Merlijn kamerling biography of george washington

Washington became an international symbol for liberation and nationalism as the leader of the first successful revolution against a colonial empire. President Gerald Ford stated that Washington would "rank first among all officers of the Army, past and present". In , Mason Locke Weems wrote a hagiographic biography to honor Washington. In the 21st century, Washington's reputation has been critically scrutinized.

The historian John Ferling maintains that Washington remains the only founder and president ever to be referred to as "godlike", and points out that his character has been the most scrutinized by historians. He also maintains that Washington never advocated outright confiscation of tribal land or the forcible removal of tribes. Calloway wrote that "Washington had a lifelong obsession with getting Indian land, either for himself or for his nation, and initiated policies and campaigns that had devastating effects in Indian country.

The growth of the nation demanded the dispossession of Indian people. Washington hoped the process could be bloodless and that Indian people would give up their lands for a "fair" price and move away. But if Indians refused and resisted, as they often did, he felt he had no choice but to "extirpate" them and that the expeditions he sent to destroy Indian towns were therefore entirely justified.

Along with other Founding Fathers, Washington has been criticized for holding enslaved people. Though he expressed the desire to see the abolition of slavery through legislation, he did not initiate or support any initiatives for bringing about its end. This has led to calls to remove his name from public buildings and his statue from public spaces.

Washington's presidential library is housed at Mount Vernon, [ ] which is now a National Historic Landmark. Many places and monuments have been named in honor of Washington, including the capital city of Washington, D. He appears on contemporary United States currency, including the one-dollar bill , the Presidential one-dollar coin and the quarter-dollar coin the Washington quarter.

Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read View source View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikisource Wikidata item. Founding Father, U. For other uses, see General Washington disambiguation and George Washington disambiguation. Portrait c. Frederick County — Fairfax County — Martha Dandridge.

Military officer politician surveyor planter. Congressional Gold Medal Thanks of Congress [ 1 ]. Army General of the Armies appointed posthumously. See list. Early life — Further information: Washington family. Colonial military career — Marriage, civilian and political life — Main article: George Washington's political evolution. Martha Dandridge Custis.

Opposition to the British Parliament and Crown. Commander in chief of the army — Further information: Military career of George Washington. Main article: Siege of Boston. Main article: Battle of Long Island. Crossing the Delaware, Trenton, and Princeton. Main article: Philadelphia campaign. Brandywine, Germantown, and Saratoga. Valley Forge and Monmouth.

Main articles: Valley Forge and Battle of Monmouth. Southern theater and Yorktown. Demobilization and resignation. Main article: George Washington's resignation as commander-in-chief. Early republic — Further information: Confederation Period and Articles of Confederation. February 1, Constitutional Convention of Main article: Constitutional Convention United States.

First presidential election. Main article: — United States presidential election. Presidency — Main article: Presidency of George Washington. Further information: History of Washington, D. Main article: George Washington's Farewell Address. Post-presidency — Further information: Post-presidency of George Washington. See also: Finances of George Washington.

Main article: George Washington and slavery. Religious and spiritual views. Main article: Religious views of George Washington. See also: Cultural depictions of George Washington. Washington—Franklin issue of Washington quarter dollar. Washington Presidential one-dollar coin. Washington on the dollar bill. Further information: List of George Washington articles.

The British Calendar New Style Act implemented in altered the official British dating method to the Gregorian calendar with the start of the year on January 1 it had been March These changes resulted in dates being moved forward 11 days and an advance of one year for those between January 1 and March For a further explanation, see Old Style and New Style dates.

There is no evidence that Washington actually attended classes there. The complete text can be found in The Eclectic Medical Journal BBC History.

Merlijn kamerling biography of george washington

January Archived from the original on August 30, Founders Online. National Archives. Archived from the original on November 6, Retrieved July 11, American National Biography. The White House. Retrieved January 12, Archived from the original on March 7, Retrieved April 2, November 5, USA Today. Archived from the original on March 20, The Papers of George Washington.

University of Virginia. Archived from the original on July 22, George Washington's Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. Archived from the original on July 13, Retrieved July 13, Archived from the original on April 30, Archived from the original on April 24, November 17, Archived from the original on December 11, Siena College Research Institute.

February 13, Archived from the original on July 19, By November of that year, the British had evacuated New York City and other cities and the war was essentially over. The Americans had won their independence. Washington formally bade his troops farewell and on December 23, , he resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the army and returned to Mount Vernon.

For four years, Washington attempted to fulfill his dream of resuming life as a gentleman farmer and to give his much-neglected Mount Vernon plantation the care and attention it deserved. The war had been costly to the Washington family with lands neglected, no exports of goods, and the depreciation of paper money. But Washington was able to repair his fortunes with a generous land grant from Congress for his military service and become profitable once again.

In , Washington was again called to the duty of his country. Since independence, the young republic had been struggling under the Articles of Confederation , a structure of government that centered power with the states. But the states were not unified. They fought among themselves over boundaries and navigation rights and refused to contribute to paying off the nation's war debt.

In some instances, state legislatures imposed tyrannical tax policies on their own citizens. Washington was intensely dismayed at the state of affairs, but only slowly came to the realization that something should be done about it. Perhaps he wasn't sure the time was right so soon after the Revolution to be making major adjustments to the democratic experiment.

Or perhaps because he hoped he would not be called upon to serve, he remained noncommittal. In , Congress approved a convention to be held in Philadelphia to amend the Articles of Confederation. At the Constitutional Convention , Washington was unanimously chosen as president. Washington, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton had come to the conclusion that it wasn't amendments that were needed, but a new constitution that would give the national government more authority.

In the end, the Convention produced a plan for government that not only would address the country's current problems, but would endure through time. After the convention adjourned, Washington's reputation and support for the new government were indispensable to the ratification of the new U. The opposition was strident, if not organized, with many of America's leading political figures — including Patrick Henry and Sam Adams — condemning the proposed government as a grab for power.

Even in Washington's native Virginia, the Constitution was ratified by only one vote. Still hoping to retire to his beloved Mount Vernon, Washington was once again called upon to serve this country. During the presidential election of , he received a vote from every elector to the Electoral College, the only president in American history to be elected by unanimous approval.

As the first president, Washington was astutely aware that his presidency would set a precedent for all that would follow. He carefully attended to the responsibilities and duties of his office, remaining vigilant to not emulate any European royal court. To that end, he preferred the title "Mr. President," instead of more imposing names that were suggested.

However, Congress persuaded him to accept the compensation to avoid giving the impression that only wealthy men could serve as president. Washington proved to be an able administrator. He surrounded himself with some of the most capable people in the country, appointing Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury and Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State.

He delegated authority wisely and consulted regularly with his cabinet listening to their advice before making a decision. Washington established broad-ranging presidential authority, but always with the highest integrity, exercising power with restraint and honesty. In doing so, he set a standard rarely met by his successors, but one that established an ideal by which all are judged.

During his first term, Washington adopted a series of measures proposed by Treasury Secretary Hamilton to reduce the nation's debt and place its finances on sound footing. His administration also established several peace treaties with Native American tribes and approved a bill establishing the nation's capital in a permanent district along the Potomac River.

Then, in , Washington signed a bill authorizing Congress to place a tax on distilled spirits, which stirred protests in rural areas of Pennsylvania. Quickly, the protests turned into a full-scale defiance of federal law known as the Whiskey Rebellion. Washington invoked the Militia Act of , summoning local militias from several states to put down the rebellion.

Washington personally took command, marching the troops into the areas of rebellion and demonstrating that the federal government would use force, when necessary, to enforce the law. This was also the only time a sitting U. In foreign affairs, Washington took a cautious approach, realizing that the weak young nation could not succumb to Europe's political intrigues.

In , France and Great Britain were once again at war. At the urging of Hamilton, Washington disregarded the U. In , he sent John Jay to Britain to negotiate a treaty known as the "Jay Treaty" to secure a peace with Britain and clear up some issues held over from the Revolutionary War. The action infuriated Jefferson, who supported the French and felt that the U.

Washington was able to mobilize public support for the treaty, which proved decisive in securing ratification in the Senate. Though controversial, the treaty proved beneficial to the United States by removing British forts along the western frontier, establishing a clear boundary between Canada and the United States, and most importantly, delaying a war with Britain and providing over a decade of prosperous trade and development the fledgling country so desperately needed.

All through his two terms as president, Washington was dismayed at the growing partisanship within the government and the nation. The power bestowed on the federal government by the Constitution made for important decisions, and people joined together to influence those decisions. The formation of political parties at first were influenced more by personality than by issues.

As Treasury secretary, Hamilton pushed for a strong national government and an economy built in industry. Secretary of State Jefferson desired to keep government small and center power more at the local level, where citizens' freedom could be better protected. He envisioned an economy based on farming. Washington despised political partisanship, believing that ideological differences should never become institutionalized.

He strongly felt that political leaders should be free to debate important issues without being bound by party loyalty. However, Washington could do little to slow the development of political parties. The ideals promoted by Hamilton and Jefferson produced a two-party system that proved remarkably durable. September 7, at pm. Philip Wood said:.

December 11, at am. Just finished the Chernow biography, it truly was excellent. One mild criticism, and maybe this is just a preference, but I wish Chernow had spent a little more time on politics while Washington was president. He seems to breath through some parts of it. Of course I admit I could have simply missed it during my read.

Other than that I was very pleased with the work, and look forward to his bio on Grant. Share this: Twitter Facebook Email Tumblr. Like Loading Steve said: February 5, at am. Steve said: September 29, at am. Oh, I love people like you. Marcus said: October 13, at pm. Steve said: October 13, at pm. Melinda said: January 18, at pm. Steve said: January 18, at pm.

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