George Washington by Gilbert Stuart (National Gallery of Art)
Summary of George Washington: President, Man, Myth
A). Washington as President
Washingtong established a group of advisors, the cabinet, Department of ForeignAffairs, nowcalled the StateDepartment. He created a six-memberSupremeCourt. As president, GeorgeWashingtontravelledaround the country.
B). Washington as Man
GeorgeWashington was born in 1732 in Virginia. As a boy, he learnedreading, writing and math. In histwenties, he became a BritishArmyofficer. Washington not onlyactedlike a greatleader – he lookedlikeone. GeorgeWashington was a headtallerthan the averageman of histime. He was verystrong, and very graceful.
C). Washington as Myth
GeorgeWashington had woodenteeth, is not true. He did not chopdown a cherrytree as a child and thenadmit it by saying, “I cannottell a lie.” The artist didn't paint what he saw---Washington looked like the wildest animal in the forest.
AmericanscallGeorgeWashington “the father of ourcountry.”Mostpeopleknowhimbest as the firstpresident of the UnitedStates, from 1789 to 1797. But the list of hisaccomplishments is long. Washingtoncommanded the ContinentalArmy in the RevolutionaryWar. He led the Americancolonists to freedom from Britishrule. He was alsopresident of the convention that created the U.S. Constitution.
Benjamin Latrobe's "A View of Mount Vernon with the Washington Family" (Courtesy of George Washington's Mount Vernon)
In hisprivatelife, Washingtonowned a largewhiskeydistillery and thousands of acres of land. He operated a large and successfulfarm. When the RevolutionaryWar was over, GeneralWashingtonwanted to go home to hisVirginiaestate, calledMountVernon.
JosephEllis is a historian and prize-winningauthorwhowrote a bookcalled “HisExcellency: GeorgeWashington.”
“He didn’t want to be president. No president in Americanhistorydid not want to be presidentmorethanGeorgeWashington.”
But otherleadersaskedhim to become the firstpresidentunder the Constitution. Everyelectorvoted for him. Washingtonaccepted the job as hisduty.
Washington as president
WhenGeorgeWashington was sworn in as president in 1789, the idea of a trulyunitedstates was stilljust an idea. Americanswereunconnectedsocial, economic and ethnicgroups. For example, a quarter of the people in the state of PennsylvaniaspokeonlyGerman. The newpresidentwouldhave to establish a social and politicalunionunder the Constitution.
But the Constitutiondid not say in detailhow the presidentcoulddo that. DougBradburn, foundingdirector of the WashingtonLibrary at MountVernon, saysGeorgeWashingtoninvented the job of president.
“I think that whatpeople don’t estimate in theirscale of judginghisskill as a politicalfigure is justhowfragile the country was, that the chances it wouldevensurvivewereprobablyvery, veryslim.”
Mr. BradburnsaysPresidentWashingtonsetmanyimportantprecedents for all the presidentswhofollowedhim. First, he was not just a figurehead but a decisionmaker.
He established a group of advisors, the cabinet. Theybecame a veryimportantpart of the presidency, or executivebranch. Washingtonchosestrongpeople to lead the departments. Sometimesthosecabinetmembersdisagreedstrongly, but Washingtonmanagedthemwell.
PresidentWashingtonalsoestablished the nation’s officialcurrency and the Department of ForeignAffairs, nowcalled the StateDepartment. He created a six-memberSupremeCourt.
And, Washingtonsaid the presidentshouldsetforeignpolicy. That responsibility was not clear in the Constitution.
Mr. BradburnsaysWashingtontookhisjobveryseriously and alwaysused the Constitution as hisguide.
“He wasn’t justtrying to establish an office and thenfigure out a way to justify it, he was trying to workwithhisConstitution.”
As president, GeorgeWashingtontravelledaround the country. In RhodeIsland, he wrote to the HebrewCongregation at Truro. The letterspokeeloquentlyabout the rights of Jews. Mr. Bradburnsays this letter is “tremendouslysignificant.” Supporting the Jews and theirreligion was a revolutionaryact of acceptance for its time.
Washington as a youngman
(Courtesy of George Washington's Mount Vernon)
GeorgeWashington was born in 1732 in Virginia. HisfatherdiedwhenGeorge was 11 yearsold. As a boy, he learnedreading, writing and math. Then he worked as a landsurveyor in westernVirginia.
In histwenties, he became a BritishArmyofficer. GeorgeWashingtonfought in the French and IndianWar.
Mr. Ellispoints out that Washingtondid not have a formal or collegeeducationlikemanyotherearly U.S. leaders, includingJohnAdams and ThomasJefferson.
“But in somesense, Adamsgoes to Harvard, and Jeffersongoes to William and Mary and Washingtongoes to war.”
Mr. Ellissays the firstpresident was “a realist.” At the sametime, he was a “verypassionateman” with “extremelystrongemotions.” He was known to getangry, but he onlyshowedhistemperto a fewpeople.
Washington not onlyactedlike a greatleader – he lookedlikeone. GeorgeWashingtonstoodabout 1.9 meterstall. He was a headtallerthan the averageman of histime.
He was verystrong, and verygraceful. He was known as one of the besthorsebackriders and bestdancers in Virginia.
But he had a problem: badteeth.
Unlikehiswife, Martha, who was known for herlovelysmile, GeorgeWashingtonbeganlosinghisteeth in histwenties. When he was sworn in as president, he had onlyonetoothleft.
Dentistsmadehimsets of denturesfrom uncomfortablemetal and springs. Some of the teethwere from hippopotamusivory. Mr. EllissaysWashingtonevenpaidsome of hisslaves for theirteeth.
“Aboutsix of the teeth in hismouth in hislatteryears, when he is president, are actually from slaves at MountVernon.”
Washington as a myth
EventodaypeopletellstoriesaboutGeorgeWashington. Onepopularstory, that he had woodenteeth, is not true.
And he did not chopdown a cherrytree as a child and thenadmit it by saying, “I cannottell a lie.” In fact, historianJosephEllissaysGeorgeWashington “liedmanytimes.”
But as Washingtonbecamemorefamous, hisreputation as a manwhoalwaysdid the rightthinggrew. Mr. EllistellsaboutoneartistwhopaintedWashington’s portrait. The artistpaintedwhat he thoughtpeoplewanted to see, instead of what he reallysaw.
George Washington by Gilbert Stuart (National Gallery of Art)
“When the artist was paintingone of hisfamouspresidentialportraits in 1795, and it’s the famousVaughanportrait, it’s of the icon. But he said, ‘as I looked at him he looked to melike the wildestanimal in the forest,’ but that’s not what he painted.”
Mr. EllissaysevenGeorgeWashingtonunderstoodpeoplewouldlook at hiswritings and judgehim in history.
“At somepoint in hislife, probablyduring the war, Washingtonwent from being a man to a monument. He was aware of the fact that he had a role to play and that allemergingnationsneedmythicalheroes.”
Washingtonbecameveryprotective of hispersonalthoughts. Hiswife, Martha, whom he married in 1759, burnedmost of theirletterswhenherhusbanddied.
DougBradburn of the WashingtonLibrary at MountVernonsayspeoplecanknow the firstpresident by hisactions. He saysGeorgeWashington had an unusualrange of abilities.
“As a politician, youknow, as a statesman, as a militaryfigure. These are allthings that he developsthroughpractice and throughreading.”
GeorgeWashington had onemainregret. He told a closeaide that he wished he had been able to dosomethingaboutslavery. When he died, on December 14, 1799, GeorgeWashingtonfreedhisslaves in hiswill. He alsogavemoney to the slaves and theirchildren to receive an education.
HistorianJosephEllissaysone of the bestthingsaboutGeorgeWashington was hisability to giveuppower.
“One of hisgreatestassets was he was a greataficionado of exits, of givinguppower. YoucouldtrustWashingtonwithpowerbecause he was soconspicuouslywilling to give it up.”
At the end of the RevolutionaryWar, Washingtongaveuphissword. And at the end of hispresidency, Washingtonsimplywentback to MountVernon.
DougBradburnsaysWashington was the rightman to be the father of the country and firstpresident. Mr. Bradburn, likemanyhistorians, callsGeorgeWashington the “indispensableman.” He madeideasaboutAmericanfreedom and governmentreal, and he showed that even the presidentwouldoperateunder the rule of law.
I’m AnneBall.
AnneBallreported and wrote this story. Kelly J. Kelly was the editor.
Mount Vernon today (Courtesy of George Washington's Mount Vernon)