Because it’s America’s birthday, we decided in full ecumenical spirit to invite a few conservatives to the party. They are, as you’ll see on the facing page, all respected thinkers, scholars, and jurists. And their answers are interesting—they give Dr. King his proper due—and even surprising (how did they omit Phyllis Schlafly?). As the widely respected former circuit court Judge J. Michael Luttig wrote us: “This is an ingenious idea for celebrating the 250th Anniversary of America’s Founding. My lists are American lists, not ‘conservative’ lists. And no, I was not surprised that they often tacked more liberal.”
The Greatest Moments in American History
1. Constitution and Bill of Rights
2. Declaration of Independence
T-3. Victory in World War II
T-3. Abolition of slavery/Thirteenth Amendment
5. Lee surrenders at Appomattox
T-6. Moon landing
T-6. Victory in the Cold War
The Worst Moments in American History
1. 9/11
2. Pearl Harbor
3. Trail of Tears/Indian removal
4. Japanese internment
T-5. Lincoln assassination
T-5. Southern secession
T-5. Arrival and institutionalization of slavery
The Best Presidents
T-1. Abraham Lincoln
T-1. Ronald Reagan
T-1. George Washington
4. Thomas Jefferson
5. Franklin Roosevelt
6. Calvin Coolidge
The Worst Presidents
1. Andrew Johnson
2. James Buchanan
T-3. Joe Biden
T-3. Donald Trump
T-3. Woodrow Wilson
T-6. Warren G. Harding
T-6. Franklin Pierce
The Most Influential Founding Fathers
T-1. Alexander Hamilton
T-1. Thomas Jefferson
T-1. James Madison
T-2. John Adams
T-2. Benjamin Franklin
T-2. George Washington
The Most Consequential Politicians Who Never Became President
1. Alexander Hamilton
2. William Jennings Bryan
3. Henry Clay
T-4. Benjamin Franklin
T-4. Barry Goldwater
T-4. John Marshall
Most Important Americans in Public Life Who Never Held Elected Office
1. Martin Luther King Jr.
2. Thomas Edison
T-3. Frederick Douglass
T-3. Henry Ford
5. Jonathan Edwards
The Images That Define American History
T-1. Iwo Jima flag raising
T-1. Washington Crossing the Delaware
T-3. Moon landing
T-3. Statue of Liberty
The Most Important Court Cases
1. Brown v. Board of Education
2. Marbury v. Madison
3. Dred Scott v. Sandford
4. McCulloch v. Maryland
5. Obergefell v. Hodges
The Most Important Women
T-1. Susan B. Anthony
T-1. Eleanor Roosevelt
3. Sandra Day O’Connor
T-4. Frances Perkins
T-4. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
T-4. Harriet Beecher Stowe
T-4. Harriet Tubman
The Most Important People of Color
1. Frederick Douglass
2. Martin Luther King Jr.
3. Barack Obama
4. Jackie Robinson
5. Booker T. Washington
The Most Important Works of Art in American History
1. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
T-2. Casablanca
T-2. The Wizard of Oz
11-way tie for fourth place
The Liberal Mount Rushmore
1. Franklin D. Roosevelt
2. Martin Luther King Jr.
T-3. Lyndon B. Johnson
T-3. John F. Kennedy
Frederick Douglass, Barack Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Theodore Roosevelt each received substantial support.
Conservative Contributors
Richard Brookhiser, National Review
Veronique de Rugy, Mercatus Center
Robert George, Princeton University
Allen Guelzo, University of Florida
Douglas Holtz-Eakin, American Action Forum
R. Glenn Hubbard, Columbia University
J. Michael Luttig, circuit court judge (ret.)
Harvey Mansfield, Harvard University
Michael McConnell, Stanford University
Henry Olsen, Ethics and Public Policy Center
Amity Shlaes, Coolidge Foundation
Stephanie Slade, Reason
Eugene Volokh, UCLA (emeritus)
