Just who was George Washington anyway? When I think back to what I learned about him in school it boils down to a bunch of cherry trees and the gag-inducing "I will not tell a lie" statement. This is laughable...surely, I should know more about the "Father of Our Country" than this! Nowadays, we are surrounded by George through dollar bills, monuments, days off work, cities, states, etc, but do we really know anything about him, the man? My goal in reading his biography was to learn just that and to find out somewhere along the way what it takes to be great. Greatness is relative, of course, but I think we will all agree, without knowing why, that George Washington should be included in that elite group.
I read Joseph Ellis' biography of Washington, entitled His Excellency (Alfred A. Knopf: New York, 2004). Joseph Ellis has a solid reputation in the historical world with his focus on our Founding Fathers and early American history. Plus the book was only around 300 pages long. Score! In Part I, I will give you guys the rundown on Washington's life (I know you all are itching to find out more as well) so that when we reach Part II, you will be able to fully understand my criticisms. Knowing me, I'm just guessing that there will be criticisms. Well let's get on with it...
George Washington was born to a small landholding family in Northern Virginia where he consequently learned the importance of wealth and above all, the value of land. In Ellis’ book, land becomes the overarching theme to Washington’s life, leading him into marriage, certain jobs, and ultimately, independence from Britain. There is not much information concerning George as a young man but what is apparent at this early date is that Washington is actually a man seething with emotions, especially ambition. Washington was and remained an extremely ambitious man, concerned with his welfare and his importance in society.
As a young surveyor for the British, Washington got his first experience of the Wild West across the Alleghenies, leaving him with a powerful thirst for all that relatively uninhabited land. By “relatively uninhabited” I mean that there were Indians that actually lived there but Washington discounted them, clearly believing that nothing would be able to stop the colonists from eventually taking over. His next job gave him his first taste of military service through the Virginia militia, where he commanded as an adjutant general and where he would serve under the British in the French and Indian War. Washington, at this time in his life, reminded me of any 21-year-old on the planet. Full of himself, sure of his reasoning, impetuous, emotional, and sly, he was poised to carve himself a place in the world by any means necessary.
With the promise of land, Washington eagerly joined the side of the British in the ensuing French and Indian War and even led troops to recapture French forts, most notably Fort Dusquesne. Washington was involved in a sketchy fight against some unsuspecting French and then was nearly killed in the Monongahela massacre. Instead, he was not harmed at all and rode across the battlefield, rallying the British into an orderly retreat and becaming something of a local hero. However, Washington soon became disillusioned with the British. They refused him entrance into the British army and then once the war was over, refused to give him any of the promised land. They told him that the offer of land was only for British subjects, not American colonials. He retired to Mount Vernon for the next sixteen years.
It was during this time that George married Martha Dandridge Custis, a wealthy widow. By all accounts, Washington was in love with a married woman at the time, but his good sense prevailed and he married well, inheriting more land, slaves, and prestige into the bargain. He also became a member of the House of Burgesses, where his views on independence began to emerge.
I was excited to reach this point of the story because I had questions about this part of Washington’s life. How does one man switch his allegiances so easily? Washington grew up under British rule in the South, fought for the British in the war, aped British dress and customs and yet a few years later he is advocating a break from Britain. Why? Ellis does a good job explaining this phenomenon. If you recall, Washington was never happy about his own mediocre origins and everything he did seemed to further his ambitions. Thus with his new marriage and the acquisition of Martha’s new property, Washington was finally living the life he wanted, with the heightened social position and responsibilities involved. What he had not counted on was the British mercantile system. The system worked like this: the colonies would produce crops; the colonists would then sell those crops to the British (the Mother Country); the British would “buy” those crops at a low price but then sell them at their own higher prices. The British mercantile houses would then keep the colonists on a credit system by holding their payments in England. Consequently, Washington, wishing to spend the money he had on credit, wrote to his agent in England, requesting paintings, decanter sets, clothing, etc and in this way greatly exceeded his income. Washington incurred a spectacular amount of debt. Upon receiving an accounting of all this (probably with a bill attached), Ellis describes just how upset Washington felt. George argued with his creditors that he had been deceived and taken advantage of and these feelings would permeate all future dealings with the British.
As if in response to Washington’s emotions, the situation between Britain and the colonies began to deteriorate as well. The French and Indian War, though won by the British, was the catalyst that sparked the American Revolution, for the British, hoping to recoup some of their losses in the recent war, decided to tax the colonies directly for the first time. These new taxes (Stamp Acts, Townsend Acts, Intolerable Acts) were not popular. Add that to the major debt already acquired by most southern plantation landholders and the already fierce autonomy of the New Englanders and the situation became explosive. Distrusting the British, Washington ranged himself on the side of the colonists at once and was elected by the state of Virginia to both the First and Second Continental Congresses. It was during the Second Continental Congress, and after the Battle of Lexington and Concord, that John Adams proposed that Washington be voted the Commander-in-Chief of the incipient Continental army. Of course, the nomination had been inspired by the fact that Washington, with his imposing physicality, was dressed in all his military finery. It also helped that he was from Virginia, the most powerful state in the colonies at that time, thus ensuring Virginia’s support in the coming war. And it further helped that he distinguished himself primarily by not saying much at all. You know the strong, silent type? Washington so looked and acted the part that the Congress unanimously voted him the job on the spot.
Washington got right to work by heading directly to New England. After Lexington and Concord, the British were entrenched at Boston and he joined the siege that was already in place. His job was to somehow coordinate the raising of an army using mainly the militia combined with an extreme shortage of provisions and ammunition and turn them into a powerful weapon to be flung at the British. Please do not forget that the British at this time were seemingly omnipotent. The British Empire was spanning the globe allowing England to overflow with resources, armies, finances, and means. They were the Goliath of world domination. The sheer impossibility of it all would have depressed me had I been around at the time. All the odds were clearly against the Americans but these brave men somehow determined that they could win this thing, prompting them to finally issue the Declaration of Independence. Washington, although not a signer of the Declaration, had given the nod to independence almost a year previously by becoming the commander of the American army. Were the American cause to fail, he would surely hang as a traitor.
Well, we have made it to the American Revolution and I have to tell you that I will not be giving you a blow-by-blow account. Since we all know the end result of the war, I will stick to Washington’s actions and you can decide for yourself if he should be the numbered amongst the greatest military leaders off all time. Now back to the siege of Boston. The Continental Army ended up forcing the British to evacuate by using the artillery that had been captured from Fort Ticonderoga. In the meantime, Washington made the mistake of believing that Canada would play an important factor in this fight just as it had in the French and Indian War. Acting upon this belief, he issued two segments of his army, one led by Benedict Arnold, to rendezvous and capture Quebec. This mission eventually failed and it would be illustrative of Washington’s command. Washington’s personality was naturally aggressive so his idea of war included a dramatic frontal assault on the British, thereby forcing them into a short six-month war.
This plan of attack was never really rooted in reality. As I have mentioned earlier, the British had it all and time to spare. Through a number of differing circumstances, Washington had to readjust his previous ideologies of war and evolve into what the times dictated. Thus, although Washington favored an all-out offensive, he realized, in time, that only a defensive strategy would answer due to their woefully inadequate army. This new strategy eventually led him to New York. In Washington’s mind, New York City was The Place To Be. He felt that this was the place that the British would try to control and so he moved his makeshift army there. In point of fact, this is exactly where the British arrived but whether it was due to Washington's shrewd strategizing or the fact that the colonies’ rebellious army was there are issues up for debate. And whatever prescience Washington displayed here, he did not shine in the following encounter. The British completely routed him and his army but through the ineptitude of the British, they were able to retreat and save the bulk of the army.
The American cause was hanging by a thread. Washington was aware that the only object between American independence and continued dependence on Britain was his little army. He also was aware that he needed some “wins” to recreate the spirit of ’76 and to give the fledgling US some leverage. It was then that he famously crossed the Delaware, only to surprise the British into losing a few engagements. Washington’s stock rose again and they were able to settle into winter quarters in peace. But events were not progressing the way that Washington wanted. He did not care for the guerilla tactics that they were forced to adopt and it galled him to be unable to fight the British out of New York City. The following years would give him plenty of setbacks including a major colonial defeat in South Carolina and the humiliating loss of Philadelphia (our nation’s capital at the time). The one bright moment was engendered by General Horatio Gates with a spectacular British defeat at Saratoga. Washington was unaware of it at the time, but Saratoga would be the watershed of the war, proving that the United States was worthy of allies. The French would sign a treaty of friendship with the Americans soon afterwards.
New York City, though, continued to be the focus of Washington’s attention. It amazes me to think that our great general seemed so blinded by the undue importance that he placed on this city, which, in retrospect, did not play a distinct role in the war. I was glad to read that Washington eventually woke up. Finally succumbing to the advice of his generals and to the pressure of the French General Rochambeau, Washington made a last-minute move by abandoning New York City to aid the beleaguered Continental Army in the South. And, if I read this correctly, a least several miracles then occurred.
I know that the term “miracle” would not surface anywhere near a military account or an eminent historical document, however there is no other explanation that I can see. The serendipitous culmination of events lends a surreal atmosphere to our newborn nationality that can only be described as miraculous. For instance, Washington openly fought the idea of moving his army south and maintained, in all his correspondence, that New York City was his focus. These letters would fall into the enemy’s hands, thereby giving the British the impression that Washington’s move south was just a ruse. Thus, it would fall out that while the British refused reinforcements to Cornwallis, Washington and the French navy was on hand to provide the trap. Just like that and the war was over.
Of course, Washington was a national hero. We may debate his efficacy as a general but there was no doubt in the minds of the Americans—-Washington stood for everything that the new republic was to exemplify. And his reputation would only grow. After the war, he would renounce his public role and retire to Mount Vernon as a gentleman farmer but he would never be far from the minds of his fellow countrymen. When it became apparent (mainly through Shays Rebellion) that the Articles of Confederation was an inadequate system of government, the members of Congress began deliberations for a new constitution that would include a much stronger executive branch. Who better to become the new president than the man who had won their precious freedom to begin with? George Washington was unanimously elected as the first President of the United States with John Adams as his Vice President.
I will say this of George Washington, he was able to command undying respect from his equals and he was a fantastic judge of character, for the most part. In this cynical age, it is just plain nice to read about the loyalty that he was given, not only from his peers in the Continental Congress, but from his fellow army staff and presidential cabinet members. He just seemed to surround himself with talented men, such as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton.
During his first term, he concerned himself with establishing the nation and its national identity. This process is extremely hard for me to imagine, considering that I am a product of the twenty-first century US juggernaut. But back then, nobody knew who or what the United States was. Due to the shortcomings inherent in the Articles of Confederation, the United States possessed absolutely no credibility in international politics and the global arena. Thus, it was up to Washington, as our first president, to implement the new Constitution and to provide the precedents necessary to established our government. The two major issues that Washington encountered in this first term were Citizen Genet, a French national who tried to push the United States into an alliance with revolutionary France, and the Whisky Rebellion, where Pennsylvania men led riots against the distillery tax. Washington ably dealt with both, first by having Genet recalled to France and second by leading federal troops into Pennsylvania himself to quell the uprising.
His second term was marked mainly by infighting amongst his cabinet. The brilliant men that George surrounded himself with began to hate each other, namely Hamilton and Jefferson. Out of this hatred would eventually grow the first two political parties of the United States, the Federalists (Hamilton) and the Anti-Federalists (Jefferson). Washington, himself, was of the Federalist persuasion, although he was deeply against the evils of the party system, and so was a target of the anti-federalist press. The aura of the Presidency and Washington, in particular, had subsequently worn off and he and all his policies became fair game. Washington’s reputation suffered through the constant criticism in the media, especially once the gist of Jay’s Treaty became common knowledge. Basically, Jay’s Treaty was the measure Washington used to keep England and the US out of another war with each other, despite great provocation from Great Britain. However, Washington felt that another war at this time would prove too much for baby America to handle (being already broke and with no standing army or navy). The anti-federalists were incensed at this treaty and what they saw as Washington’s senility.
Washington had given forty-five years of his life to the public and so after two terms, he quietly stepped down, refusing to run a third time. His farewell address, which had been sent to every newspaper in America, warned against foreign alliances, party systems, and politics becoming devoid of religion and morality. This masterpiece from the first President has proven a boon throughout the ages as it was good, sound advice to built a country on.
The only mistake that he made upon retirement was allowing himself to get caught up in the issues surrounding his successor's government. John Adams had become the second President of the United States and in advertently, was pitchforked into the same mess that Washington was exiting. Adams, a strict Federalist, did not possess Washington’s glowing reputation nor undisturbed mien to hold the wolves at bay. For in spite of the malignant press of his second term, Washington was still extremely popular with the American public.
The situation in Europe and his cabinet's duplicity was the general cause of the problems effecting John Adams at this time. The revolution in France spawned two different reactions amongst the American people, if you were partial to France, then more involvement in the French wars was necessary but if you preferred the British, then staying out of the war in France was preferable at all costs. Adams used the XYZ Affair to silence the warmongering French crowd by disclosing that Talleyrand, France’s foreign minister, had asked for a healthy bribe from the Americans to keep France from invading. This so incensed the nation at large that almost all support for France evaporated overnight. Hamilton manipulated this spirit of fear by having a standing army ordered into existence with George Washington leading. Adams was forced to allow Washington to appoint Hamilton as second-in-command, which considering Washington’s age, worked perfectly into Hamilton’s ultimate plan. Washington, unaware of the political machinations surrounding Adams, blindly became a pawn for Hamilton, working against the current President.
The plot, and Washington’s role in it, fell to pieces when Adams renewed talks with France and a new treaty halted all invasion talk. Washington had begun to suspect Hamilton’s intentions and retired (again) to Mount Vernon upset and apologetic. George Washington died in 1799 after contracting a bad cold from freezing rain.
Interesting Stuff About Washington
1.) He was provided very little education growing up. He was raised at home and educated there but he was not a great reader nor did he take up any scholarly pursuits. After his years with the army, he then married and became a part of the southern system of landed gentry, concentrating on his estate, his means, his slaves, and his crops. So this man who was to become the United States of America’s very first president never went to college.
2.) George seemed immune to harm or injury of any kind. Ellis relates how Washington seemed to have a charmed life starting from early childhood. Out of four children, two died young while George and a brother survived. Later on, Washington would survive massacres engineered by the Indians and the smallpox in Barbados. The word would go out though that young George Washington had divine providence on his side and that he lived for a reason.
3.) Washington was a physically awesome specimen. In a time when the average male was 5’7”, George towered above them all at 6’3”. Not only that, but he had the breadth of shoulder which, along with his height, gave him a truly commanding appearance. It never hurt his ambitions that he was so physically imposing.
4.) I was amused to learn that Washington almost singlehandedly began the French & Indian War. As a soldier in the Virginia militia, General Dinwiddie entrusted to Washington a message for the French at Fort Le Beouf. While Washington was away on this mission, he stumbled upon some French soldiers and a fight ensued. Ellis believes that this was the first overt action taken in the French and Indian War.
5.) Washington refused any salary during his time as Commander-in-Chief and as President of the United States. Later, he was convincced to accept his Presidential salary so as not to establish a dangerous precedent in which only the rich could run for the office.
6.) He is the only president in history to command one hundred percent of the presidential votes.
7.) He is the only President to physically lead troops into battle (Whiskey Rebellion).
