George Washington (The American Presidents Series) Hardcover – January 7, 2004

The era of photography slices history into visual eras of ideal and real. Those who lived and died prior to photographic technology will probably linger in the nebulous realm of the ideal perpetually. Their life images have only passed down to the present through paintings, drawings, sculptures or perhaps via vivid textual descriptions. For obvious historical reasons, no photographs of the founders of the United States of America exist. Current generations experience these revolutionary icons only in idealized mediums likely to have incorporated at least a modicum of human interpretive intervention such as portraiture, statues and monuments. These once real people can then come to seem more unreal, legendary, distant and possibly superhuman or meta-human. Unlike Abraham Lincoln, generally considered a "great president" who appears in numerous photographs from life, George Washington, another "great president," lived too early to have his face and features as they existed captured by light and processed through the arguably less alterable, and presumably more honest, chemical processes of the dark room. Add to this his undeniable iconic and legendary status and some people now living in the representational era of the real may find Washington himself ineffable, unimaginable or exceedingly intangible, like the very sculptures residing in museums that preserve interpretations of his image.Washington of course once really lived in the world and played a vital role in the formation of the United States of America. Contrary to some popular portrayals, he also possessed true human flaws and sometimes even enraged the citizenry through his political actions. To help this historical Washington emerge from stone and marble, the American Presidents Series, made up of short books on each US president, provides a short and highly readable introduction to the man and the first presidency of the United States. It shows that Washington's influence persists to the present day, in that he fostered a strong and central executive branch and, by his very calls for a homogenizing unity, helped instill the dominance of political parties. From this brief narrative a human being takes shape, one that undoubtedly did many incredible things, but also a passionate advocate of liberty who seems to have put his own business interests before the liberty of the some two hundred slaves that he owned. Historians appear to agree that he also didn't treat these slaves very well, despite his private qualms about the "peculiar institution." One of his amazing accomplishments remains his refusal to seize power through force following the American Revolution. At the time, some apparently feared this move, as other revolutionary military commanders before him had abused their advantageous positions, but Washington instead retired to Mount Vernon, setting an example for future presidents and allowing the coming constitutional experiment to proceed unimpeded. The lives of human beings usually resist reductive or overly simplified interpretations and many search in vain for true moral exemplars.Before delineating Washington's presidency and its legacy, the book provides a fascinating summary of the events of Washington's life leading up to his inauguration at the now demolished Federal Hall building in New York City in 1789. He possessed no official education, tended to look down on the poor and had a particular fastidiousness towards fashion. A member of the upper class from birth, his marriage to wealthy widow Martha Dandridge increased his fortune and landholdings. The 1750s saw military defeats under his command, but he seemed to redeem himself during the French and Indian war, though some accused him of single-handedly starting that conflict through alleged "bungling." As the fury over the Intolerable Acts roiled in the colonies, Washington kept mostly to his business until the 1773 Tea Act unified enough of the colonists, including businessmen, to revolt. Though hypocritical views on slavery abounded, shared by many of the founders and the elite, calls for liberation echoed and Washington found himself leader of the Continental Army, then President of the 1787 Constitutional Convention and, following a short retirement à la Cincinnatus, the Electoral College elected him the first President of a new nation. Despite some lavish appearances to the contrary, for which he received voluminous brickbats in the press, he furiously resisted any pull towards establishing a monarchy in the United States. Even Thomas Jefferson later defended Washington as "no monarchist."Famously, throughout his career, Washington continuously claimed that he felt "unequal" to the particular missions that others called him to. Given that he had an uncanny penchant for appearing in the right place at the right time and clothed in the right attire, the book wonders whether this represented a calculated false modesty for effect. Regardless, Washington accepted the tasks to which he felt unequal and ruled under enlightenment ideals of rationality and "happiness." A deist, he also believed strongly in religious tolerance, even for atheists. The Constitution left executive powers vague, so Washington, with no predecessor to answer to, shaped the office in his own image. Almost immediately, the creation of the State, War and Treasury departments extended the powers of the executive branch. These powers would continue to expand under Washington's administration, contrary to his earlier expressed wishes for limited executive powers. Soon the presidency even dominated the legislative process, partially through his own reputation and partially through the dogged Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Through Hamilton's influence, Congress chartered the First Bank of the United States in 1791. Hamilton believed fully in government intervention in the economy along with regulation, central planning and a strong central government to promote growth. Jefferson, Washington's Secretary of State, and James Madison found Hamilton's views too exclusively financial and thought that these ideas diminished the revolutionary ideals of equality for all. Washington ultimately sided with Hamilton on a strong America with a strong foreign policy, initiating what would become known as "Federalism." Jefferson and Madison countered by what they called "Republicanism" and thus formed the now all-powerful political parties, which Washington detested, as they interfered with "national unity." The book faults Washington for not recognizing that political dissent may actually serve to further political ends, though many inhabitants of twenty-first century America may now see the legacy of parties as polemically corrosive and corrupting.Many consider Washington's second term, by another unanimous Electoral College decree in 1792, as less successful than his first. His continued calls for unity strengthened the opposition, which further entrenched Washington's own Federalist convictions. His initial concern for the plight of Native Americans seems to contradict the ordering of armies against various tribes, supported by the British, and their right to occupy lands in present day Ohio. This culminated in the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794 and cleared the way for American expansion. That same year John Jay traveled to Great Britain to negotiate the infamous Jay Treaty, which many saw as a treasonous sellout to the British. Public response even called for Washington's impeachment, which seems unimaginable given his legendary status today. In defiance of previous agreements with France following the American Revolution, Washington also began to lean away from a French alliance and more towards a British alliance, a move that would haunt his predecessor John Adams' administration. Some argue that the Jay Treaty also led directly to the War of 1812. It remains the most controversial action of Washington's presidency and it provided much fodder for Republicans. The more successful treaty of San Lorenzo, or Pinckney's Treaty, of 1795 soothed torrid relationships with Spain and expanded American shipping and trade on the continent.Retirement came eventually and Washington finally returned to Mount Vernon for the last time in 1797. With full Federalist sentiments he backed the 1798 Alien and Sedition acts and agreed to lead an army against, what seemed at the time, an inevitable impending war with France. He died soon after in 1799 and missed the transformative election of 1800. He left behind an increasingly divided populace, deteriorated relations with France and an empowered executive branch that appeared to gradually loom over a diminishing legislative branch. The book concludes with an epilogue that claims Washington didn't always pass ethical and integrity standards "with flying colors." Nonetheless, his faults shaped the fledgling nation as much as his successes. He remains a ubiquitous and stalwart icon in modern America and inhabits a political pantheon, along with Lincoln and FDR, of nearly undisputed "great presidents." For better or worse, he shaped the country that he presided over and left a lasting legacy that seems incapable of fading. This little book in the American Presidents Series gives a full, unromanticized and "warts and all" view of America's primary founder. It also successfully unwraps much of the mythological marble and stone that encases Washington's aura and legacy.

George Washington continues to top the ranking of presidential greatness. Why, because he resisted making himself king, not once but several times, as the authors make clear in this book about our first president. Washington believed in the experiment in representative government, obeyed Congress, upheld the Constitution, honored the rule of law, and kept faith with the American people who had elected him to office. In doing so, he created trust in democracy and set the precedent for future U. S. presidents.What is sometimes overlooked is the woeful state of the country at the time Washington took office. The economy was in recession, the massive war debt was unpaid, and, in violation of the Paris Peace treaty, the British still occupied the territory of what is now Michigan. On top of that, the Mississippi River was under the control of Spain and closed to American shipping, and there was Indian unrest in the upper midwest and lower southwest. And if that weren't enough the French Revolution was underway, the politics of which divided Europe and reached across the ocean to the American continent to destroy the harmony that marked the Washington administration, divided Washington's cabinet, and resulted in factions that led to creation of the two-party system. Incredibly when he left office eight years later, most of these vexing issues were resolved. To be sure, the two-party system was here to stay.Meanwhile on Washington's watch, Congress drafted a bill of rights, created a federal revenue stream to pay the government's bills, created the system of federal appellate courts including the Supreme Court, and created the departments of state, treasury and war. Two of the most brilliant men of the age, were appointed to head up two of these departments: Thomas Jefferson, as Secretary of State, and Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury. Washington did not have a college degree, nor did he possess the intelligence of these two gifted intellects. But he knew how to listen and to delegate. It was Hamilton's Funding and Assumption Bills that made provision for the war debt, that, couple with creation of the Bank of the United States, jumped-started the economy and launched American Capitalism.The George Washington who emerges in these pages, is all too human, wracked with self-doubt, a farmer at heart, baffled by the infighting within his administration, and not always in the best of health (twice he suffered near-fatal illnesses). It was concern over his health that convinced him not to seek a third term in office. While not a micromanager but nonetheless he was into the details. Here's a quote from page 63 that speaks volumes: "Washington insisted on accountability, diligence and speed. And attention to details, details, details. If the details were mastered, everything else--big plans and ambitious projects--would follow." Washington made his fair share of mistakes but learned from them, and grew on the job. He also liked to travel--once to New England and once to the South as far as Savannah, Georgia, for no other reason than to see how the people liked the new government and to see first-hand how agriculture and industry were progressing.The authors illustrate that it was Washington's time as Commander in Chief that he developed his management style. They also show that Washington struggled throughout much of his career. His true greatness didn't emerge until heading up the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Washington valued the opinion of accomplished men, and lived by several maxims that shown him in a good light. He also looked good and knew how to dress to fit whatever the occasion might be. About the book--it's an easy read, and at 157 pages relatively short. The portrait of Washington is the most human account I've encountered. Of all the books in the American Presidents' series, this is my favorite.