Who is the greatest American president?

Washington. He did not want the job, based on creating a new precedent of a military leader not taking over after victory.

Prior to accepting the job as the first president under our new constitution, Washington's farewell address to Congress should be required reading.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt must be considered the first among equals. He was elected despite a crippling handicap at a time when decades of unrestricted speculation had crippled the nation's economy and, despite an adamant campaign by the Republicans to delay his program, was able to turn the nation around and get us back on our feet.

If that were not enough, he also saw the war coming and prepared for it despite the determination of the Republican isolationists to prevent him. We were as ready as we were because of FDR, and we would have been readier if he had been listened to.

While he died before the war ended President Roosevelt also helped to shape the peace afterwards, as an architect of the modern United nations. His ideals and programs inspired every President from Truman through Johnson and shaped the nation we live in today.

What other President has a legacy that dominated the country for so long?

George Washington was a great man and a great President, but he must rank after Franklin Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. We should also recognize Lyndon Johnson, both for bring forward the civil rights legislation that made our truly equal nation possible and for refusing to run for re-election when he felt the country would be better served if he did not.

How many other politicians were so unselfish?

Still, nobody has a legacy to equal FDR.

I am still a huge fan of Lincoln. He did his best to make America what it is today allowing all people the right to equality. It is sad the depression he faced from the civil war and the realization of the many lives he took in the name of freedom for all. He was also a President who looked froward to working with all sides to resolve the conflict without standing down on his principles.

Also I must put Jefferson within the same table as Lincoln he was a President that understood the value of an educated population. His $200 contribution (which was a lot then) to the construction of the first publicly funded college in our country launched the start of our highly regarded college reputation. Without him I'm not sure where our country would stand today. He was also the one who declared the separation of church and state allowing all of us the freedom to choose our own religion.

@ emerald I think you mean he wrote the Declaration of Independance the Constitution was written by framers but was the ideals of several of our founding fathers.

George Washington didn't do a helluva lot as a president. Even as a General he wasn't particularly successful. But of the popularity contest candidates, he won out for the first one. Now... if you're asking what great achievement did any president do at any point in their life, in or out of office?

Thomas Jefferson for writing the Constitution.

Now for greatest achievement in the office? Lets go with Abraham Lincoln for putting down half the country defecting and abolishing racism. It was illegal as all hell when he did it, but damned if the winners in history didn't rewrite the morality on that one. :P

The amateur historian in me says James Knox Polk (1845-1849).

He ran on a four point platform of reestablish a new independent treasury system, purchase of part or all of the Oregon Territory, reduction of tariffs, and purchase of California from Mexico. He also pledged that should he accomplish these four things he would not seek reelection. He accomplished them, and kept his promise.

For his time, he was the youngest President elected, being elected at age 49, and to this day, he had the shortest retirement of any ex-President at just over 100 days, and he is also the youngest ex-President to die, doing so at age 53.

Jefferson

George W. Bush