Many Presidents of the United States have used their administrations for good the of the American people. Examples include George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and his fifth cousin Franklin D. Roosevelt. These people have used their administrations to fix the country, provide aid to our allies in times of global distress, and set a standard of leadership. For example, the U.S. declaring war on Japan, under FDR’s third administration after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, showed resolve and strength for the United States. In addition, Lincoln in his inauguration speech in March 1861, declared his intent that the Civil War will be done to preserve the Union (bring the North & South back together). These, and few other presidents, have been ranked and studied for mostly their positive impact. Unfortunately, there are Presidents who are not studied, or recognized, for their successful administrations. This article will rank our Ten Worst Presidents over the last 240+ years.
Number 10: Zachary Taylor
The 12th President, in office from 1849 to 1850, Taylor is not only considered one of the worst presidents, he’s also one of the most forgotten presidents. While he was a respected general during the war of 1812 & the Mexican-American War, he only served office for 1 year, passing away in 1850. During that short term though, he alienated Northerners, due to him being a slave owner having >100 slaves work on his cotton plantation in Mississippi. He also wanted to expand slavery, even to the far west, and resisted the Compromise of 1850, a cause of the Civil War.
Number 9: Herbert Hoover
The 31st President, in office from 1929 to 1933, Hoover was inaugurated at the end of the Roaring Twenties. He was President for the start of the Great Depression, which resulted from the easy credit of the 1920s and the stock market crashing, a few months after his inauguration. During his single term, he initiated policies that plummeted the economy. During the Great Depression, he became an awful leader by causing trade conflicts. He also refused unconditional aid to those suffering, despite cutting taxes and launching initiatives to boost employment, he failed to address human suffering.
Number 8: Warren G. Harding
The 29th President, in office from 1921 to 1923, Harding admitted that he is “not fit for this office and should have never been here.” And that is true, as he was wrapped up in various scandals & wrongdoings. An Example would be the Teapot Dome Scandal in Ohio. Even though he swore he would. “return to normalcy” following Woodrow Wilson’s administration, he didn’t necessarily know what that meant. He wasn’t a deep thinker, nor a decisive president. Also admittedly, he didn’t see himself as a leader nor caretaker, and outright avoided issues that were brought in his cabinet.
Number 7: Donald Trump
The 45th President, was in office from 2017 to 2021, before returning to office as our current President, the 47th. Trump has done more harm than good. During his first term, he appointed secretaries in his cabinet with no political experience and failed to create a clear federal policy against COVID-19. He also challenged ethical policy and attempted to disrupt the peace transfer of power on January 6th, 2021.
Number 6: John Tyler
The 10th President, in office from 1841 to 1845, Tyler was a huge supporter of slavery, being from the planter aristocracy of the South. As a Jeffersonian Republican, he also sided with earlier President Andrew Jackson’s decision against the national bank, while being in the Senate. He would still be against national banks after entering office.
Number 5: Millard Fillmore
The 13th President, in office from 1850 to 1853, Fillmore succeeded as President due to Taylor passing away in 1850, since Fillmore was Taylor’s vice president. Fillmore supported the Compromise of 1850, and therefore the Fugitive Slave Act. However, Fillmore’s initiatives halted the start of the Civil War, but failed to respond to the issues which caused the Civil War.
Number 4: William Henry Harrison
The 9th President, in office from March to April of 1841, Harrison is primarily remembered for his really short term, the shortest in U.S. history; which is ironic given he gave the longest inauguration speech in the country’s history. However, before he was sworn in, he was in the army and was appointed the governor of the Indiana Territory. During that time, he initiated treaties with various Indigenous American groups, which resulted in them becoming refugees, and led the army against Indigenous American Leader Tecumseh during the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 in the Indiana Territory. As he only served for a month, virtually no documentation of his time in office is available.
Number 3: Franklin Pierce
The 14th President, in office from 1853 to 1857, Pierce’s administration is considered a cause of the Civil War. As a Democrat, he believed that abolitionism was a threat to unity in the country. He was also inexperienced, handing out appointments for his cabinet to friends & close associates, regardless of experience & qualifications; this is also known as cronyism. He also signed the infamous Kansas—Nebraska Act of 1854, which repealed the Compromise of 1820. The Kansas—Nebraska Act led to a state war that would be later known as “Bleeding Kansas” and is considered a cause of the Civil War.
Number 2: Andrew Johnson
The 17th President, in office from 1865 to 1869, Johnson is not only considered one of the worst presidents in U.S. history, but he is also the first presidents to be impeached. He rejected policies during Reconstruction which helped the newly freed slaves, such the 14th Amendment (which granted those formerly in shackles full citizenship). He also pardoned ex-Confederate soldiers and fired the previous President, Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of War Edward Stanton (which violated the Tenure of Office Act of 1864), leading to Andrew Johnson’s impeachment in 1868.
Number 1: James Buchanan
The 15th President, in office from 1857 to 1861, Buchanan is notorious for being hypocritical, even before being sworn in or even elected. While he did condemn slavery as an unjustifiable wrong, he backed up a number of agreements that allowed slavery into the western regions in the growing country. Furthermore, his response to the secession crisis leading up to the Civil War didn’t help his reputation much either, as he saw the Constitution in an explicit interpretation, saying that the Constitution doesn’t allow him to take action against would-be seceders. So, he didn’t do anything as President while the situation worsened.
These presidents prove that democracies can messes up and put the wrong people in office. This list is, of course, subjective and one can have their own list of worst presidents. But at the end of the day, it’s difficult to imagine worse United States presidents than these 10 men.
References:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/648016/the-worst-american-presidents-according-to-historians
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/presidents-ranked-worst-best/10/
https://bestdiplomats.org/worst-us-presidents/
https://millercenter.org/president/harding/impact-and-legacy