Kevin Aldridge Mr. Carrick History P5 28 April 2014 President Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan served two terms as the 40th president of the United States of America. Reagan was known for having a strong faith in the goodness of people. In college he was known as, “the jack of all trades” for excelling in everything he did (“Life Before the Presidency”). President Reagan’s beliefs gave him lots of respect from citizens around the world. One of his main beliefs was that peace comes with strength. I believe that Ronald Reagan was a great president because of his leadership qualities, domestic policies, and foreign policies. Ronald Reagan grew up with an alcoholic father, Jack Reagan (“Life Before the”). After his death, Ronald’s mother, Nelle, …show more content…
Reagan increased defense spending by 35 percent and built up our military (“President Reagan’s Foreign Policy: Making the World Over Again”). President Reagan was well respected as Commander in Chief of our armed forces. He also believed in anti-terrorism and he sent troops to Grenada to prevent the communist takeover (“President Reagan’s Foreign”). Growing up in the heartland of America president Reagan learned the importance of being a good neighbor. He paid special attention to Canada and Mexico and built strong relationships with the two countries (“President Reagan’s Foreign”). During the cold war, Reagan defeated the Soviets with the strategy of seeing how the Soviets would react to the drastic increase in US defense spending (“President Reagan’s Foreign”). He knew that the one thing the USSR respected was strength. The “Star Wars Program” was one of the driving forces behind peace negotiations. Reagan also negotiated a treaty with Russia’s leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. The treaty eliminated intermediate range nuclear missiles (“President Reagan’s Foreign”). He also declared war against international terrorism and sent American troops to Libya after finding evidence that Libya was involved in an attack on American soldiers in West Berlin (Freidel). During the Iran-Iraq war, President Reagan kept the free flow of oil by putting naval escorts in the Persian Gulf (Freidel). Reagan also supported anti-communist insurgencies in Africa, Asia, and Central America (Freidel). In 1987 Ronald Reagan delivered a speech to the world where he was quoted as saying, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” The speech was given at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin (“Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall: President Ronald Reagan”). This speech signified the beginning of the end of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. President Reagan’s foreign policy tactics are another reason why he was
“Should Reagan be offered the GE job, Nancy will make sure he takes it.” When Reagan challenges Ford in the 1976 Republican primaries and loses the nomination at the convention, “Nancy Reagan looks ahead to the day that her husband, Ronald Wilson Reagan, becomes the president of the United States in 1980. She will see to it.” After the assassination attempt, “Nancy decides whom Reagan will and will not see. This practice will continue throughout Reagan’s presidency.” So there you have it — the first theme, that Reagan’s entire career after he marries is inspired, directed, and controlled by his wife. Nancy goads him on. The second theme is that Reagan is passive, lacking his wife’s inner steel. He lets others make important decisions for him (not one example is offered) and is not very bright. The unifying theme is that the assassination attempt caused mental decline, accelerated the onset of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, and ultimately lead to the Iran-Contra debacle. Thus did the violent assault of March 30, 1981, change a presidency. In reporting Reagan’s first speech after the assassination attempt, the April 28 speech to a joint session of Congress,
Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” (Reagan 361) This line, while so simple, is probably the most famous from the whole speech and arguably one of Ronald Reagan 's most famous and recognizable lines ever. It sends a glaringly strong message that the United States and entire free world wants to bring Germany together not just for its own personal interests but because it genuinely cares about the state of the country. This short concise statement also shows that the president means business and that he is willing to do anything in his power to help the German people should Gorbachev accept his offer. He goes on to state that the United States is striving for peace and although it can not permit the spreading of communism, it does seek for all the people to see an increase in the standard of living and assure both sides security by demilitarizing and disarming both sides wherever
Works Cited "American President Ronald Wilson Reagan: Impact and Legacy." Miller Center. University of Virginia, n.d. -. Web. The Web.
It is the hope that the reader will be able to make a decision for himself or herself as well as gain knowledge and information about the two historical leaders chosen in this paper. The two leaders that this paper will compare are John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. It is in my opinion that these two United States of American Presidents were and are historical leaders. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, often referred to as JFK, was the 35th President of the United States of America and served in this capacity from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Kennedy served before his presidency as Massachusetts’s 11th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1947 to 1953.
ending of the cold war. It has been said that President Ronald Reagan ended the
Ronald Reagan came to the Presidency without any major political qualifications, but his victory in the Cold War was no lucky outcome. Dinesh D'Souza’s new book, Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader, just published by the Free Press, looks at how Reagan helped end the Cold War. Ten years ago Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate and said, “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and East...
Ronald Reagan was a very popular person before, during, and after his time of presidency. He went from a mere radio announcer, to the head of the United States of America. Ronald had defeated most of the world’s problems with Communism, improved the economy, and handled terrorist threats like a pro. Ronald quickly took America’s heart with his honorable deeds and doings. He was very famous by the time he became deceased. (Ronald Reagan Facts.)
The United States of America’s 40th president, Ronald Wilson Reagan served as our country’s leader from 1981 to 1989. Ronald Reagan was a very strong advocate for freedom. Many and most of his speeches were related to freedom or the concept of freedom was thrown in and mentioned in the speeches. A large part of Reagan’s campaign was freedom. His beliefs on this matter did not all come from morals, Ronald Reagan’s perception of freedom came from his lifestyle of/in Christianity.
President Ronald Reagan was the fourteenth president United States of America in 1981. President Reagan had very interesting careers that propelled him into the top office in government. He was a sports announcer, movie actor, captain in the Army, and a politician. During his Army days, he followed the politics in the movie industry and was later elected president in 1947 of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) (Mclure, 2015). Then he pursued and became the California governor. However, his true accomplishments, from 1981 through 1989, Ronald Reagan led a great American comeback. He not only achieved what his critics
Reagan gets so much credit for changing america even though he was one of the least hands on of all of the presidents. The Reagan era began with his election in 1980. Reagan mopped the floor with Jimmy Carter during the election process. Carter was a deeply unpopular candidate. During this time conservatism was on the rise everywhere. Reagan emphasized his beliefs in states rights and he condemned welfare cheats. He also condemned busing and he won the support of religious conservatives by standing for family values. However, he was the first U.S. president to have ever been divorced. He also appealed to a class of white people that resented the advantages that African Americans had obtained in the 1960’s and 1970’s. At the time, Reagan’s ideas
Ronald Regan was the 40th President of the United States. Ronald Regan became President on November 13, 1979. He got votes in 44 different states and received 484 electoral votes. Regan was also the oldest to become President. He served two terms which means he was the President for this country for 8 years. Ronald Regan did a good job with being the President for all us citizens. Regan did this certain speech called “A Time for Choosing” speech this talked about how he believed the importance of a smaller government. Regan revealed the ideas that they had to the people and how a small government can’t control the economy without controlling the people. Regan had big plans for the United States, he wanted things to run different than the other
One of the most well-known courageous acts from Reagan was going through the process of ending the Cold War. When he went into office, the Cold War had been raging since World War II. Reagan stood his ground against the Soviets, calling it the
Ronald Reagan began his presidency with bright eyes and hope for the restoration and prosperity for the United States of America. He connected with the American people through his wittiness and his experience through his previous acting careers. Even today President Ronald Reagan has held the title of one of the most productive and liked presidents. While President Reagan held two consecutive terms in office he accomplished many things. Reagan benefitted the economy with his political program of "Reaganomics", he improved Americas relationship with Russia through the Strategic Defense Initiative, he ended the Cold War, his motivational speeches which helped end the age of communism, beginning the "Conservative Movement", Reagan's Peace Through
Reagan strongly disliked the government. He felt that all of the problems America faces were the fault of the government system. Reagan removed many companies government regulations because he felt that in return, costs would come down a substantial amount. he also felt that the process of deregulation would be another way to help Americans, since they would hopefully be gaining more money. Reagan was a strong believer in his plans and actions and felt that they would reach
Ronald Reagan was a president that the majority of everyone has heard of or remembers, and his legacy and pride still shine to this very day. He went from a mediocre American citizen to the best President this nation has probably seen. President Reagan lowered tax rates, won the cold war, gained all citizens trust, and limited government interactions with businesses. These are only just a few activities that he pursued, and there are many more. President Reagan came into office during horrible times and led our country to moral times. From a football player, to talk show radio host, to an actor, and politician comes Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States.