Top 10 greatest Americans of all time
December 30, 2005
10. Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs in 1927.
9. Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence.
8. Mark Twain, America’s greatest writer.
7. Rachel Carson. When she published Silent Spring, she almost single-handedly started the modern environmental movement. In a very short stretch of time, we got the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the EPA, and wilderness preservation.
6. Norman Borlaug. An agricultural scientist whose invention of new wheat strains doubled the food production of Pakistan and India in five years, saved a billion people from starvation, and won him the Nobel Peace Price in 1970.
5. George Washington, first in war, first in peace, and last in the National League.
4. James Madison, author of the Constitution.
3. Martin Luther King was a prophet who called on the better angels of our nature and convinced them to heed the call.
2. Franklin Delano Roosevelt led America and the world through depression and war, and into secure prosperity.
1. Abraham Lincoln saved the Union, and saved government of, by, and for the people.
December 30th, 2005 at 11:57 am
[...] Badger Blues progressive politics from Madison, Wisconsin « Carnival of the Badger XX Top 10 greatest Americans of all time » [...]
December 30th, 2005 at 12:09 pm
Good list. I would add someone to represent at least part of the American contribution to world music: jazz, and blues, bluegrass, and rock-n-roll. I’m not sure who that would be. Muddy Waters? Louis Armstrong? Buddy Holly?
December 30th, 2005 at 1:07 pm
Jen, good point. It’s a little heavy on the politics, and music and art got left out undeservedly. I like all three of your suggestions, but it’s hard to pick one in particular.
February 16th, 2006 at 5:50 pm
Hey, guys!
I am an 8th grader doing a project over this top 10 list and would Albert Einstein be one of the greatest americans for his contributions?
February 17th, 2006 at 9:43 am
Hi
February 26th, 2006 at 1:27 pm
Racel Carson?
Her book got DDT banned. Since then millions of people in Africa, Souith America have died of malaria.
She was another dangerously uninformed do-gooder screwing things up.
Thanks Rachel
October 1st, 2006 at 1:30 pm
rachel carson…
Interesting post. I came across this blog by accident, but it was a good accident. I have now bookmarked your blog for future use. Best wishes. Rachel Sterling….
July 5th, 2007 at 9:30 am
Hands down the greatest American was Ben Franklin and I’m shocked that he wasn’t on the list. Franklin’s diplomatic abilities are why we exist as a nation. Franklin was a great political figure, inventor, philosopher and the reason we have the postal service, fire departments, libraries and the ability to harness electricity (not to mention the architect of the constitution), and I’m scratching the surface.