The Best U.S. Presidents According to Both Conservative and Liberal Historians

Conservatives and liberals fight over who the best person for president of the United States is every election year. Even after the election is fought over and won, this debate continues — which can be seen in the ongoing battle between the supporters of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was president of the U.S. from 1933 to 1945. As a result, Roosevelt became president during the worst period of the Great Depression and also was the leader during the difficult years of World War II.

Andrew Jackson is one of the more controversial presidents the United States has had, thanks mainly in part to his forcible removal of many Native Americans from their lands.

Lyndon Johnson became president after John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. Until 1969, Johnson encouraged equality throughout the country. Johnson is possibly best known as the president that passed the Civil Rights Act.

Unfortunately, Bill Clinton’s time as president, from 1993 to 2001, was rife with controversy. However, putting aside these issues, both conservative and liberal historians tend to rank Clinton high on a list of the best presidents.

From 1809 to 1817, James Madison was the president of the United States. The fourth president — who also was a key member at the beginning of the country’s formation — Madison is best remembered for his moral authority, according to historians.

Jimmy Carter lost his presidential reelection bid — but historians have increasingly begun to look at him in a better light in recent years.

The fifth president of the U.S., James Monroe lived in the White House from 1817 to 1825. Though possibly not as well remembered by the general population today, conservative and liberal historians rank Monroe highly.

George H.W. Bush was in the White House from 1989 to 1993. Though he was generally well-liked at the time, he lost his reelection bid thanks to a struggling economy.

A noted World War II commander, Dwight D. Eisenhower became president in 1953. Until 1961, Eisenhower led the nation through many difficulties. Eisenhower further desegregated the U.S. military while also sending federal troops to Arkansas to enforce desegregation in public schools.

James K. Polk was in the White House from 1845 to 1849. While he might not be the first president Americans think of today, he generally tends to rank high when historians think of the U.S.’s best presidents.

From 1901 to 1909, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was the president of the U.S. Roosevelt remains the youngest person to ever become president of the country, as he took on the role at only 42 years old.

From 1913 until 1921, Woodrow Wilson was president of the United States with a singular view on how the country should be led.

William McKinley only led the country from 1897 to 1901 before he was assassinated while he was less than a year into his second term.

Though he was only president from 1961 to 1963 before he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, John F. Kennedy remains a prominent figure in American history.

Ronald Reagan remains a popular president, even though he has dropped quite a bit in the rankings of many historians in recent years, by conservatives and liberals alike.

The country’s third president, Thomas Jefferson led the country through its beginning stages from 1801 to 1809. Both conservative and liberal historians have always ranked Jefferson high thanks to his contribution to the forming of the U.S., including the writing of the Declaration of Independence.

Harry Truman wasn’t well-liked when he left office in 1953 after first being elected in 1945. However, over the years, historians both conservative and liberal have increasingly been more favorable to him.

While Barack Obama may not be well-liked by Republican politicians and conservative voters today, many historians from both political parties tend to rank him high when compared to other U.S. presidents.

The U.S.’s first president, George Washington remains one of the best presidents the country has ever had thanks in part to what historians call his moral authority. 

The United States’ second president, John Adams has fared pretty well with time. Though he’s nowhere close to George Washington by historians’ standards, he’s still remembered well thanks to his overall integrity.

The son of the U.S.’s second president, John Quincy Adams led the country from 1825 to 1829. He’s remembered for being the first son of a former U.S. president to also become president.

Any president that was tasked with uniting a country torn apart by a war — a war with each other, no less — has a hard task ahead of them. Ulysses S. Grant, from 1869 to 1877, managed to do just this.

Of course, Abraham Lincoln is often considered the very best president in all of U.S. history. Though the debate of who earns the top spot — some say Lincoln, others say FDR — it’s undeniable that the country wouldn’t be what it is today without Lincoln.