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Which US President was most significant? (Semi final 2)

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Which US President was most significant? (Semi final 2)

George Washington60%

Andrew Jackson20%

Theodore Roosevelt7%

Richard Nixon13%

Total votes: 15

Chat Forum Helper, Entertainment Forum Helper

TSR is asking the question: Which US President was the most significant? We're holding a tournament of US Presidents and asking you to vote to determine which was the most significant in history. We are currently in the semi-finals of the tournament of which this is the 2nd one.

All the other semi-finals are linked at the bottom of this post, and there's a hub thread here if you want to know who beat who to get this far. :biggrin:

:biggrin:

Making up semi-final 2 are:

George Washington (Ind, 1789-1797)
"First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen" - but more importantly, will he be first in this TSR poll? George Washington was a hero of the American Revolution, and the first US President. He set enduring precedents for the office, including the title "Mr. President" so as not to resemble a king, and most presidents saw the two terms he served as an unwritten limit (until FDR was elected for four, forcing it to become a written rule). He has been memorialized in the state of Washington, as well as the national capital.

Andrew Jackson (D, 1829-1837)
Winner of Group B (but not with a huge vote share), Jackson was a distant 3rd in Heat 1. He was the seventh President, and a founder of the Democratic Party, making the current two-party system his legacy. He became the only President to completely pay off the national debt. However, he also signed the Indian Removal Act which forcibly removed most members of the Native American nations from their lands, and relocated them to designated territory. Jackson was also opposed the abolition of chattel slavery.

Theodore Roosevelt (R, 1901-1909)
Despite winning Group F by a considerable margin, Teddy also struggled in the heats! Youngest person ever to assume the presidency at 42. The first environmentalist president, Roosevelt established national parks, and signed the National Monuments Act protecting sites like the Grand Canyon. In foreign policy, he began construction of the Panama Canal, and his successful efforts to broker the end of the Russo-Japanese War won him the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize. His (along with Washington's) is one of the four faces on Mount Rushmore.

Richard Nixon (R, 1969-1974)
Runner up in Heat 4, Nixon was the first president to visit all 50 states. His strong anti-Communist reputation allowed him to seek nuclear arms control agreements with the Soviet Union, and open diplomatic relationships with China, without fear of being seen as 'soft' on Communism. However, he has been criticized for the US' slow withdrawal from Vietnam. He is the only president in history to have resigned, following the Watergate scandal, whose naming legacy has been extended to many political scandals since.

Once you have decided, please vote in the poll attached to the thread. This poll will close on Friday 18th February at 12 noon. The top two Presidents will move through to the final.

If you like this idea and want to see more from the History forum. Let us know by posting in this thread.

P.S. Don't forget to check out the other semi finals here:
Semi-Final 1
Semi-Final 2
Semi-Final 3
Semi-Final 4

(edited 2 years ago)

Wanted to vote for a serious contender to Washington here but not convinced there is one really.

OP

Chat Forum Helper, Entertainment Forum Helper

#1 for #1

:yes:

CatusStarbright

It has to be George Washington!

Volunteer Section Leader

George Washington the clear favourite at the moment, will be interesting to see who finishes second in this SF

Starship Trooper

Washington again easily.

Volunteer Section Leader

For me this was a toss-up between Nixon and Roosevelt, since I knew Washington should (rightly) with the SF. I've voted for Nixon for 2 reasons:
- I feel his status as a politician who tried on several attempts to be where he is has been replicated in many other countries since
- The watergate scandal resulting in every subsequent scandal being dubbed -gate

Volunteer Section Leader

Roosevelt is very likeable as a president and hugely significant in the decades around his time in the white house. However I don't feel that such significance is materially visible in the US today, aside perhaps from a value placed in land/countrside.

OP

Chat Forum Helper, Entertainment Forum Helper

Andrew Jackson currently runner up; as I said in previous rounds, his impacts on many Native American tribes can't be understated. Significant doesn't have to mean good. :no:

:no:

Volunteer Section Leader

The Results of Semi-Final 2 are...
George Washington (9)
Andrew Jackson (3)
Richard Nixon (2)
Theodore Roosevelt (1)

Jackson and Washington proceed to the final.

George Washington and Andrew Jackson proceed to the Grand Final, which you can vote in here!

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