George Washington
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George Washington
In early life he fought in the French Indian Wars (1753-57) and served in the Virginia House of Burgesses (1759-74). He was a leader of those opposing British colonial policy in America and represented Virginia in the Continental Congress (1774-75).
At the start of the American Revolution, he was given the command of the Continental Army (1775). He defeated the British at Trenton and Princeton, was defeated by them at Brandyvine, endured a difficult winter at Valley Forge, and finally, with French support, defeated the British armies again which ended with the British surrender at Yorktown (1781).
Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention (1787) and was unanimously elected to become the first United States President.
His administration was marked by a split between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, which ended with the latter resigning.
Washington set a precedent by refusing to serve a third term as President. In his Farewell Address (1796), he warned against the United States getting caught up in foreign entanglements.
George Washington (Part 1)
Freemen or Slaves
"The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves... The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of brave resistance, or the most abject submission. We have, therefore, to resolve to conquer or die."
-- George Washington, address to the Continental Army before the Battle of Long Island, 1776
1776 (by David McCullough)
1776
Amazon Price: $7.45 (as of 06/01/2012)
Esteemed historian David McCullough covers the military side of the momentous year of 1776 with characteristic insight and a gripping narrative, adding new scholarship and a fresh perspective to the beginning of the American Revolution. It was a turbulent and confusing time. As British and American politicians struggled to reach a compromise, events on the ground escalated until war was inevitable. McCullough writes vividly about the dismal conditions that troops on both sides had to endure, including an unusually harsh winter, and the role that luck and the whims of the weather played in helping the colonial forces hold off the world's greatest army. He also effectively explores the importance of motivation and troop morale--a tie was as good as a win to the Americans, while anything short of overwhelming victory was disheartening to the British, who expected a swift end to the war. The redcoat retreat from Boston, for example, was particularly humiliating for the British, while the minor American victory at Trenton was magnified despite its limited strategic importance.
Some of the strongest passages in 1776 are the revealing and well-rounded portraits of the Georges on both sides of the Atlantic. King George III, so often portrayed as a bumbling, arrogant fool, is given a more thoughtful treatment by McCullough, who shows that the king considered the colonists to be petulant subjects without legitimate grievances--an attitude that led him to underestimate the will and capabilities of the Americans. At times he seems shocked that war was even necessary. The great Washington lives up to his considerable reputation in these pages, and McCullough relies on private correspondence to balance the man and the myth, revealing how deeply concerned Washington was about the Americans' chances for victory, despite his public optimism. Perhaps more than any other man, he realized how fortunate they were to merely survive the year, and he willingly lays the responsibility for their good fortune in the hands of God rather than his own. Enthralling and superbly written, 1776 is the work of a master historian.
George Washington exhorting his troops in the Battle of Princeton, 1777 (Painting: William T. Ranney)
George Washington (article)
Washington was chosen to be the commander-in-chief of the American revolutionary forces in 1775. The following year, he forced the British out of Boston, lost New York City, and crossed the Delaware River in New Jersey and defeated the surprised enemy units later that year. As a result of his strategy, Revolutionary forces captured the two main British combat armies-Saratoga and Yorktown. Negotiating with Congress, the colonial states, and French allies, he held together a tenuous army and a fragile nation amid the threats of disintegration and failure. Following the end of the war in 1783, Washington retired to his plantation on Mount Vernon.
Unsatisfied with the Articles of Confederation, he presided over the Philadelphia Convention that drafted the United States Constitution in 1787. Washington became President of the United States in 1789 and established many of the customs and usages of the new government's executive department. He sought to create a great nation capable of surviving in a world torn asunder by war between Britain and France. His unilateral Proclamation of Neutrality of 1793 provided a basis for avoiding any involvement in foreign conflicts. He supported plans to build a strong central government by funding the national debt, implementing an effective tax system, and creating a national bank. Washington avoided the temptation of war and began a decade of peace with Britain via the Jay Treaty in 1795; he used his prestige to get it ratified over intense opposition from the Jeffersonians. Although never officially joining the Federalist Party, he supported its programs and was its inspirational leader. Washington's farewell address was a primer on republican virtue and a stern warning against involvement in foreign wars.
Washington is seen as a symbol of the United States and republicanism in practice. His devotion to civic virtue made him an exemplary figure among early American politicians. Washington died in 1799, and in his funeral oration, Henry Lee said that of all Americans, he was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." Washington has been consistently ranked by scholars as one of the greatest U.S. Presidents.
Source: Wikipedia
The Secret of a Good Army
"Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all."
-- George Washington, 1759
George Washington, 1796 (Painter: Gilbert Stuart)
No Bigotry
"The Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support."
-- George Washington, letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island, 1790
Good Websites on George Washington
- George Washington
- Biography and evaluation of Washington by Alexander Johnston, formerly Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Economy at Princeton.
Washington resigning his commission as commander-in-chief, 1783 (thus ensuring civilian, not military, rule in America)
Beware of the Spirit of Party
"Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party, generally."
-- George Washington, Farewell, Address, 1796
Latest News on George Washington
George Washington, 1787-90 (Painter: James Peale)
Importance of Religion and Morality
"Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports."
-- George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796
Statue of George Washington at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, United States
U.S. Presidents from left to right : George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln
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