said, "The only thing we have to fear is – fear itself." His fireside chats build a close bond with Americans, who reelected him to the biggest landslide of the 20th Century. The New Deal sought RELIEF, RECOVERY, and REFORM. GDP grew strongly. Decades of STABLE prosperity followed.

The Great Depression was caused by 10,000 bank failures, weakly regulated financial markets, a flawed gold standard, speculative excess followed by the Great Crash and Fed tightening, half of mortgages in default, a lack of spending power by many Americans, Smoot-Hawley Tariff, rigidly balanced budget leading to taxes, and farm overproduction causing depressed prices and Dust Bowl. FDR fixed that.

#3 WASHINGTON: His character and status brought international respect to the new nation and legitimacy to the new presidency. He set important head-of-state traditions, surrounded himself with great cabinet secretaries, including Jefferson and Hamilton, and acted firmly to confront rebellion. He could have served as president for life but relinquished power uneventfully.

This book won the Pulitzer Prize. The exceptional leaders of the American Revolution had astonishing talents (with differing strengths and weaknesses), but WASHINGTON was first among them. "The Father of the Country" was the only one beyond dispute – a man of unsurpassed stature and steady demeanor. The ideas and disputes of the other founders profoundly shaped the new nation (and America today).

This book won the National Book Award. T.R. was very popular and larger than life. He was a tough guy yet an intellectual; progressive yet conservative; a rich man yet promised a Square Deal for workers; a semi-imperialist yet won the Nobel Peace Prize; a Harvard man yet loved the rough western frontier life; preferred business bigness yet was a trust-buster; a military man yet a brainy writer.

This book won the National Book Award. JEFFERSON deeply believed in individual liberty, feared tyranny, and entrenched his democratic ideals into the fabric of America. He promoted the separation of church and state. He vocally opposed slavery, yet he owned slaves and later defended it by espousing states' rights. He opposed Hamilton's nationalistic economic ideas and imposed a misguided embargo.

#6 TRUMAN: This book won the Pulitzer Prize. Truman waged the Cold War against Stalin. His Marshall Plan, Truman Doctrine, NATO, and Berlin Airlift saved Europe. He contained the Korean War, desegregated the military, battled segregationists, ended a disruptive strike, and sought Fair Deal policies. He was forced to confront tough decisions, such as the atomic bomb. He said, "The buck stops here."

#7 WILSON was a world statesman. He led America in World War I to make the "world safe for democracy" after first keeping USA out. He won the war, proposed a 14-Points post-war plan “to end all wars,” created the League of Nations, won the Nobel Peace Prize, but failed to persuade Congress to join the League, refusing to compromise. Agreed to punitive German reparations in Treaty of Versailles.

#8 EISENHOWER was the Supreme Allied Commander in WWII. As president he was a cold warrior, contained USSR, and avoided a hot war, including not intervening in East European rebellions. His presidency was a period of peace and prosperity. He kept New Deal safeguards but emphasized free markets. He balanced the budget, built the Interstate Highway System, and enforced Supreme Court desegregation.

#9 POLK expanded U.S. borders to the Pacific. He shrewdly negotiated the Oregon Territory from Britain. He won the Southwest Territory and California through war with Mexico. He was a hard worker and died soon after leaving office. The issue of slavery expansion to the new territories intensified and lead to the Civil War.

REAGAN hastened the end of the Soviet Empire. He rigorously pressured USSR and encouraged East European rebellion, but when Gorbachev brought reforms to USSR, Reagan embraced him and pushed Gorbachev further. Reagan and his secretary of state gave lectures on free markets. Reagan said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." Gorbachev won the Nobel Peace Prize and first Ronald Reagan Freedom Award.

#11 JACKSON was a vibrant leader of the common man. Jacksonian Democracy. He introduced modern political campaigns and political involvement by common folks. He neutralized the nullification crisis and preserved the Union. He strengthened the presidency considerably. He once killed a man in a duel and had a bullet lodged in his body. He rose from poverty to become successful in many areas.

#12 KENNEDY: Vigor and vision. JFK said, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."Bright policy-making. Managed the Cuban Missile Crisis. Sent man to the moon. Achieved Peace Corps and Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Sought civil rights, Medicare, the arts, tax cut, and War on Poverty. "I am a Berliner" speech. MAD policy. Bay of Pigs fiasco. Escalated Vietnam.

#14 JOHN ADAMS: This book won the Pulitzer Prize. Adams was a leader of the American Revolution, a great political thinker advocating a Republic form of government, a skillful war diplomat, and America's first vice president. As president he avoided war with France, despite XYZ Affair, appointed Chief Justice John Marshall, and adopted the Alien and Sedition Acts, which tarnished his presidency.

This book won the Pulitzer Prize. LYNDON JOHNSON was a shrewd political genius, building his power in the Senate. He long supported space programs. He enacted the Immigration Act, consumer protections, medical research, a War on Poverty (misguided welfare), tax cut, and an economic boom leading to inflation. He waged the Vietnam War and then downplayed the quagmire, leading to a "credibility gap."

#17 MCKINLEY helped build a long-lasting grip on power by northern Republicans during the Gilded Age. He supported high tariffs to protect US businesses (leading to recession) but moderated tariffs as president. He was an imperialist, won the Spanish-American War, and brought USA onto the international stage. Despite his pro-business policies, he began early antitrust actions against monopolies.

#19 JOHN QUINCY ADAMS: Skillful diplomat. As secretary of state, achieved Transcontinental Treaty and formulated Monroe Doctrine. Won presidency despite losing the popular vote. Made extensive infrastructure investments. Period of moderate prosperity. Strengthened federal government. Tariff of Abominations. After presidency, became an esteemed Congressman. “Old Man Eloquent.” Opponent of slavery.

#20 CLINTON: Era of highest economic prosperity. Balanced budget. Reduced deficit. Increased trade. Yugoslavia military intervention. Expanded NATO to East Europe. Managed Haiti crisis. NAFTA. Welfare reform. Family and Medical Leave Act. Safe Drinking Water Act. Americorps. Brady Bill. Waco. Botched health care plan. Impeached for perjury over Lewinsky/Jones scandal. Whitewater. Pardons scandal.