Johnson VS Madison

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Johnson became the 36th President of the United States a few short hours after the assassination of JFK. Known as one of the greatest political persuaders of the times, he sought the “Greater Good” of the people. James Madison was the fourth president of the United States. Although he was president, he is better known as the “father of the Constitution”. He led our fledging nation through the difficult War of 1812.

Lyndon Johnson’s presidency was embroiled in foreign nations as was Madison’s. An advocator of the space program, Johnson and the leaders of Russia worked things out between their two nations. During Johnson’s presidency, Vietnam became his defining moment. Unfortunately, many people believe this to be his greatest failure. Never has a war seen more protests and draft dodgers. Even now, the word Vietnam leaves a rotten taste in people’s mouth. For Johnson in 1968, the United States joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, prohibiting the transfer of nuclear weapons to other nations and assisting other nations to join the nuclear arms race.

Mr. Madison’s war of 1812 happened because of England and France. Madison prohibited trade with both countries until they stopped seizing American ships. In May 1810, Congress authorized the President to allow trade if either country agreed to stop preying on American ships. Neither country did, prompting the War of 1812. Many people saw Madison’s war as pointless and futile, making he and Johnson very similar in people’s reactions. As another foreign affair, Madison put an embargo on British goods in 1813. In June of 1814, Madison instructed his troops to invade Canada, but they never did conquer it.

Johnson’s second claim to fame comes from his Civil Rights Acts. Coming...

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...independence and growth. Johnson’s Vietnam separated America more than it ever brought us together.

Gary Wills, a presidential historian, sums up James Madison rather well when he says, “The finest part of Madison’s performance as President was his concern for the preserving of the Constitution. No man could do everything for the country-not even Washington. Madison did more than most and some things better than any” (Wills).I truly believe James Madison to be one of the best political minds in American history. Although his presidency was filled with turmoil, he and the nation came out stronger than ever.

Works Cited

http://www.leftjustified.com/james-madison

http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/biographys.hom/lbj_bio.asp

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/lyndonbjohnson

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/jamesmadison

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