Presidential Report Card Yaira C Block January 21

Presidential Report Card Yaira C Block January 21, 2014

Report Card Grades Grade What it means A The President was perfect. He met all of the goals laid out in the Constitution to the highest degree possible. B The President did a good job. He met most of the goals laid out in the Constitution, but may not have met all of those goals to the highest degree. C The President did an adequate job. He met some of the goals of the Constitution to some degree. He also may have done a poor job in terms of some of the goals of the Constitution. D The President did a poor job. He did not meet many of the goals of the Constitution and the majority of what he did hurt the country and did not help it. F The President failed in meeting all of the goals of the Constitution. Not only did he fail to meet the goals, everything he did hurt the country.

George Washington 1789 - 1797 BGeorge Washington was a fairly good president, all though he did make some wrong choices. Washington lowered the taxes after the Western farmers found it costly to bring their grains across the mountains to sell in eastern cities. Washington had sent 13, 000 militia troops to catch tax rebels and Hamilton wanted to violate people’s liberties by using armed force to put down opposition to government policies. Washington promoted common welfare by listening to Hamilton’s plan, which would unfairly tax the South to pay off debts of the North. Jefferson also approached Washington with a plan that taxing the South would help the North and factories would lead to a nation of renters who wouldn’t care about America like a farmer would. Washington went with Hamilton’s plan and because of his decision today our nation is wealthy. Washington did bad on securing the blessings of liberty because Washington previously helped France in a battle now he announced a policy of neutrality which meant he couldn’t help either side fight a battle; France felt betrayed. It was a good thing he didn’t interfere because he didn’t have money or an army to help anyone.

John Adams 1797 - 1801 B John Adams was a good president. The grade is gave his was a B. John Adams didn’t do good in forming a more perfect union, the states we’re going against each other because of the sedition acts. The purpose of the Alien and Sedition Acts was to make life difficult for the Republicans. Adams did do good in ensuring domestic tranquility and common defense. Adams stopped trouble makers like the immigrants. The alien act allowed the him to jail or deport aliens who were suspected to stirring up trouble. In the category of common defense he was able to stop outside countries from coming in. Although Adams did good in those categories, he didn’t do good in securing the blessings of liberty. Adams put restrictions on immigrants and lengthened the time it took for an immigrant to become a citizen with the right to vote from 5 to 14 years. Washington sent Chief Justice John Jay to settle things with the British. In the Jay Treaty the British agreed to pull their troops from the Ohio Valley. This benefitted us and was a disadvantage. The French saw it as betrayal by the United States. This then caused problems for the U. S. The French navy began attacking American merchant ships. In the X, Y, Z Affair Adams did good in forming a more perfect union. Adams made peace with France and the people. He sent a peace mission to France. Napoleon who took over France was eager to make peace with Britain and the U. S. Adams did good in common defense, he sent representatives to France to make peace and it worked. Napoleon ended the alliance with the U. S. This hurt us because the U. S. needed a stronger navy when the Revolutionary War came. Adams did good in promoting general welfare. Adams paid off his debt in order to make peace. He paid American ship owners for their lost property, Adams thought of it as a small price to pay for peace.

Thomas Jefferson 1801 - 1809 B+ Thomas Jefferson was a good president, I would give him a B+ because at the time of his term the U. S. had a lot of money the U. S. owed but Jefferson was able to pay them off. Jefferson was able to stop the pirates and seize ships from leaving, but other states were still attacking. In the Louisiana Purchase he bought Louisiana and gained more land which doubled the size of the U. S. It was illegal to buy Louisiana, but he couldn’t pass it up. This kept away France from our country and also made peace with France. By buying Louisiana and getting more land, Jefferson got more money and opened the Mississippi River which was good for the economy.

James Madison 1809 - 1817 C+ James Madison was an okay president I would give him a C+ because he did try to make peace with the British and the French by making a deal with them to agree to stop attacking American ships and the United States would stop trading with their enemy. France agreed with Madison’s deal but British refused and continued seizing ships and impressing American sailors. On July 17, 1812 congress declared war on Britain with only 7, 000 men and 16 warships. Jefferson formed a more perfect union by making it more safer for settlers, but failed in establishing justice. The Native Americans were not being treated fairly. Madison formed a more perfect union by was able to reaching goals and making it more safer for settlers by getting rid of the British forces in Canada and cutting off supplied to raiding Indians. Madison did good in common defense because he fought to push Indians out of their land. Madison also did good in promoting general welfare because he provided more land for the settlers.

James Monroe B+ James Monroe was a good president. I would give him a B+. The British asked the U. S. to join in sending a message to the leaders telling them to leave Latin America alone. Monroe did good in forming a more perfect union because he united the nation more after the war in 1812. Monroe did bad in promoting general welfare. In the Panic of 1819 people were out of work and businesses were going out of business. Eventually Monroe came through and lowered taxes and borrowed money to make up for lost tax revenues. He did good in domestic tranquility , he kept law and order in Florida and also stopped Indian raids from Georgia. Monroe sent Jackson to stop the Indians. Jackson invaded Spanish Florida and hung two British citizens who were encouraging the Indians to attack us. The Spanish Foreign Minister signed a treaty which gave us Florida. The treaty settled boundaries between lands and strengthened our claim to the Oregon Territory and this would allow us to trade with Asia and become wealthy.

Andrew Jackson C+ Andrew Jackson was an okay president. I would give his presidency a C+. Because of the removal act in 1830, Jackson did a bad job in establishing justice. Jackson felt that white people and Indians wouldn’t get along so he decided he wanted to move them into their own land. Ha forced the Indians to move to a different land; even though there was a law stating that the Indians had a choice to stay. But Jackson ignored the law and moved them anyway. some of the Indians died after being moved in such harsh conditions. Jackson did good in providing for common defense and promoting general welfare. He made it safer for white settlers and gave more land more resources to them. During the Nullification crisis he formed a more perfect union. Jackson kept the union together by using military forces. Ending banks of the U. S. and putting the money into state banks was a bad idea. People began to panic, this started the panic of 1837. Many people lost jobs and many businesses were going out of business.