Once the war had ended, some people feared Washington would refuse to step down from his position of power. However as soon as peace was obtained, he resigned, returning to his home. He still continued to be involved in the formation of the newly freed United States of America. He presided over the Continental Convention, and on April 30, 1789, having been unanimously elected, he became the first president of the United States.
George Washington set the standard for the office of president, and is ranked as being one of the most popular presidents in U.S. history. One of Washington’s primary goals in office was to maintain unity within the new nation, a goal that encountered difficulty in events that took place during the presidency. The Whisky Rebellion was the first recognized revolt against the new government, and in response, Washington used armed force to put it down. This use of force did not sit well with certain groups. Conversely, in another situation, the use of the 1794 Jay Treaty to avoid having to use force against Britain also had people divided.
After two terms in office, Washington declined a third and stepped down, returning to Mount Vernon. He died two years later, much to the sorrow of the public.
C: Evaluation of Sources:
West's Encyclopedia of American Law is a collection of legal documents, biographies, and, articles about various legal topics. The section I used was a biography of George Washington. It was concise, and did not give any opinion of the author, stating only facts that I was able to verify with my other sources. The fact that the information present was gathered by multiple people, and refined into a usable source reduces the chance of any individual’s biases being reflected in the material, making this an excellent source, relevant to this investigation.
Encyclopedia of War and American Society, similar to West's Encyclopedia of American Law, is a collection of information concerning American involvement in various wars, as well as the effects of involvement, both geopolitical, and social. The nature of this work is focused in a way that both presents facts and events, and analyzes them to indicate the various effects they had on the United States. With this presentation of the author’s analysis as fact, it is necessary to use this work with some caution, due to fact that personal bias may have had some influence upon it.
D: Analysis:
Though he is not often thought of as such, George Washington is a perfect example of a caudillo, standing as the largest example of one in the U.S. beside Andrew Jackson. He was an extremely successful military man, as well as being charismatic, and loved by the people. The definition of a caudillo is most simply a military leader; translated literally from Spanish it means warlord, or strongman. This definition fits Washington almost perfectly. Washington grew to become the prominent figure he did through the military, starting as a simple soldier, and then rising through his accomplishments to be promoted. With his voluntary reentrance to the army, Washington demonstrated one of the aspects of his personality that contributed most to his eventual status as a leader of the nation: his care for the freedom of his country. However, despite his willingness to work without pay coming entirely from his heart, it was not a major sacrifice, as he was one of the richest men in the country.
With the Continental Congress short on money and supplies, Washington’s troops suffered, forcing him to plead the congress for more food and supplies. This was a request the Congress was hard pressed to meet, however “he developed what was perhaps his greatest strength in a society suspicious of the military--his ability to deal effectively with civil authority. Whatever his private opinions, his relations with Congress and with the state governments were exemplary”(1). His continued composure, even in the adversity he faced along with men, improved his reputation both with the soldiers he commanded, who valued his efforts on their behalf’s, and with the congress for his respect.
While much of Washington’s reputation was garnered from his character, as much, or even more, was due to his military accomplishments. One of his most well-known victories was his sneak attack on Trenton on Christmas night 1776. Washington again proved himself by surrounding the town and surprising the Hessians stationed there. The battle resulted in only four American casualties while the Hessians suffered 120 with another 1,000 captured. This victory led to a great boost in morale for the Americans, and with it, a wave of affection for Washington and his leadership.
Washington came out of the Revolutionary war more popular among the people, and most of his peers, than ever before. With his departure from power, he was compared to Cincinnatus, a Roman hero who, in the face of danger left his farm and became ruler of Rome, fighting off its enemies. Once Rome was safe, he relinquished power and returned to his life as a farmer. This choice of Washington’s had a huge impact on the Continental Congress, and when it came time for them to elect a president of the newly formed government they unanimously chose him, knowing that he could be trusted with power. This was the height of Washington’s rise to power; he had become the very definition of a caudillo.
When faced with the challenges of his presidency, Washington could have stretched the bounds placed on him by the constitution easily. Instead, to the great fortune of the American people then and now, he chose to uphold it fairly and firmly. With the Whisky Rebellion, the rebelling farmers used remaining sensitivity against taxation to fight against a national tax placed on whisky. And in response, Washington issued a proclamation gathering a militia and had the rebellion put down, “setting a precedent for the use of the militia to ‘execute the laws of the union, [and] suppress insurrections’"(2). In doing so, he showed that the new government would enforce its laws and that it, as well as he himself, was not weak.
In the case of the Jay Treaty, signed in November 1794, Washington chose to solve the problem of continued antagonization by the British with diplomacy rather than force. He felt that if all possible, armed conflict with Great Britain should be avoided. He felt that the civilian militia, while powerful enough to put down a small rebellion, would not do well against the professional British army. And despite criticisms calling him weak, or cowardly, he was able to keep America out of a situation for which it was unprepared, and continue to ensure its success till he stepped down.
E: Conclusion:
Washington, throughout his entire life, remained entirely dedicated to the cause of his country. He served the British in the Seven Years War, making a name for himself, and then served the Colonies, becoming the first American caudillo. Rather than taking power for himself and destroying the liberty the Revolution was fought to protect, it was given to him by the people and then returned by him after eight years of firm but fair governance, an occurrence rare within the Americas. With his death, the American people mourned the loss of the Father of their Country.
F: Bibliography:
West's Encyclopedia of American Law Ed. Shirelle Phelps and Jeffrey Lehman. Vol. 10. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2005. p300-302.
George Washington: A Bibliography By John Richard Alden
Encyclopedia of War and American Society. Ed. Peter Karsten. Vol. 3. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Reference, 2005. p922-925.
Higginbotham, Don. George Washington: Uniting a Nation. Lanham, Md.: Rowman and Littlefield, 2002.
http://thegooddemocrat.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/george-washington-and-the-treatment-of-the-enemy/
http://sc94.ameslab.gov/TOUR/gwash.html
http://www.britishbattles.com/battle-trenton.htm
http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milestones/whiskey/
Encyclopedia of the American Constitution. Ed. Leonard W. Levy and Kenneth L. Karst. Vol. 3. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. p1419.
(1): http://sc94.ameslab.gov/TOUR/gwash.html
