Patriot Presidents: From George Washington to John Quincy Adams - Hardcoverby William E. Leuchtenburg (Author) A nuanced account of the early leaders who shaped the American presidency The founding fathers of the United States created a unique institution, the presidency, as they were determined to authorize an effective chief executive but wary of monarchy. They endowed this office with broad prerogatives and power but hedged it in with limitations. The presidency that developed over the next generation, however, was