I would say Lincoln through us toward the ash heap of history and that we landed there somewhere during FDR. Before Lincoln, things could have been stopped by good individuals. After Lincoln, leadership that was very good have turned things around. After FDR one would need leadership of a quality rarely seen in a fallen world. And after LBJ and Nixon it is a question of how long, not if. The how long could have been a lot longer though.
Points well taken.
Even now our republic could be restored but the hill is VERY steep and the road VERY long indeed!
BS. Under Adams, Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts. Andy Jackson created the Trail of Tears in defiance of the Supreme Court. Pierce took us into a bold faced war of aggression against Mexico.
No 'good individuals' stopped any of that.