Almost 20 years ago, the Discovery Channel held a poll/contest, asking Americans across the country who they believed that the greatest American was. The poll saw President Ronald Reagan get first place, followed closely by President Abraham Lincoln and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The poll, however, has very much begun to show its age of being from 2005, featuring picks such as President George W. Bush in sixth place, President Bill Clinton in seventh place, and former cyclist Lance Armstrong in tenth.

Because of the rather dated nature of this poll, the Lancer Ledger asked members of the Lakeland Regional High School staff to give their choices for the three greatest Americans in history, followed by their explanation for why their choices should be in the top three.

Ms. Sue Rossnagel, Art Teacher

When asked the question above, Ms. Rossnagel gave Sacagawea, the native american woman who famously assisted Lewis and Clark in their expedition across the newly acquired Louisiana territory, as her number one pick for greatest American, explaining that “You can’t talk about great Americans without starting with the Native Americans. Sacagawea was a teen mother who was a big part of the success of the Lewis & Clark expedition as a translator and guide, and she did it all with a baby in tow.”

Her choice for second greatest American was famed founding father and third president Thomas Jefferson with her stating, “The Founding Fathers have a place of honor in American history,” with her also adding, “Besides being the author of the Declaration of Independence and serving as the third president of the United States, he was an architect and designed many beautiful buildings that still stand today.” Thomas Jefferson typically ranks high in most presidential rankings for his role in authoring the Declaration of Independence and for being responsible for purchasing the Louisiana territory from France.

Ms. Rossnagel would end her list with Harriet Tubman, the prominent civil war era abolitionist and women’s suffrage activist, for her actions in having helped “guide 70 enslaved people north to new lives of freedom through the Underground Railroad. She also acted as a Union spy during the war.”

Mr. Christopher McMahon, Science Teacher

Mr. McMahon, who gave the number one spot to first President George Washington, for “leading the states through the Revolution,” as well as setting a “standard for a peaceful transfer of power” in the United States. Washington is typically held in high regard for both his leadership of the continental army during the Revolutionary War as well as his leadership as the first president between 1789 to 1797 that set many of the standards that presidents continue to follow to this day.

He then put President Lincoln in second place for “leading the states through the Civil War and always believing the best in humanity.” Lincoln is often noted by historians to be among the greatest presidents in American history for his aforementioned leadership of the Union during the Civil War, which would see him formally end slavery in the United States.

He would end his list with President Theodore Roosevelt, for his role in “establishing National Parks to preserve natural spaces.” The youngest man to assume the office of president at 42, he is noted for his many progressive reforms, such as those relating to conservation of America’s national parks as mentioned above.

Ms. Laura Fucilli, English Teacher
Ms. Fucilli would also place Washington in the number one spot, with her explaining, “Our nation wouldn’t be where it is without this man’s leadership and strength. Our success as a nation wouldn’t have been possible without Washington as our fearless leader.”

She would then put Benjamin Franklin, the prominent revolutionary era philosopher and inventor, in second place, saying that he was an “ultimate Renaissance man.” She added that he also“contributed so much to our nation from his work as a diplomat, a statesman, an inventor, and a writer. He defines what it truly means to be an innovator and a successful human being.”

She ended her list with another Founding Father, President Thomas Jefferson, similarly explaining that he “wrote some of the most influential words ever spoken as he fought for American liberties and rights as the author of our Declaration of Independence.”

Ms. Melissa Roush, English Teacher

Fellow English teacher Ms. Melissa Roush would also contribute to this poll, placing the renown transcendentalist writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau in first place, with her explaining, “In the 1800s he refused to pay his taxes to support what he considered to be an unjust government; he did not support the Mexican-American war and therefore preferred jail over supporting a government who was attempting (in his opinion) to support expansion for the sake of slavery.”

Her next choice may ring a bell for those who have read The Crucible, Giles Corey. She says, “He was accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials, but refused to answer the charge because he saw the corruption of the trials and wanted to preserve his land for his family… He was crushed to death by stones and still refused to answer the charge, saying only ‘more weight’ when questioned.”

Her final choice was also related to The Crucible, its very own author Arthur Miller. She says, “Miller was blacklisted during the McCarthy Trials for his beliefs and jailed for refusing to name others who attended communist or socialist meetings.” Ms. Rousch also shared that The Crucible is an allegorical work about the Salem witch trials “which paralleled the corruption inherent in the American government during the Red Scare.”