Who is the best President prior the 20th century?

Wow. I am no where near educated enough about the candidates to add an opinion yet!

They had a good show on the History channel called, "The Presidents" which covered the personal lives and legacies of every President from George Washington to George W. Bush. It was long, but very very interesting!

I am going to wait on voting in this poll because I have got to sit on it for a while...

I don't have to wait for a second. For this time period, Abraham Lincoln is far and away the best President. Not only was he self-taught and self-made, he battled manic depression for much of his life. Ultimately, Lincoln asserted once and for all not only federal power but that it is absolutely necessary that every state unite under one banner. It was simply over slavery and Lincoln stood up to the Southern states and did not accept the doctrine of nullification. The doctrine of nullification stems from Thomas Jefferson. While his criticisms came agaisnt a truly embarassing piece of legislation (Alien & Sedition Acts), Jefferson's creation of the doctrine of nullification (states can nullify federal laws) almost destroyed this country and split it in two. The industrial might of the Northern states ultimately played a huge role in the Union's eventual victory, but anyone who has studied the Civil War knows that besides Ulysses S. Grant, the chain of leadership in the Union has absolutely horrendous. Every good American general was from a Confederate state and most had their loyalties there. People genuinely believed that they were first and foremost from their state, then from America. Without Lincoln's leadership from the top, it is very likely that the Union would have lost the war and the powers at be would be the slave powers. Lincoln freed the slaves and reunited the people under the American flag. I can not think of a more critical time in the history of our country and Abraham Lincoln was able to pull us through it. The United States was at a critical breaking point and Lincoln's leadership and guidance saved it. Who knows, half of the people in this country could be living in the Confederate States of America where slavery would have abounded for who knows how many years. He ended the most embarrasing practice that our history has ever acknowledged and saved the country we know.

Aren't you concerned about Lincoln's abuse of executive power in office? Like the way he suspended writ of habeas corpus and shut down anti-war newspapers and arrested war protestors. When the Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney contended that these powers were reserved for Congress and ordered that prisoners be brought before the court, Lincoln refused to obey. His disregard for the judicial and legislative branches of were incredible. His suspension of habeas corpus was used by FDR as a precedent when FDR ignored the rights of Japanese-Americans by placing them in prison camps. Lincoln came dangerously close to turning the U.S. into a dictatorship. However, I still deeply admire Lincoln for many of the reasons you listed above. I also understand that he was under enormous pressure as a wartime leader in America's deadliest war. It is only because of Lincoln's apparent abuse of power that I chose George Washington as the best president prior to the 20th century.

There's many bad things about every President in U.S. history, and most of the time, the bad things outweigh the good things. A lot of people say Lincoln or FDR, and then people are quick to jump on the criticisms of them. You can do that with any president, and some moreso. To me its mainly choosing the better of the two evils and no matter how I vote I'll feel discontent to some extent, so I'm going to have to agree with the historians on this one and vote for Lincoln.

I voted for Washington, for the following reasons:

1. He's the only president to ever be elected unanimously.
2. He kept the country together through some pretty tumultuous times.
3. He deferred to the legislative on all domestic issues.
4. He is the least contraversial president ever.

Good points!

Washington feared that political parties and partisan alliances would destroy the American government.

Very surprising to relate his fears to today's political system. The founding fathers were very very bright!

Washington?? The Virginian lodge leader? I beg to differ.

Fine. He is the least contraversial to people that don't believe in crazy conspiracy theories.