Abraham Lincoln (term: 1861-1865) is one of the most popular Presidents in American History. During wartime, Presidents have used executive privilege to limit rights or exert far-reaching power. 

During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln deemed it necessary to restrict habeas corpus, a Latin term that essentially means the right to a fair trial. Lincoln argued that due process was illegal to limit except when the nation was on the brink of collapse – like during the American Civil War.

Ulysses Grant did not have political experience before he won the Presidency. In order to deal with hectic state the nation was in, he took up the program for the South that Abraham Lincoln had promoted - rehabilitation. 

Grant did not want to punish the South while the country was on the mend during the post-war Reconstruction period.

Chester Arthur (term: 1881-1885) saw the Brooklyn Bridge built during his term. The bridge was a credit to American engineering and ingenuity then and still represents a point of architectural pride. Chester Arthur had the moral courage to veto the Chinese Exclusion Act, even though it upset some groups of American businesses. 

The Statue of Liberty was gifted to America from France during Chester Arthur’s term, and the Geneva Conventions included the signature of the United States. The Geneva Conventions are revolutionary pieces of humanitarian legislation in international politics. Chester Arthur oversaw and had several accomplishments for the U.S. that still have an impact today.

Alaska did not become a state under Chester Arthur, but there was legislation drafted to bring Alaska closer to statehood during President Arthur’s term.

Herbert Hoover (term: 1929-1933) had one of the most unfortunate starts to a Presidency when the Great Depression hit the same year he was inaugurated. The state of the economy can determine a President’s ability to be reelected at times (while it is never that simple, it can be a massive factor in measuring a President’s success). The Great Depression not only crushed the US economy, but also the global economy and led to Franklin Roosevelt exerting serious Presidential power when he unleashed the New Deal.

Dwight Eisenhower (term: 1953-1961) officially saw Hawaii became the 50th state on August 21, 1959. This led to the modern American flag we know now. Hawaii was annexed by America in 1898 in part because of geostrategy - the base at Pearl Harbor provided several advantages during the Spanish-American War.

John Kennedy (term: 1961-1963) was in office during the Cuban Missile Crisis. America and the Soviet Union were bitter enemies during the Cold War and each found allies throughout the world. The Soviet Union deployed missiles to Cuba, a Communist ally, after America had failed to topple the Castro government during the Bay of Pigs invasion. This led to the most direct conflict of the Cold War, and the possibility of war was very very real.

Ultimately, negotiations settled the situation peacefully.

Jimmy Carter (term: 1977-1981) oversaw the Iran Hostage Crisis, which occurred in 1979 and lasted over 400 days. It was a massively public situation that had a ton of angles to it, and many argue that this cost Jimmy Carter a second term in office. 

Iran was facing a revolution, and the Iranian students that held the Americans hostage in the American embassy were supported by the powers that were not backed by the American government.

President Ronald Reagan (term: 1981-1989) sealed an executive agreement with USSR general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev that removed certain close-range nuclear weaponry from government's weapons caches.  

Executive agreements do not need Senate approval, but can lay the groundwork for official treaties and other diplomatic progress.