Barack Obama: His Life, His Presidency, and His Legacy
Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States, and the first African-American to hold the office. He served in that role from January 20, 2009, until January 20, 2017, after being elected as the Democratic candidate in 2008. As president, he helped bring about sweeping social change and political reform in America. His legislative agenda is health care reform, financial system regulation and overhaul, and international relations efforts like ending the War in Iraq and tackling climate change.
Who is Barack Obama?
President Barack Obama is best known for being a peacemaker, who was devoted to his family. He grew up in Hawaii, but never let his distance from Washington discourage him from working in public service. In 1992 he became the first African-American elected as a U.S. Senator representing Illinois.
Early life
Obama was born in Honolulu to a white mother from Kansas (Ann Dunham) and a black father from Kenya (Barack Obama Sr.). Obama’s parents met in 1960 when his father was attending the University of Hawaii. They divorced when he was two years old. His mother remarried an Indonesian student and settled in Jakarta for one year, where her son lived before returning to live with his grandparents in Hawaii. He graduated from Columbia University in 1983 with a degree in political science.
College life
Barack’s father was a Kenyan research student, while his mother was American of European descent. As a young boy, he spent four years in Indonesia with his family before moving to the US to attend school at the age of ten.
Chicago Politics
The 10-year presidency of Barack Obama has come to an end. And his legacy in politics is unparalleled.
Becoming President
In November 2004, Illinois Senator Barack Obama won his reelection campaign for that seat he had first elected in 1996. He beat Republican candidate Alan Keyes by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. He was good on his way to realizing his lifelong goal of becoming President of the United States of America.
First Term
After a long campaign, Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States in 2008. The new president won majorities in both Houses of Congress, giving him the mandate to press ahead with his agenda. As president, he made healthcare reform a priority during his first term.
Second Term (2010–2013)
President Obama came into office amidst the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. When he was elected on January 20, 2009 unemployment had risen to 7.8%. He needed to stabilize the financial markets and make sure that America’s economy would be strong for years to come.
Last Day in Office (January 20, 2017)
Obama won’t be the first president to have his term end prematurely. The most recent example is former President George W. Bush who served for two terms before vacating office on January 20, 2009, due to term limits. Ronald Reagan also had his presidency cut short by an assassination attempt in 1981 as did Abraham Lincoln from a gunshot by John Wilkes Booth in 1865.
