| By Gale Staff |
Ronald Reagan was one of the most prominent American presidents of the 20th century. He was a charismatic, confident leader who helped define the modern Republican party. He prioritized domestic affairs, reduced federal oversight, and implemented significant tax cuts. He led a campaign of antagonism against the former Soviet Union, which he notably referred to as the “evil empire.”
At the same time, Reagan partnered with Democratic legislators, successfully passing comprehensive immigration policy and amendments to social security. According to the American Presidency Project, which has compiled and compared historical analyses of former presidents’ final approval ratings since Truman, Reagan has the second-highest rank, falling just behind Clinton.
With his birthday coming up on February 6, there’s no better time to talk about Reagan’s legacy. Your Gale In Context: Elementary subscription hosts a Reagan topic page devoted to his life and work as a president. Direct young students to this user-friendly resource to find age-appropriate, intriguing content on Reagan’s early life, rise to power, and presidential highlights.
Learn About His Upbringing
Begin your lesson plan with Reagan’s background and upbringing. Gale in Context: Elementary features several biographical articles, each written with early learners in mind. Students can even toggle between reading levels, adjusting the content for their individual needs.
Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois, a small farming town, on February 6, 1911. His parents, Nelle and John, were kind but struggled financially. They were Democrats who modeled hard work, tolerance, and charity. Reagan especially admired his mother’s endless love and compassion for her family and community, captured in his emotional 1988 Mother’s Day proclamation.
As a student, Ronald Reagan was athletic and popular—though not particularly academic. Nonetheless, he possessed an undeniable charisma. He played on the football team, acted in school plays, served on the yearbook committee, and became president of the student council. In 1928, he attended Eureka College as an economics major, working as a dishwasher, lifeguard, and coach to help pay his tuition. He sent money home to his family whenever possible.
Reagan acted in school and community theatre for much of his youth, so he was drawn to a career path in media and entertainment. His first job post-graduation was as a radio sportscaster. He discovered immediate success in that field, possessing a natural ability to deliver lines and capture an audience.
On a trip to California to cover baseball’s spring training, he set up a meeting with a movie agent. After a screen test with Warner Brothers, Reagan landed a contract as a Hollywood actor, earning enough to move his family to California with him. During his 20-year tenure in Hollywood, Reagan appeared in more than 50 films.
As an actor, Reagan joined the Screen Actors Guild and, by 1947, became the organization’s president. His staunchly anti-communist positions in this role outlined the early political leanings that Reagan would later pursue as president of the United States.
Buoyed by his success, Reagan transitioned into a new political career. In 1966, he was elected governor of California. His ambitious nature led him to pursue a bid for the Oval Office in 1968, a goal he finally achieved in 1980 when he was elected in one of the biggest landslides in recent political history, winning more than 40 states and a whopping 8 million vote margin over incumbent Jimmy Carter.
Identify the Highlights of His Presidency
Reagan accomplished plenty in his two terms and fundamentally reshaped American politics. His legacy as a celebrity-turned-politician created a path for other aspiring leaders, notably Arnold Schwarzenegger and Donald Trump. With Gale In Context: Elementary, you and your students can ascertain the main concepts that ultimately defined his tenure as president.
Reaganomics
Reagan was determined to pull the United States out of the recession caused by high inflation during the 1960s and 70s. His conservative, pro-business agenda, commonly referred to as Reaganomics initiated significant tax breaks for the wealthy to stimulate American industry and reduced federal spending (with the exception of the military).
Despite debates about the overall effectiveness of Reagan’s economic policies, they did lead to positive outcomes, including job creation, new investments in the technology sector, reduced unemployment, and a greater sense of optimism amongst working Americans.
Cold War
Many historians credit Reagan with finding common ground with Mikhail Gorbachev, the former president of the Soviet Union, thereby helping end the Cold War.
In 1985, as Gorbachev rose to power, he recognized the potential for Western investment in the failing Soviet economy. He and Reagan worked together to reduce the Cold War’s decades-long tension and negotiated a shared disarmament deal called the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
Iran-Contra Affair
All presidents suffer scandal and controversy, but how do we address and discuss such complicated events with elementary students? Reagan’s predominant offense came midway through his second term. The Iran-Contra Affair was a secret weapons arrangement that nearly got Reagan kicked out of office.
Early in his first term, Reagan promised to support anti-communist movements worldwide. However, Congress wanted to limit U.S. involvement in these foreign conflicts, expressly forbidding Reagan from funding anti-communist groups abroad.
Meanwhile, Reagan was facing a hostage crisis in the Middle East. Hezbollah, an Islamic group with ties to Iran, captured seven American citizens to deter U.S. intervention in the region’s ongoing conflict. However, Hezbollah was willing to negotiate; they would release the prisoners in exchange for weapons. In turn, Reagan used the money from the weapons sale to help fund the anti-communist Contras in Nicaragua.
A newspaper leaked the controversial agreement, though Reagan at first refuted the claims and denied involvement. The subsequent congressional investigation, during which Reagan testified, was televised nationally. The fallout from the Iran-Contra affair would define the latter part of his presidency.
Recognize Reagan’s Enduring Legacy
Reagan’s legacy is complicated. His unwavering belief in democracy and freedom helped reduce global tensions. However, his tax cuts, while successful in some immediate ways, ultimately fueled the growing wealth gap in the U.S. Yet, we cannot deny his lasting influence on U.S. history. His immense popularity altered the modern Republican Party and pushed Democrats to consider more centrist ideas, leading to Clinton’s win and unprecedented popularity.
As students learn more about our government through their American history and civics classes, they of course come to understand the president’s role—their duties and responsibilities. Discovering the more human, relatable aspects of the office makes these compelling figures more accessible for young learners.
In today’s divided country, studying leaders like Reagan, who sought global compromise, inspired those around him, and brought genuine optimism to the American people, is more important than ever.
If your institution isn’t a Gale subscriber, learn more here and request a trial today.