30 Presidents Day Writing Prompts
Presidents’ Day isn’t just about barbecues and a day off school (although those are pretty sweet). It’s also a chance to learn more about the awesome (and sometimes not-so-awesome) leaders who shaped America.
Feeling stuck on how to celebrate?
This list of writing prompts is like a super-fun cheat sheet to get your creative juices flowing!
So whether you’re a teacher, a student, or just someone who likes to think deep thoughts, this is for you.
Let’s get writing!
President’s Day Writing Prompts
Exploring Presidential Decisions: Every U.S. President has made decisions that changed the course of history. Choose a significant decision made by any past president and discuss the factors that influenced this choice. Consider the historical context, personal beliefs of the president, and the potential consequences they may have been weighing.
Letters to the Oval Office: Imagine you’re living during the time of a particular U.S. president. Write a letter to them addressing your concerns, hopes, or opinions on the state of the nation. Ensure your letter accurately reflects the issues of that era and your imagined role within society.
If Women Held the Presidency: The U.S. has yet to have a female president. Write a fictional account of the first woman becoming president. Detail her challenges, achievements, and the reactions of a nation adjusting to this historic change.
Comparative Leadership: Choose two U.S. presidents from different eras and compare their leadership styles. Examine how their backgrounds, personal experiences, and the events of their time influenced their approach to the presidency.
A Day in the Life: Imagine spending a day at the White House during a critical period in U.S. history. Describe your observations, interactions, and the palpable tension or joy of the moment. Capture the essence of that time as seen from the eyes of a White House staffer or visitor.
Presidential Challenges: Every president faces challenges – from personal scandals to international crises. Delve into a specific challenge encountered by a U.S. president. Analyze the resolution, or lack thereof, and the lessons learned from that experience.
The Role of First Ladies: The First Ladies of the U.S. have played influential roles, both behind the scenes and in the public eye. Highlight the life and contributions of a particular First Lady, discussing how she navigated the expectations of her role and left a mark on American history.
The Moral Compass of a President: Consider the moral and ethical dilemmas that a president might face. Choose a real or fictional event and dissect the moral implications involved. Discuss how you believe a particular president would handle the situation based on their values and principles.
Legacy and Impact: Every president leaves behind a legacy – some more profound than others. Discuss what you believe to be the most significant positive and negative impacts of a chosen president’s term(s). Evaluate their long-term effects on the nation and the world.
Presidential Campaigns: Delve into a historical presidential campaign. Detail the strategies used, the issues at the forefront, and the public sentiments of the era. How did these elements combine to determine the victor?
The Personal Lives of Presidents: Behind the official duties and public appearances, each president had a private life. Explore the personal stories, struggles, or passions of a U.S. president that might not be widely known and discuss how these might have influenced their tenure.
Future Presidential Predictions: Speculate on the challenges and opportunities that a U.S. president might face 50 years from now. From technological advancements to geopolitical shifts, what would be the key decision points for this future leader?
Inspirational Speeches: U.S. Presidents have delivered some of the most memorable speeches in history. Choose a speech that resonates with you and deconstruct its themes, its rhetoric, and its impact on the nation and the world at the time.
Presidential Relationships: Often, the dynamics between U.S. presidents and foreign leaders or even between presidents and their cabinets can define an era. Explore a specific relationship and how their collaborations or conflicts shaped policies and events.
Vice Presidents in the Shadows: Vice presidents have sometimes been overshadowed by the presidents they serve, yet many have played crucial roles in pivotal moments. Highlight a vice president’s contributions and discuss how they complemented or contrasted with the president’s agenda.
Mount Rushmore Reimagined: If you were to design a new Mount Rushmore representing the four most influential U.S. presidents according to your criteria, who would you choose? Justify your selections based on their contributions to the nation and the values they embodied.
Presidential Innovations: Every president brings something new to the table. Discuss a particular innovation or policy introduced by a U.S. president and how it transformed the fabric of American society or governance.
From Humble Beginnings: Several U.S. presidents came from humble or challenging backgrounds. Explore the early life of a president and discuss how their upbringing shaped their leadership style and values during their time in office.
Presidents in Times of War: Delve into the term of a president who served during a time of war. Examine the difficult decisions they made, their strategies, and the eventual outcomes. Consider the impact on both soldiers abroad and civilians at home.
The Great Vetoes: Presidents wield the power of the veto. Research a significant bill that a president vetoed, explain the reasoning behind the decision, and discuss the long-term ramifications of that choice.
The Arts and the Oval Office: Some presidents had profound connections to the arts, whether as patrons, aficionados, or even practitioners. Describe a president’s relationship with a particular form of art and how it influenced their perspective and policies.
Presidential Retreats: Places like Camp David have been refuges for presidents. Explore a specific presidential retreat, the moments of decision or relaxation that took place there, and how these getaways influenced a president’s wellbeing and decision-making.
The Unknown Stories: Every president has lesser-known anecdotes or events that shaped them. Dive deep into a lesser-known story or event from a president’s life and detail its significance in their personal and political journey.
The Environment and The Presidency: Over the years, environmental issues have become more central to political agendas. Select a president and investigate their policies and stances on environmental concerns. Discuss the legacy of their environmental decisions and its impact today.
Post-Presidency Influence: After their tenure, many presidents continue to influence national or global matters. Choose a former president and explore their post-presidential endeavors and impacts on political, social, or humanitarian fronts.
The President’s Desk: Inside the Oval Office sits the Resolute Desk, a gift from Queen Victoria to President Hayes. Write a fictional account of a significant moment or decision for a president while they sat at this desk. Describe the emotions and weight of the moment.
The Youthful Perspective: Presidents often receive letters from children across the country. Imagine you are a school-aged child writing to the current president. Address a national or global issue that matters to you, explaining it from your youthful perspective and offering your own unique solution.
Presidential Failures and Comebacks: Every president faces failures or setbacks. Highlight a challenging moment in a president’s career and how they bounced back or learned from that experience, both personally and politically.
The Presidential Pets: Many presidents have had notable pets in the White House, from dogs to more exotic animals. Choose a presidential pet and write a day in the life from their perspective. Provide insight into the interactions and atmosphere of the White House through their eyes.
Presidents and Technology: Over the decades, the advancements in technology have greatly influenced presidential communication and policies. Select a president and discuss how the prevalent technology of their time affected their leadership, decisions, and relationship with the American public.
