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Thomas J. Craughwell

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10 Presidential Decisions That Changed History (PHOTOS)

Posted: 7/13/10
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Beginning with George Washington, every American president has made decisions that re-stitched the fabric of our society and altered America's place in the world. Some of these decisions were merely expedient; others required the courage of conviction in the face of intense opposition. Some were motivated by political loyalties, but many were inspired by a vision of a more just society and a better world. The list that follows spotlights ten presidential decisions that helped define who we are and shaped how we live now.

From The Buck Stops Here: The 28 Toughest Presidential Decisions and How They Changed History, by Thomas J. Craughwell and Edwin Kiester Jr.

Thomas Jefferson Purchases the Louisiana Territory from France, 1803.
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Although the U.S. Constitution did not grant such authority to the president, Jefferson leapt at Napoleon’s offer to sell the entire Louisiana Territory. At the bargain price of less than five cents per acre, Jefferson doubled the size of the United States.
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Written with Edwin Kiester.

 
 
 
Beginning with George Washington, every American president has made decisions that re-stitched the fabric of our society and altered America's place in the world. Some of these decisions were merely e...
Beginning with George Washington, every American president has made decisions that re-stitched the fabric of our society and altered America's place in the world. Some of these decisions were merely e...
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