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Is it true that Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy the only two presidents who ever attempted to end the Federal Reserve Banking Cartel? The definition of a Banking Cartel is given in the Wikipedia article on the Federal Reserve Act:

Preceding the creation of the Federal Reserve, no U.S. central banking systems lasted for more than 25 years. Some of the questions raised include: whether Congress has the Constitutional power to delegate its power to coin money or issue paper money, whether the structure of the federal reserve is transparent enough, whether the Federal Reserve is a public Cartel of private banks (also called a banking cartel) established to protect powerful financial interests ...

JonathanReez
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    Do you mean the Federal Reserve System (created in 1913)? I guess the "Federal Reserve Cartel" terminology is a code phrase used by certain fringe writers... – GEdgar Oct 22 '15 at 19:18
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    [Related question](http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/q/22023/19407) concerning "Kennedy vs The Fed". – Is Begot Oct 22 '15 at 20:11
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    @CEdgar post updated – JonathanReez Oct 22 '15 at 20:18
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    This question critically depends on whether there is such a thing as the "Federal Reserve Banking Cartel", which is a matter of opinion (not to say Conspiracy Theory). Therefore it is impossible to answer. – DJClayworth Oct 22 '15 at 20:53
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    @DJClayworth: Shouldn't we accept that the subject of the sentence is the Federal Reserve Bank, even if we dismiss the characterisation of it being a cartel? (Whether it is a cartel is something I have no opinion on, having very little knowledge of the subject.) – Oddthinking Oct 22 '15 at 23:21
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    "Attempted" is very vague. If it includes marching into a secret cabinet meeting, demanding reform and being stymied by the lack of support there, was that an attempt? If so, it is impossible to answer. Do we need to limit it to public announcement of policy? – Oddthinking Oct 22 '15 at 23:24
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    This question assumes that the answer to "is the Federal Reserve system a cartel?" is "yes". No evidence to that effect has been provided. – Mark Oct 23 '15 at 00:23
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    I would be fairly surprised if Lincoln tried to end the Federal Reserve. – cpast Oct 23 '15 at 01:12
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    This ought to be an acceptable question. Perhaps a simple answer is no, since the Fed wasn't created until 50 years after Lincoln died, but maybe there's a more complete answer that looks at central banking, and Lincoln and Kennedy's policies. – Mark Oct 23 '15 at 01:32
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    @Oddthinking If we accept that the claim is about the Federal Reserve Bank, then the answer becomes trivial: "There was no Federal Reserve under Lincoln." – DJClayworth Oct 23 '15 at 13:09
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    @DJClayworth: Sounds good, with a link to [Hasty Generalization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasty_generalization) thrown in for the inference they reach for. – Oddthinking Oct 23 '15 at 13:44

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No, assuming you mean Central Bank rather than specifically Federal Reserve.

Lincoln and JFK actually had very little in the way of removing or even reducing the power of a Central Banking System. Let's examine Presidents (and one Founding Father) that had something to do with a Central/Federal Reserve Bank.

  • Benjamin Franklin

    One of the Founding Fathers was quoted as saying (regarding the idea of not having a Central Bank):

    That is simple. In the Colonies we issue our own money. It is called Colonial Scrip. We issue it in proper proportion to the demands of trade and industry to make the products pass easily from the producers to the consumers. In this manner, creating for ourselves our own paper money, we control its purchasing power, and we have no interest to pay no one.

  • Andrew Jackson

    The 7th President vetoed Congress' re-authorization of the Second Bank of the United States. TL:DR The bank dissolved in liquidation and became a 'state' bank rather than a 'central'
    bank.

    veto

  • James Polk The 11th President was a staunch supporter of Andrew Jackson and considered the 'Lieutenant of the Bank War.' TL:DR He continued the traditions of being a Jacksonian Democrat.

    jacksonian democracy

  • Abraham Lincoln The 16th President supported the Legal Tender Act. TL:DR The Greenback was an independent currency that didn't rely on gold or silver, was enacted as legal tender, and wasn't linked to a bank, but rather the US Treasury.

    green back

    Note: this had really had little to do with any "international banking cartels;" merely having a means to pay off Civil War debts.

  • James Garfield The 20th President supported a Gold Standard, rather than any "paper notes" and was quoted as saying:

    "Whoever controls the money in any country is absolute master of industry [legislation] and commerce".

    twenty dollars

  • Grover Cleveland The 22nd (and 24th) President was arguably the greatest Advocate of a Gold Standard and fought hard against central banking.

    one thousand dollar

  • John Kennedy The 35th President actually expanded the power of the Federal Reserve, by getting passed Public Law 88-36. TL:DR The law repealed the Silver Purchase Act of 1934 and authorized the issuance of Federal Reserve Notes.

    jfk

Ruut
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    Much better informed and much more polite than the answer I was going to write. – DJClayworth Oct 26 '15 at 01:02
  • Where in the linked PDF on [Public Law 88-36](http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-77/pdf/STATUTE-77-Pg53.pdf) is the issuance of Federal Reserve Notes authorized? I am not acquainted with the legalese. – vfclists Jul 09 '17 at 18:55