A look at eight presidents who took office in times of unprecedented crises. Mark Updegrove does a great job explaining the challenges faces these eight presidents. George Washington led a fragile nation while defining the role of the presidency. Thomas Jefferson faced a two party schism that divided the nation. John Tyler faced the constitutional crisis caused by the first death of a sitting president. Abraham Lincoln inherited a bitterly divied country on the brink of war. FDR had to deal with the fear of a nation during the Great Depression. Truman became president at the end of WWII. John F.Kennedy became president as the cold war heated up. Gerald Ford in the wake of the Watergate scandal became the first unelected president. All eight presidents had something in common. They all showed strength of character when leading the country through crisis.

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