Ronald Reagen Essay example

Have you ever really wondered what are past presidents were like? No, well me either. So in this biography, we will both find out things that we did not know about our 40th president Mr.Rondald Reagan. On February 6, 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born to Nelle and John Reagan in Tampico, Illinois. He attended a high school close by and continued his education at Eureka College. He studied economics and sociology, played on the football team, and acted in school plays. Screen tests in 1937 won him a contract in Hollywood. During the next two decades he appeared in 53 films (“The White House” Online’). On January 26, 1940, he got married to Jane Wyman they divorced in 1948, having two children named Maureen Elizabeth and Michael Edward, Elizabeth passed away in 2001. After divorcing after several years, he then married Nancy Davis in 1952 having two children, Patricia Ann and Ronald Prescott. (“Miller Center” Online). Reagan’s hero was Franklin D. Roosevelt. For most of his acting career, he was a hard-core democrat. In 1947, he was subpoenaed by the house un-American activities committee to testify about the communist party’s influence in Hollywood. Reagan had joined a group called the Hollywood independent citizens committee of the arts, sciences and professions, a respected liberal organization supporting resident Roosevelt. . (James C. Humes pg.180)

As president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan became tangled up in disputes over the issue of Communism in the film industry. His political views changed from liberal to conservative. He toured the country as a television host, becoming a spokesman for conservatism. In 1966 he was elected Governor of California by a margin of a million votes; he was re-elected in 1970. (“The White House” Online’). Reagan emerged on the national political scene in 1964 when he made an impassioned television speech supporting the Republican presidential candidate U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater from Arizona. Although Goldwater lost the election, Reagan's speech brought recognition from Republicans around the country. He ran for governor of California in 1966, defeating Edmund G. (Pat) Brown, Sr. (‘Governors of California” Online). In the fall of 1978, Ronald preformed a political act that was highly unusual for a man given to law-and-order political speech that was on the verge of inflammatory. Later that year, john Briggs the senator of California made a proposal that all homosexual teachers would be removed out of the classrooms. The anti-gay movement was hoping to be victorious in the state of California, which would have been its most important success. (Boyarsky pg.177). Ronald Reagan strongly disagreed with this descion and decided not to put a vote against the proposal. The gay community illustrates two important facets of Reagan’s character. One was ingrained respect for the law that led him to oppose an initiative that violated the civil rights (Boyarsky pg.177). Reagan obtained legislation to inflame economic growth, break inflation, increase employment, and strengthen national defense. He set sail upon a course of cutting taxes and Government expenses, refusing to stay on track from it when the strengthening of defense forces led to a large conflict. (“The White House” Online). Reagan ran for President in 1980, successfully beating the incumbent, President Jimmy Carter to become the nation’s 40th president. Reelected in 1984, Reagan presided over broad changes in U.S. government economic and social policy. (“Governors of California” Online). After retiring to California, Reagan stuck around politically visible and active, becoming a national and international spokesman. He published his autobiography, An American Life, in 1990.opened the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California in 1991. (“Governors of California” Online). On

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Ronald Reagen Essay example

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