Alex Perini

4/14/14
English
The life of Ronald Reagan

Introduction:
Every four years, the worlds most influential, free, and most powerful country
holds a very special election. This election will appoint a man with the privilege,
and honor to be the Commander in Chief of the United States of America. These
men need power, courage, brains, and the braveness to propel the United States
into a position better than it sits at that time. These men are chosen by the people,
for the people. These men need to be strong, trustworthy, leaders who can (If the
circumstances apply) push the United States through the tough times of economic
recession, and through the even tougher times of war.

There was a time when

the United States was at war with an evil empire, an empire whos threat of
Nuclear warfare was so great, that all human contact with lost with that country
for an amount of time. The Soviet Union, the biggest threat to the United States
since the Axis of World War II, was on the brink of destroying the United States,
and the rest of the World. However, this war was different. This was a cold war,
a war where no weapons were fired. This is because there was a President who
scared and intimidated Mikhail Gorbachev more than Mikhail Gorbachev scared
him. This President was Ronald Reagan, the man who prevented the Soviet
Union from destroying the United States. A man who challenged Gorbachev to

tear down the Berlin Wall, and the man who led the United States into economic
prosperity through the 80s and into the 90s.

Early Life:
Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in a small apartment February 6, 1911, in Tampico,
Illinois, His family, which included older brother Neil, moved to a succession of Illinois towns as
his salesman father searched for a well-paying job. In 1920, the Reagans settled in Dixon.
Reagan graduated from Dixon High School in 1928, where he played on the football and
basketball team, became president of the student body and wrote for the yearbook. Reagan
attended Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois in 1928. He majored in economics but was an
average student graduating with a "C" average in 1932. At Eureka, he played football and was a
member of the college swim team, performed with the drama club, joined the debate club,
worked as a reporter on the school newspaper, edited the college yearbook, and served as
president of the student council. All this involvement helped pave the path that would lead
Reagan into his job of Sports Broadcasting for the Chicago Cubs and for Big 10 football.

In 1937, Reagan traveled to California to cover the Cubs spring training, where he met an
agent from Warner Brothers movie studio, where he took a screen test and was immediately
offered a $200-a-week contract. Reagan was an actor from 1937-1957 and appeared in many
popular B moves. After the attack Pearl Harbor in 1941, Reagan, was called to active duty and
commissioned a second lieutenant. His nearsightedness kept him out of combat, and he spent
most of the next three years in the Army Air Corps First Motion Picture Unit.

What:

Many people consider Reagan as one of Americas best Presidents. He has many qualities
that make him a hero, like ending the cold war, making the Soviet Union go bankrupt by
increasing the size of Americas armed forces, forcing the Soviet Union to increase the size of
their armed forces, which is known as the Arms Race, and bringing stability to Americas
Economy. When Ronald Reagan became president, he wanted to reduce the size of government
and reduce taxes. By reducing taxes this saved people money that they could spend and keep the
flow of money in the economy going so it could grow and prosper.

However, many people credit Reagan with the honor of ending the cold war, which had
been going on since the 1950s. Reagan knew the Soviet Union wasnt as powerful as it seemed.
He knew they spent most of their money on the Military, and Reagan knew if he increased
Americas Armed Forces the Soviets would have to compete until they had nothing left. His
predictions were right and The Cold War ended in December of 1991 when the Soviet Union
dissolved.

When:
. It was January 20th, 1981 when Reagan was inaugurated into office. On 2/18/81, Reagan
proposed his ideas on increased military spending and decreased taxes. A shocking moment
came on 3/30/81 when President Reagan was shot in the arm and chest by John Warnock
Hinckley Jr. on 11/6/84, Reagan was Re-elected as President. On June 5, 2004 Ronald Reagan
died after having suffered from Alzheimers Disease for nearly a decade.

Where:

Ronald Reagan made all of these important decisions as President, in the countries capital
in Washington D.C. Although many treaties, peace talks, deals, and just overall meetings
occurred all over the world. Many peace talks occurred in Moscow, Russia where Reagan and
Gorbachev talked of a peaceful coexistence. Reagan gave a famous speech at the Brandenburg
Gate near the Berlin Wall on June 12, 1987, commemorating the 750th anniversary of Berlin. In this
speech Reagan challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall to end the divide of Berlin.
On November 9, 1989, after increasing public unrest, East Germany opened the Berlin Wall. By the end
of the year, official operations to dismantle the wall began. With the collapse of the Communist
governments of Eastern Europe and, eventually, The Soviet Union itself began the tearing down of the
wall. In September 1990, Reagan, no longer President, returned to Berlin, where he took a few swings
at a remnant of the Berlin Wall.

Why:
President Reagan made all of his decisions in the best interests of the American people.
He had to protect the people, and the rest of the world. Reagan did what he did because he truly
hated Communism. He wasnt going to let any Nation bully and threaten the United States with
Nuclear Warfare so he took action and ended the cold war. That wasnt an easy task but he had
to do it. As a leader you need to take charge and set an example for everybody that looks up to
you.

How:
Ronald Reagans actions affected the world in many ways. If he didnt put an end to the
Cold War there is a good chance it would of ended by Nuclear Warfare. Nuclear Warfare would

have been devastating as it could of destroyed the entire world. If Reagan didnt expanded
spending on Armed Forces, the Soviet Union would of made a more powerful military than the
United States, giving them the power to destroy the country. Every decision Reagan made
affected the United States, and the World. His speech at the Brandenburg Gate opened up the
United States opposition of the Berlin War and influenced and gave hope to everybody in Berlin
that they would have the United States on their side if they rebelled and tore the wall down.
Even though that didnt happen until 1991, his speech influenced these actions.

Reagan just wanted peace in the United States, and economic prosperity which he
accomplished. His reduced tax policies were put in place to expand the middle class and put
more money into the hands of Americans to drive the economy. His decision to reduce the
federal government was to create a better economy and put the American people at ease and not
fear that the government was their enemy.

Conclusion:
Ronald Reagan was a very successful man. Since he was in school he had an interest in
the economy and politics. That drove him to become the governor of California and the
President of The United States. He ended the Cold War, made the Soviet Union go bankrupt, got
the economy back on track, and eased the American peoples attitudes towards the Federal
Government by reducing it. He is a Hero. He is a hero because he gave Americans hope for a
better future, and made America a better place to live by making a peaceful relationship with the
Soviet Union. Considered one of Americas best presidents, Ronald Reagan truly changed the
world in a very positive way, and is a man many aspire to be, and a man who many people look
up to.