Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Five Greatest Americans? You might be surprised...
The Constitutional Alamo ^ | 06/29/09 | Michael Naragon

Posted on 06/30/2009 7:32:01 AM PDT by Publius772000

While sitting in the Advanced Placement institute a week ago, the instructor posed a question to the history educators in the room.

“Not counting presidents or their wives,” he began, “who would you consider the five greatest, most influential Americans in history?” My mind began to cycle through the most important figures to grace the stage.

My first choice was John Marshall. As the first significant Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, he established the principle of judicial review, greatly expanding the power of the Court and making the Constitution, according to Jefferson, “a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary, which they may twist and shape into any form they please.”

Next, I chose Benjamin Franklin. The exclusion of presidents ruled out many of the Founding Fathers I would have chosen, but Franklin fit the bill. Many historians credit Franklin as the architect of the American ideal–a merge of the Puritan work ethic and moral compass with the tolerance and reason of Enlightenment philosophy. He served as ambassador to France, securing French support for the Revolution effort, and Postmaster General. Not to mention, he was an accomplished inventor, and many of his creations are still used today in one form or another.

(Excerpt) Read more at theconstitutionalalamo.com ...


TOPICS: Government; History; Politics
KEYWORDS: franklin; godsgravesglyphs; history; king; oprah
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-65 next last
To: bvw

The airplane would have come sooner or later since the power plant was already invented.

You might look at a little known inventor who helped industry more than others: John Hall

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_John_H._Hall


21 posted on 06/30/2009 8:50:12 AM PDT by Shooter 2.5 (NRA /Patron - TSRA- IDPA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Shooter 2.5

I wanted to include Hall, but had to run out.

THANKS!


22 posted on 06/30/2009 9:19:54 AM PDT by bvw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: dead
Why do they even bother to exclude President's wives?

Hillary Clinton has a very vocal fan club.

23 posted on 06/30/2009 9:25:54 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money -- Thatcher)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Jim from C-Town; devere
>Tesla has more to do with the way we live today than any other inventor possibly any other person in the history of the world.<

A Battle to Preserve a Visionary’s Bold Failure

And speaking of Tesla, his last remaining laboratory, Wardenclyffe, is currently the center of a battle between those who want it preserved as an historical site and the current owner, photographic materials manufacturer AGFA, which must sell Wardenclyffe to recoup the cost of cleanup. AGFA dumped toxic chemicals (primarily silver and cadmium) on the property for years and was forced to spend millions in cleanup.

The real estate broker has advertised the 16 plus acre site as potentially being available to prospective buyers with the buildings already razed and removed.

24 posted on 06/30/2009 12:12:20 PM PDT by Darnright (There can never be a complete confidence in a power which is excessive. - Tacitus)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Publius772000

Great post. Here’s Discovery channel’s list of the top 25 ...
don’t laugh, it’s TeeVee!
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/greatestamerican/greatestamerican.html


25 posted on 06/30/2009 12:32:06 PM PDT by Liberty Valance (Keep a simple manner for a happy life :o)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pharmboy; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ..

· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic ·

 
Gods
Graves
Glyphs
To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
 

·Dogpile · Archaeologica · ArchaeoBlog · Archaeology · Biblical Archaeology Society ·
· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google ·
· The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists ·


26 posted on 06/30/2009 2:30:20 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__Since Jan 3, 2004__Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LiberConservative

I’d take Tesla over Edison.


27 posted on 06/30/2009 2:33:21 PM PDT by AFreeBird
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: bvw

John Moses Browning.


28 posted on 06/30/2009 2:34:41 PM PDT by AFreeBird
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: AFreeBird

Samuel Colt!


29 posted on 06/30/2009 2:40:07 PM PDT by Doomonyou (Let them eat Lead.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Publius772000

I think the list reflects the names kids are likely to hear in passing. It really isn’t so much an educational problem as just how brains work. Teenagers really aren’t geared towards reflecting on the 230+ year history of America and grabbing deeply reasoned persons to put on a list, they’re going to aim towards familiarity. At that age I’d have probably listed off members of favorite bands.


30 posted on 06/30/2009 2:41:10 PM PDT by discostu (Tommy can you hear me)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LiberConservative

Edison is overrated.


I agree. He stole much of what is attributed to him from his employees and from TESLA, who eminently deserves to be on that list.


31 posted on 06/30/2009 2:42:48 PM PDT by eleni121 (The New Byzantium - resurrect it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: AFreeBird

I Agree! Tesla by far!


32 posted on 06/30/2009 2:43:25 PM PDT by eleni121 (The New Byzantium - resurrect it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: bvw
Who invented the cotton gin? That had more of an impact on America than Edison, and Edison was equaled by men like Tesla, Westinghouse and Siemens. Moreover the man who funded Edison was far more important than Edison — and that would be JP Morgan.

Morgan also funded Tesla. The difference was Edison made money, while Tesla lost it all, while acting weird. Tesla should have stuck to inventing, rather than trying to keep up with Edison in the business world.

33 posted on 06/30/2009 2:44:05 PM PDT by Moonman62 (The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Publius772000

Jonas Salk deserves consideration. Saved millions of lives.


34 posted on 06/30/2009 2:45:49 PM PDT by el_chupacabra (They say it's always calmest before the storm. That's not true. It isn't calm. Stuff happens.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Doomonyou
LOL.... You know that M1911 Colt .45?

John Moses Browning designed it. He designed quite a few Colts, and Winchesters.... And a lot of the cartridges that went with them.

35 posted on 06/30/2009 2:47:55 PM PDT by AFreeBird
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Publius772000

Here’s a list from a friendly foreigner. The Five Greatest Americans.

1. The American Warrior. Pick a single representative if you must; Audie Murphy, Alvin York, George Patton, James Bowie, John Paul Jones — any will do. Without them America would be nothing.

2. The American Freemason. Benjamin Franklin will do nicely, in the absence of George Washington. Or Douglas MacArthur. Or Buzz Aldrin. Nearly everything worth doing in America has been done by Freemasons.

3. The American Lawman. Eliot Ness, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, William “Bill” McDonald — lots to choose from.

4. The American Patriot. Nathan Hale, Patrick Henry, Paul Revere, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, William Travis, Oliver North — lots to choose from here, too. Thank God.

5. The Average Joe doing Above-average work. John Walsh, Curtis Sliwa, Candice Lightner, Jim Robinson, W D Boyce, Rosa Parks — too many to name because America is full of Average Joes. When an Average Joe does something special amazing things happen.


36 posted on 06/30/2009 3:06:17 PM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bvw
Who invented the cotton gin?

You had the answer in your post -- Eli Whitney, who also made popular the idea of interchangeable parts for weapons.

Both ideas revolutionized the country. Whitney failed to benefit from either. Great mind, poor businessman.

37 posted on 06/30/2009 6:13:11 PM PDT by rond
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: AFreeBird

And Edward Teller, a bigger gun, of sorts, although he was unconcerned about interchangeable parts.


38 posted on 06/30/2009 6:26:06 PM PDT by bvw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Publius772000

Well I listen to talk radio and I’m here to tell you the Great Americans are all those people who call Sean Hannity and, of course, Sean Hannity himself. And he did say so, himself.


39 posted on 06/30/2009 6:58:43 PM PDT by Alas Babylon!
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Publius772000; LS
Benjamin Franklin, helped draft the Declaration ofindeepndence, statesman extrordinaire(got the French into the war), inventor, renaissance man, etc...American Icon. All around stud.

Hamilton, for better or worse, had a major impact on our banking system, helped capitalism flourish, but ultimately may have doomed us to statism.

An argument can be made for Ford, Tesla, the Wright Brothers, Edison, etc...for their inventions.

Jonas Salk obviously deserves mention. However, I would go with the tremendously underrated Morton (invented anesthesia-imagine life without that).

Militarily, Patton and MaCarthur were giants. The South had much better generals but lost so their impact is minimalized and Grant is out because he became president.

1) Franklin

2) Hamilton

3) Morton

4) Tesla

5) Salk

40 posted on 06/30/2009 7:23:27 PM PDT by MattinNJ (And then there was one...Palin.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-65 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson