George Washington (1732-1799)
As the first elected president of the United States of America, George Washington is associated with several achievements. To begin with, he was in the forefront in creating and institutionalizing strong, well organized, and steadily financed government that was inclusive of the states with the US territory.
Previously a soldier and a leader of a regiment, George Washington’s government was very successful in establishing a very firm united nation out of the remains of a series of military campaigns against the British government (Conlin 35). George Washington is accredited for having initiated different government rituals and forms that have persisted to the present day. For instance, inaugural speech and cabinet system of governance were the creation of George Washington.
The current transitional process was first implemented by George Washington. After serving two successful terms in the office as an elected president, George Washington facilitated peaceful and structure transition to John Adams. This act established a strong foundation for democracy and acceptance of the will of the people of America. George Washington was the first president to accept the voice of the people who democratically elected his predecessor.
Due to the peaceful transition, America has remained ahead of other states and countries in promoting democracy and respect of the laws on elections (Brinkley 37). This might have not been possible if George Washington did not lay the foundation for the same. In fact, Washington earned the title of the ‘Father of America’ when he was still active in the public life as political figure and popular leader.
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
As one of the founding fathers of the US and the third president of the post independence America, Thomas Jefferson is attributed with several achievements which permanently changed the history of the US in a positive way. To begin with, Jefferson authored the Declaration of Independence, which internalized the ideals of the post revolution America.
While still in the office as the president, Jefferson passed the religious freedom statute in Virginia, which is associated with the current freedom of religious affiliation in the modern American society (Conlin 41).
Lastly, Jefferson was the founder of the University of Virginia, which has since grown into a center of excellence with more than five million alumni. Jefferson’s statute was significant and formed the foundation of his declaration, which abolished slave importation in the US. Some of the current civil rights such as equality and freedom of association were expanded from Jefferson’s statute.
John Parker (1827-1900)
Born in 1827, Parker faced the reality of slavery at a tender age of eight years. He proceeded to serve as a slave for close to two decades under the control of a doctor before purchasing his freedom. As a slave, his position on social justice, need for fair income redistribution, and personalized inspiration to transformation among the minority races in the US ignited the engine for later civil rights movements across the US (Brown 29). His fame as a social justice crusader climaxed with the daring mission of freeing over a thousand slaves.
The achievements of Parker have inspired many liberation movements among the colored population in the US over the years. For instance, the abolition of the slave trade and slavery in the US was possible due to his earlier activist campaign against slavery and unfair treatment of the minority races in the US (Brown 34).
Works Cited
Brinkley, A. American History: Connecting with the Past, Volume 1. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education, 2011. Print.
Brown, M. John Parker. New York: Wiley and Sons, 2001. Print.
Conlin, J. The American Past: A Survey of American History. Alabama, Al: Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.