Bourbon and History Nicholas Kane

How do you become the worst president in U.S. history? Obstructing civil rights legislation for newly freed African Americans and pandering to ex-Confederate leaders, all while earning the contempt of a majority of Congress is a good way to start.  And that’s exactly what Andrew Johnson would do in the years following the civil war, leading to the first ever impeachment of a U.S. president. 

If not for Andrew Johnson, James Buchanan would easily rank as America's worst president. From his tacit support for southern slave owners to his failure to exert any kind of executive leadership on the eve of the civil war, Buchanan failed to live up to the expectations of the presidency, which not only doomed his legacy but the nation as well. Click here to check out Buzzsprout podcast opportunities!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=934867

Franklin Pierce's inaction and failure to lead as president in the mid-1850s helped propel the nation closer to civil war. Click here to check out Buzzsprouts podcast opportunities!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=934867

Warren Harding’s promise of a “return to normalcy” helped usher in a decade of economic prosperity in the post-war United States. But scandals, combined with a general unwillingness to lead on important issues, ultimately doomed Harding’s presidency to irrelevancy in the annals of American history. Click here to check out Buzzsprouts podcast opportunities!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=934867

Grover Cleveland became the first Democrat elected to the White House following the Civil War, and the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms. But the public image of Cleveland as an honest public crusader may have been exaggerated, and behind the scenes, Cleveland harbored secrets his enemies were all to willing to use against him. Click here to check out Buzzsprouts podcast opportunities!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=934867

Millard Fillmore’s two years as president brought the nation into the turbulent and transformative decade of the 1850s. Though effectual in staving off civil war for another ten years, Fillmore’s time in office was largely uneventful and left no significant lasting impact on the nation.