The Bottom Dwellers
Historians rank James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Franklin Pierce, and John Tyler as four of the worst--if not the worst--presidents in American history. Why? A case could be made that they were actually the best Presidents in American history if we were to rank the men by how they upheld their oath of office. Tyler would certainly be number one under that criteria. But what about the other three? We dive into several primary documents that explain why these establishment historical rankings are dead wrong.
Your Instructor
Brion McClanahan holds a Ph.D in American History from the University of South Carolina. He is the author or co-author of six books, including the #1 Amazon best selling 9 Presidents Who Screwed Up America and How Alexander Hamilton Screwed Up America.
Course Curriculum
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StartAddress Upon Assuming the Office of President of the United States, April 9, 1841 (26:27)
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StartVeto Message Regarding the Bank of the United States, August 16, 1841 (28:04)
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StartVeto Message on the Creation of a Fiscal Corporation, September 9, 1841 (24:03)
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StartVeto Message Regarding Import Duties, August 9, 1842 (29:50)
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StartVeto Message Regarding Infrastructure Improvements, June 11, 1844 (18:03)
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StartMessage Regarding US-Mexican Affairs, December 18, 1844 (19:09)
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StartInaugural Address, March 4, 1853 (39:08)
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StartVeto Message, Part 1, May 3, 1854 (Insane Bill) (26:00)
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StartVeto Message, Part 2, May 3, 1854 (Insane Bill) (26:36)
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StartExpansion of August 4 Veto Message, Part 1, December 30, 1854 (25:33)
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StartExpansion of August 4 Veto Message, Part 2, December 30, 1854 (27:07)
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StartExpansion of August 4 Veto Message, Part 3, December 30, 1854 (30:54)