George Washington by James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn

Posted on May 29, 2009 by Bob Timmermann

President #1, C-SPAN historians ranking #2 You Never Forget Your First Time The face of George Washington is well known to Americans. He stares at us on dollar bills. His profile is on the quarter. His portrait used to be a fixture in school classrooms. The capital city of the nation is named for him. [...]

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Thomas Jefferson by Joyce Appleby

Posted on May 7, 2009 by Bob Timmermann

President #3, C-SPAN Historians ranking #7 Embargo! O grab me! In this biography of the Third President, UCLA professor Joyce Appleby begins the seventh chapter of the book with this sentence: “Americans’ most pressing history assignment is coming to terms with Thomas Jefferson.” And speaking as someone who was taught by Professor Appleby at UCLA, [...]

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John Adams by John Patrick Diggins

Posted on April 2, 2009 by Bob Timmermann

President #2, C-SPAN Historians’ ranking #17 May all your wars be Quasi Wars For most of our lives, John Adams was an historical figure whom people recognized, yet thought little of. We figured he must have been important since he helped write the Declaration of Independence and also became President. But he was no George [...]

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James Madison by Garry Wills

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Bob Timmermann

Invade Canada! President #4, C-SPAN historians rank #20 James Madison was definitely a president with an impressive resume. For starters, Madison wrote much of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He was a passionate defender of religious freedom. He served in the House of Representatives. He was Secretary of State for eight years under [...]

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