The Greatest American?

[Farquar]

Discovery is taking nominations for a show in May that will count down from 100 to 1. I LOVED the history channel's 100 greatest people of the millenium show that aired in 2000 (Gutenberg was #1). The more participants for this vote, the better, so I thought I'd post the question to the PC. Post your nomination on #1 and a few honorable mentions.

http://tv.channel.aol.com/greatestamerican

My #1 would be, hands down no contest, Alexander Hamilton. Despite having his life cut short by uh, a duel, he was the mastermind behind the federal reserve system. He envisioned what he wanted the American economy to be and made it happen, the implications of which still affect us immensely today.

Honorable Mentions:
John Marshall
Thomas Jefferson
Abraham Lincoln
FDR
Martin Luther King

Edit: The only rule is that the nominee(s) must be or have been U.S. citizens. Thus, someone like Albert Einstein would qualify.

[Edited on 2-7-2005 by Farquar]

[Drew]

I don't have the plug-in to view the page, what's the qualifications to be considered an "American"?

[Latrinsorm]

Andrew Jackson
Harry Truman
Richard Nixon
Elvis

edit: I didn't look at the page.

[Edited on 2-7-2005 by Latrinsorm]

[Drew]

Liberace!

[Ravenstorm]

Not at all easy decisions. My five that were mroe or less off the top of my head:

Martin Luther King
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Samuel Clemens
Rosa Parks
Irving Berlin

Raven

[StrayRogue]

Arnie is my number one.

[Drew]

I definately think George Washington needs to be put on the list, I think he doesn't get as much consideration as he should since he's basically the first political and historical figure American kids learn about.

[Drew]

Originally posted by StrayRogue
Arnie is my number one.


who?

[Farquar]

Originally posted by Drew
I definately think George Washington needs to be put on the list, I think he doesn't get as much consideration as he should since he's basically the first political and historical figure American kids learn about.

GW will undoubtedly end up in the top 10 I think, just because of pure name recognition. In terms of total contribution (political, philosophical, etc.) among GW's peers, I'd have to rank him behind Hamilton, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, and perhaps Madison and Jay (for their contributions to the Fed. Papers).

[Farquar]

Originally posted by Latrinsorm
Andrew Jackson
Harry Truman
Richard Nixon
Elvis

edit: I didn't look at the page.

[Edited on 2-7-2005 by Latrinsorm]

I don't know much about Truman, but I will admit it was a pretty ballsy move to use the A-bomb x2.

[Killer Kitten]

Abraham Lincoln
Albert Einstein
Crista McAuliffe
Benjamin Franklin
Rosa Parks

[Parkbandit]

Washington is great because at the end of the War, he could have easily gained power in this country. Many people would have supported him to become king. Also, at the end of his 2nd term, he could have easily been re-elected for a third term, but declined.

He'll be top 5.

[StrayRogue]

Originally posted by Drew

Originally posted by StrayRogue
Arnie is my number one.


who?

The Terminator?

[Alfster]

I now have 5 votes for myself, wonder where that puts me on the list...

[Chadj]

I watched something similar about Canada not too long ago.. it was really cool.

[SiKWiDiT]

Paul Reubans.

[peam]

Robert E. Lee.
Ben Franklin.
Thomas Jefferson.
Ernest Hemingway.
Frederick Douglas.

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

Hugh Hefner

[SiKWiDiT]

Originally posted by peam

Frederick Douglas.

I wrote a report on him in the fifth grade for extra credit. He's definately in the top ten.

[DeV]

Martin Luther King Jr.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Harriet Tubman
Susan B Anthony

[peam]

Martin Luther King Jr. was a second-rate Malcolm X.

[DeV]

Originally posted by peam
Martin Luther King Jr. was a second-rate Malcolm X. That very well may be the case. He definitely wasn't perfect, he was just a man afterall. The civil rights movement was necessary, glad he stepped up when he had the chance.

[xtc]

Rush Limbaugh
Ann Coulter
Timothy McVeigh
Richard Nixon
Bill O’Reilly

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

Heh. Anyone like MLK, Malcom X, Tubman, etc, who knowing put their lives on the line for the ideal that people are equal, are pretty darn courageous.

That's why I put Hugh Hefner, how the heck could you narrow the field down to 10 people really? There are too many folks, for different reasons, if you ask me.

[Parkbandit]

George Washington Carver.

Love the peanut butter.

George Washington is definatly the greatest American.

- Arkans

[Latrinsorm]

Originally posted by Farquar
I don't know much about Truman, but I will admit it was a pretty ballsy move to use the A-bomb x2. Me neither. I should have said: those are in addition to the ones you posted already (except I'm not big on Marshall).

Washington, I dunno.

[Tsa`ah]

I tend to view the greatest Americans as those who willingly put their lives on the line for the greater good. The people who gave orders from safety ... pfft.

Great minds yes ... great people ... not very likely.

For that reason alone, Malcolm, MLK .... and a score of others who were at the front instead directing from a safe distance make the grade.

[Latrinsorm]

I was thinking great meant influential. If we're talking bravest, I'm going to have to make a mess of revisions.

[Farquar]

Originally posted by Parkbandit
Washington is great because at the end of the War, he could have easily gained power in this country. Many people would have supported him to become king. Also, at the end of his 2nd term, he could have easily been re-elected for a third term, but declined.

He'll be top 5.

He certainly had a lot of discretion (although one can argue he was already tired of office by the end of his 2nd term) and foresight. I think in his farewell address he essentially made two points:

1. Don't get bogged down in the affairs of foreign nations and;

2. The U.S. should avoid a sharply divided two-party system.

Hmm...

[Farquar]

Originally posted by Latrinsorm
I was thinking great meant influential. If we're talking bravest, I'm going to have to make a mess of revisions.

The contest was purposefully ambiguous to allow for maximum participation, but when I think greatest, I think: "did what he/she did affect the way I live my life today?"

In considering this, I probably have a few more additions to make, such as:

Margaret Sanger: birth control (aka the pill) pioneer.

Concur on F. Douglass.

Jonas Salk: polio vaccine, among others.

I know Edison will find his way on the top 100, but I've always thought Tesla > Edison, but I'm not sure if Tesla ever became a U.S. citizen.

Harriet Tubman

Andrew Jackson for PWNing John Marshall.

Taft for getting stuck in the White House bath tub.

All my scientests who worked on the Manhattan Project to blow shit the fuck up.

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall for being mad pimp with the cheddar.

Charles Julius Guiteau for plugging Garfield, and what they don't teach you in history class about the reasons why he did it.

[red grog]

George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Alva Edison (radio, electric bulb, phonograph, tattoo gun, etc.)
Henry Ford (not for his politics but for his business innovations)
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (anti-slavery Abolitionist and woman's suffrage)

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by Tsa`ah
I tend to view the greatest Americans as those who willingly put their lives on the line for the greater good. The people who gave orders from safety ... pfft.

Great minds yes ... great people ... not very likely.

For that reason alone, Malcolm, MLK .... and a score of others who were at the front instead directing from a safe distance make the grade.

Anyone connected with the Revolutionary War would come before either X or MLK in my book. Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, etc.. were considered traitors. They not only put their lives on the line, but their fortunes.

That's not to demean that which X and MLK did.. that's just putting it into historical context.

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by Farquar
I think in his farewell address he essentially made two points:

1. Don't get bogged down in the affairs of foreign nations and;

2. The U.S. should avoid a sharply divided two-party system.

Hmm...

The world was a MUCH bigger place when he was President... but I agree with his second point.

[DeV]

Originally posted by Parkbandit
That's not to demean that which X and MLK did.. that's just putting it into historical context. That's why I have to agree with the point SHM made...
What makes an American great is different for everyone. The impact of an individuals actions may have no bearing on you but may mean a great deal to the next person. Peam stated that MLK was a second rate X or something to that effect. In the same sense Jefferson not only owned slaves but slept with them and fathered mullato children but historically his quality of life and service to this country outweight those missdeeds. I guess my point is, to each his own, historical context or not.

[GSTamral]

1) Francis Marion
2) FDR
3) Ronald Reagan
4) Thomas Jefferson
5) Martin Luther King Jr.

[Farquar]

The top 100 list is out:

http://tv.channel.aol.com/greatestamerican

The voting system was completely open ended so ballot stuffing was of course a real issue, and it shows.

Some "notables" on the list:

Both President Bushes AND their wives.
Ron Reagan
Condie Rice
Nixon
Bill and Hillary Clinton
John Edwards
Ellen DeGeneres
Tom Cruise
Mel Gibson
Michael Jackson
Michael Jordan
Dr. Phil

Along with the virtual locks:
Washington
Hamilton
Lincoln
Both Roosevelts
Edison
Tesla
JFK & RFK
Douglass
MLK
Malcolm X

[SnatchWrangler]

Al Bundy didn't make the cut? Bah.

[Edited on 4-18-2005 by SnatchWrangler]

[Xcalibur]

david crockett:)

Washington

[Keller]

No love for Booker T?

He was the single most influential black man from about 1880 - 1910. Possibly the MOST influential (Black or white).

Mine goes:

FDR
Hamilton
MLK Jr.
Jefferson
Booker T. Washington

[Wezas]

My Top 5 Names on the list that I just can't figure out why they're there:

John Edwards (I like the man, but come on)
Laura Bush (no comment)
Rush Limbaugh (Pill popping propoganda pusher)
Dr. Phil McGraw (Have we come to this?)
Barack Obama (So it looks like he has a good future; besides being a senator, what has he actually *done*?)

[George Washington]

Originally posted by Arkans
George Washington is definatly the greatest American.

- Arkans

Thank you.

[Soulpieced]

No love for Booker T?

He was the single most influential black man

.

Can you dig it, suckaaaaa!!!....

Woops, wrong Booker T.

[Soulpieced]

BTW, Soulpieced be godly thx... I mean, is the greatest American ever.... thx.

[Doyle Hargraves]

A REAL American:

http://forum.gsplayers.com/images/upload/Doyle%20Hargraves/1090.jpg

http://forum.gsplayers.com/images/upload/Doyle%20Hargraves/1092.jpg

[Seany Analog]

Yo everyone be knowin' who the best is.

<----------

[Edaarin]

Al Pacino needs to be on there for playing two of the most ridiculous badasses ever. And for the fact that no matter how bad his movies are, there's always a 3-5 minute monologue that makes sitting through them bearable.

[Soulpieced]

I definitely agree with Hulk Hogan.

[Xcalibur]

Originally posted by Edaarin
Al Pacino needs to be on there for playing two of the most ridiculous badasses ever. And for the fact that no matter how bad his movies are, there's always a 3-5 minute monologue that makes sitting through them bearable.

Scarface and?