George Washington: America’s Founding Father

Summary

This video script narrates the life of George Washington, a key figure in American history. From his early life in Virginia to his role as a military leader during the American Revolution, it explores Washington's journey to becoming the first President of the United States. Despite his military successes and political leadership, Washington was a complex individual with contradictions, such as owning slaves while fighting for freedom. His legacy as a national hero and the myths surrounding his persona are also discussed.

Takeaways

• 🗽 George Washington is an iconic figure in American history, known for his role in the American Revolution and as the first President of the United States.
• ⚔️ Washington was a military leader during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, where he gained recognition for his strategic skills despite some significant setbacks.
• 🏆 He is often revered as the 'Father of His Country', although he had no biological children.
• 🏛️ Washington was born into a wealthy family in Virginia and was well-educated for his time, showing talent in land surveying and map-making.
• 🔥 The American Revolution started with conflicts over taxation and self-governance, and escalated into a war that became a symbol of the struggle for freedom.
• 🌐 The conflict between Britain and its American colonies eventually drew in other global powers, becoming part of the larger Seven Years' War.
• 🏰 Washington's surprise attack on Trenton during the Revolution helped to revive the morale of the Continental Army and was a turning point in the war.
• 🤝 The victory at Saratoga led to a crucial alliance with France, which provided much-needed support to the American cause.
• 🏙️ As the first President, Washington set many precedents for the role, including the establishment of a cabinet and the delivery of the first inaugural address.
• 🏆 After his presidency, Washington voluntarily retired to his estate, setting a precedent for peaceful transfers of power that would later be formalized with a two-term limit.
• ⚰️ Washington's death sparked a wave of national mourning, and he is interred at Mount Vernon with his wife Martha.

Q & A

How long ago was the United States of America founded?

The United States of America was founded almost 250 years ago.

What is the significance of George Washington in American history?

George Washington is significant as he was the victorious general of the Revolutionary War and the first president of the United States.

What are some contradictions in George Washington's life?

Washington fought for the freedom of others yet owned hundreds of slaves, was known as a master military strategist but made major mistakes during the war, and is called the father of the country yet had no children of his own.

What was the impact of the Battle of Jumonville Glen?

The Battle of Jumonville Glen was the spark that ignited the Seven Years' War between Great Britain and France.

Why did George Washington resign from the colonial militia in 1758?

George Washington resigned in disgust after being rebuffed in his attempts to secure a royal commission in the British regular army.

What was the outcome of the Battle of Long Island during the American Revolutionary War?

The Battle of Long Island resulted in a significant American defeat with 20% casualties, but Washington's stealthy retreat across the East River saved the revolution.

How did George Washington's surprise attack at Trenton impact the American Revolutionary War?

The surprise attack at Trenton boosted patriot morale, led to a surge in volunteers, and likely saved Washington's army.

What was the significance of the victory at Saratoga?

The victory at Saratoga convinced France to formally ally with the Americans, providing troops, money, supplies, and a naval fleet.

What was the condition of the Continental Army during the winter at Valley Forge?

The winter at Valley Forge was brutal, with bitterly cold and snowy conditions, and around 2,500 American soldiers died.

How did George Washington's leadership contribute to the American victory at Yorktown?

George Washington's leadership, combined with French support, led to the trapping and subsequent surrender of Lord Cornwallis' army at Yorktown, effectively ending the war.

What was George Washington's stance on slavery towards the end of his life?

Towards the end of his life, George Washington grew uneasy with slavery and was privately in favor of emancipation. He ordered in his will that his slaves be freed after his and Martha's death.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Early Life and Military Beginnings

George Washington's legacy as a foundational figure of the United States is explored, highlighting his early life and military career. Born into a wealthy family in Virginia, he was well-educated and showed talent in surveying and map-making. Washington's military service began with the Virginia colonial militia, where he quickly rose through the ranks. His early experiences included the French and Indian War, where he engaged in battles that contributed to the outbreak of the Seven Years' War. Despite early military setbacks, such as the defeat at Fort Necessity, his leadership and strategic skills were recognized and would later shape his role in the American Revolution.

05:00

🏰 Rise to Prominence and the American Revolution

This section delves into Washington's rise to prominence during the American Revolution. Despite not actively campaigning for the position, his military experience, stature, and fame made him the unanimous choice to lead the newly formed Continental Army. His leadership was tested as he organized and trained a diverse group of militia into a cohesive fighting force. Key moments include the Siege of Boston, where he successfully forced the British to retreat, and the subsequent battles in New York and New Jersey. Washington's strategic retreats and surprise attacks, particularly during the winter at Trenton, were pivotal in maintaining the fight for independence and boosting morale.

10:00

🏹 Critical Battles and the Turning Tide

The narrative continues with the critical battles of the American Revolution, emphasizing Washington's strategic decisions and the impact of foreign support. The British invasion plans are outlined, along with Washington's responses. The victories at Saratoga, which led to the French alliance, and the harsh winter at Valley Forge are highlighted. The French support, including key figures like the Marquis de Lafayette and Baron von Steuben, played a significant role in training and bolstering the Continental Army. Washington's leadership during this period was instrumental in shifting the tide of the war in favor of the colonial forces.

15:02

🏆 Victory at Yorktown and Post-Revolutionary Service

This part of the script describes the climactic victory at Yorktown, which effectively ended the American Revolutionary War. Washington's strategic encirclement of Cornwallis and the subsequent surrender marked a turning point in global perceptions of the new nation. Post-war, Washington's contributions continued as he helped shape the new nation's government, serving as president of the Constitutional Convention and as the first President of the United States. His leadership in establishing executive precedents and navigating early political challenges laid the groundwork for the future of the American presidency.

20:03

🕊️ Retirement and Legacy

The final section covers Washington's retirement and his enduring legacy. After serving two terms as president, he refused to run for a third, setting a precedent for future leaders. His death sparked a wave of national mourning, and his will demonstrated a moral conflict with the institution of slavery, as he sought to free his slaves after his wife's death. Washington's contributions to the founding of the United States and his complex character are acknowledged, emphasizing his significance as a historical figure beyond the myths that have grown around his name.

Keywords

💡American Revolution

The American Revolution refers to the conflict between Great Britain and thirteen of its North American colonies, which had declared themselves the independent United States of America. This term is central to the video's theme, illustrating the struggle for freedom and self-governance. The script mentions the revolution as a 'morality tale' and a triumph of freedom over tyranny, highlighting key events like the battles of Lexington and Concord.

💡George Washington

George Washington is a legendary figure and a central character in the narrative of American independence. As depicted in the script, he was a military general during the American Revolution and the first President of the United States. His significance is underscored by his iconic status, with references to the one-dollar bill and the Washington Monument.

💡Slavery

Slavery is a system under which individuals are treated as property and are forced to work against their will. The script discusses Washington's ownership of slaves, presenting a contradiction to his role as a fighter for freedom. It also touches on the broader context of slavery in the American colonies and its eventual abolition, which Washington grappled with in his later years.

💡Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence is a document that announced the thirteen American colonies' separation from British rule. It is a key concept in the video, symbolizing the birth of the United States and the ideals of liberty and self-determination. The script mentions the writing of the Declaration and its aftermath, including the bloody war that ensued.

💡Seven Years' War

The Seven Years' War was a global conflict that involved many of the world's powers and was partly triggered by the events in North America. The script refers to this war as a result of the initial skirmishes between British and French forces in America, which eventually escalated into a worldwide confrontation.

💡Valley Forge

Valley Forge is the location of a Continental Army encampment during the winter of 1777–78. It symbolizes the hardships faced by Washington's troops and their resilience. The script describes the harsh winter and the significant loss of life, as well as the arrival of foreign officers who helped to train and professionalize the army.

💡Treaty of Paris

The Treaty of Paris is the agreement that ended the American Revolutionary War, with Britain recognizing the sovereignty of the United States. The script highlights the treaty as the culmination of the struggle for independence, marking the formal acknowledgment of the United States by Great Britain.

💡Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation was the first written constitution of the United States, which was found to be inadequate for governing the new nation. The script mentions this as a precursor to the U.S. Constitution, emphasizing the need for a stronger federal government and the role Washington played in the Constitutional Convention.

💡Federalist Party

The Federalist Party was one of the first political parties in the United States, advocating for a strong central government. The script discusses the party in the context of Washington's presidency, illustrating the political divisions and debates over the direction of the new nation.

💡Two-term limit

The two-term limit refers to the tradition, later codified in the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, that a president should not serve more than two terms. Washington's decision to retire after two terms set a precedent that underscored the video's theme of his commitment to democratic principles and avoiding the concentration of power.

Highlights

The American Revolution has become a morality tale symbolizing the triumph of good over evil and freedom over tyranny.

George Washington is a legendary figure, with his face on the one dollar bill and the capital named after him.

Washington was a victorious general of the Revolutionary War and the first president of the United States.

Despite being revered, Washington was a man full of contradictions, owning hundreds of slaves while fighting for the freedom of others.

He made significant mistakes during the war that almost cost the Americans the conflict.

Washington is known as the father of the country, yet he had no biological children.

Born in 1732, Washington came from a wealthy family with a history in tobacco plantations and politics.

He sought a military career and became involved in the French and Indian War, which was part of the Seven Years' War.

Washington's early military experiences included a disastrous defeat at Fort Necessity.

He married Martha Curtis, a wealthy widow, and became one of the richest men in the colonies.

Washington's role in the American Revolutionary War began with his command of the Continental Army.

The Siege of Boston was Washington's first victory, forcing the British to retreat.

The Battle of Long Island was a significant defeat for Washington's forces.

Washington's surprise attack on Trenton revitalized the Continental Army's morale.

The victory at Saratoga convinced France to formally ally with the Americans.

The harsh winter at Valley Forge was a turning point, with the help of foreign officers like Lafayette and von Steuben.

The British focus shifted to the southern colonies after their victory in Charleston.

The Siege of Yorktown marked the end of major fighting in the American Revolutionary War.

Washington voluntarily resigned his commission as general in chief after the war, refusing to be a dictator.

As the first president, Washington set many precedents for the executive branch.

He chose not to run for a third term, setting a limit on presidential terms that lasted until Franklin Roosevelt.

Washington died in 1799, and his will showed his internal conflict with slavery, eventually freeing his own slaves.

Transcripts

it's been almost 250 years since the

united states of america was founded and

in that time the bloody war that

followed the writing of the declaration

of independence has been

imbued with an almost mythical quality

rather than a simple conflict over

taxation and the right of

self-governance

the american revolution has instead

become a morality tale

the triumph of good over evil of freedom

over tyranny the men who played a part

in the country's formation have become

legendary figures

none more so than george washington

everyone knows who george washington is

his face is on the one dollar bill the

capital of the united states

is named after him and the tallest

structure in the capital is a monument

that is dedicated to him he was the

victorious general of the revolutionary

war and

then served as the first president of

the united states his face and name

are pretty much everywhere the romans

used to worship dead emperors as gods

and the u.s has come very

close to doing the same to george

washington

but buried beneath the myth is the story

of a real man

a man who is full of contradictions

washington fought for the freedom of

others yet

he himself owned hundreds of slaves he

is known as

a master military strategist yet he made

several major mistakes that almost cost

the americans the war

he is called the father of the country

yet he has no children of his own he

wasn't perfect

he certainly wasn't a god but what he

was was uniquely american

[Music]

george washington was born on february

22 1732

in the english colony of virginia the

washington family had immigrated to

virginia from england in the 1650s and

had become one of the wealthiest

families in the colony they owned

several tobacco plantations that were

worked by hundreds of slaves

and the wealth this produced for them

allowed them to become foremost among

the new class of american aristocrats a

status they'd been unable to achieve

back in england

augustine washington george's father was

very active in local politics serving as

a justice of the peace and county

sheriff he died suddenly

in 1743 when george was 11 years old and

much of the washington's estate was

handled by george's older brother

lawrence who

george idolized washington was

considered well educated for a man of

his time he was trained as a land

surveyor and showed talent as a map

maker and a draftsman but the teenager

wasn't content with such a sedate

profession and

he craved action and adventure when

george was 19 his brother lawrence

became ill with tuberculosis the

brothers traveled to barbados hoping

that the warm climate would alleviate

the condition but lawrence died in 1752

and george returned home now the scion

of the washington family

[Music]

after returning to virginia washington

sought a commission in the virginia

colonial militia

being appointed as a major by the

lieutenant governor of the colony

it joined the military at a very

dangerous time on the frontier to the

west of the established british colonies

the ohio river valley was being

contested by both great britain and

france

both of whom were building forts at

strategic locations to solidify their

hold on the territory washington was

named deputy commander of the virginia

regiment the first professional colonial

military unit

the regiment was ordered to march to the

forks of the ohio the future site of the

city of pittsburgh pennsylvania

to oppose the french movement there in

1754. on the way there the commander of

the regiment joshua frye

fell off his horse and broke his neck he

died soon thereafter and command passed

to washington

washington arrived at the forks and

discovered the french had gotten there

first and began construction of their

own fortress fought duquesne

washington retreated to contemplate his

next move and he was joined there by a

friend he had made the year before

the sackham of the mingo tribe tanner

charison tanner charison

informed him of a force of about 35

french soldiers approaching their

position and suggested an attack

on may 28 1754 the two forces confronted

each other what happens next

is a matter of dispute all that is known

for sure is that by the end of the

encounter most of the french detachment

was dead including its commander

joseph coulondavilia the french would

claim that devilio was there on a

peaceful diplomatic mission and was

massacred while washington believed that

the french would there to span his

forces

whatever happened the battle of

juminville glen as it later became known

proved to be the spark that touched off

a worldwide war between great britain

and france

known as the seven years war after the

violence at jermonoville glen washington

figured that the french garrison at fort

duquesne was

going to attack him sooner or later so

he built a fort of his own

called fort necessity it was a crude

construction essentially a wooden

palisade and it wouldn't hold off a

determined assault for long

louis colonned villa outraged at his

brother's death led a force of 600

soldiers to fort necessity

and attacked it on july the 3rd the

virginians were undisciplined they

fled under fire and at one point during

the day broke into the liquor cabinet

and got drunk when the french offered to

allow him to return to virginia with his

troops unharmed if he surrendered the

fought to them

washington felt he had no choice and

marched back to what he thought was

disgrace and

the end of his military career to his

surprise the virginia house of burgesses

blamed the defeat of fort necessity on

other factors and not on washington the

next year the british sent a force of

2000 soldiers

under the command of general edward

braddock to capture fort duquesne

washington came along as a guide because

of his experience with this area

the british met with disaster at the

battle of monongahela on july the 9th

1755

two-thirds of the british force was

killed or wounded including braddock

washington earned some distinction

during the battle by forming a rear

guard to prevent the retreat from

turning into a rout resulting in even

more casualties

washington would serve in the colonial

militia until 1758 when he resigned in

disgust after being

rebuffed in his attempts to secure a

royal commission in the british regular

army the british commanders dismissed

washington and other colonial leaders as

amateurs and

simpletons an assessment that would come

back to haunt them a bit later

in 1759 washington married martha curtis

a young wealthy widow with

one of the largest plantations in

virginia when combined with washington's

own holdings he was now one of the

richest men in the colonies

he delighted in raising his stepchildren

jack and patsy castus although he and

martha never had any children of their

own despite being married for 40 years

it is believed that about with smallpox

as a young man had

rendered him sterile washington entered

politics serving in the house of

burgesses and

entertaining people of rank at his

estate mount vernon he grew increasingly

concerned throughout the 1760s and early

1770s with

the british parliament's attempt to

exert more control over the american

colonies through taxes washington and

many others felt that this was an act of

tyranny since

the americans had no representation in

the government that was

making the laws that they were subject

to in 1775 the

increased tension it finally snapped

into open conflict in boston where

british troops

under general thomas gage were trying to

subjugate an

increasingly rebellious colonial

populace at lexington

and concord on april the 19th british

regulars and colonial militia shot at

each other for the first time

formally beginning the american

revolutionary war washington represented

virginia at the second continental

congress in philadelphia which

opened soon after the bloodshed in

massachusetts on june the 14th 1775 the

congress created the continental army to

provide for the common defense of the

colonies and

talk of who would command the new army

soon turned to washington

washington had never actively campaigned

for the job but he was the only delegate

who attended meetings of the congress

wearing a military uniform which is a

perfect example of dressing for the job

you want

that combined with his height he was six

foot two which was much taller than the

other delegates as well as the fact that

he was the most famous soldier in the

colonies because of his war service 20

years earlier

made him the unanimous choice to lead

the new army on june 19th he received

his commission and three days later he

departed for boston

when washington arrived in boston he

found his army was really a ragtag group

of militia units with no real

organization

after the battles of lexington and

concord the british had retreated back

into the city and the patriots as they

began to call themselves had blocked off

the land routes into the city

and put it under siege washington

immediately began shaping the militia

into a proper army while

keeping the british bottled up in boston

in october king george iii replaced

general gage with the new commander

william howe

finally in march of 1776 the continental

army placed cannons on the high ground

at dorchester heights and began to

bombard the british positions in boston

this compelled howe to

retreat to halifax by sea and the

americans had won their first victory

washington wasn't about to rest on his

laurels however a few weeks later he

moved his army south to new york city

washington and hal

both knew that new york was key to

controlling the continent and

washington expected a british invasion

force to attack there

he spent the next few months preparing

fortifications and continuing to train

his troops

british ships began arriving in new york

harbor on the 2nd of july morale was

boosted in the continental army a few

days later when word reached them of the

ratification of the declaration of

independence which stated that the

colonies were declaring themselves free

and independent states on august 22

general howe landed at brooklyn on the

western end of long island with 20 000

troops five days later he attacked

washington's position the battle of long

island was a stinging american defeat

the continental suffered 20 casualties

the american revolution

could have ended right there but

washington organized a stealthy

nighttime retreat across the east river

onto manhattan islands when

the british showed the next day they

were astonished to find that the

americans were simply gone

on september 15th the british landed on

manhattan ireland

the american troops did not even attempt

to stand and fight but fled in a

panicked route

washington was enraged at the cowardice

of his men and at one point was within a

hundred yards of the advancing british

troops an aide had to grab the bridle of

the general's horse and

lead him away new york fell soon after

and would be occupied by the british for

the remainder of the war

the continental army was pushed through

new jersey and into pennsylvania when

winter set in and hal broke off his

pursuit in the 18th century armies

typically did not fight in winter and

hal returned to new york to wait for the

spring thaw

washington meanwhile knew that he had to

do something morale was at an all-time

low desertions were increasing and

washington figured if he didn't act

quickly

his entire army would dissolve

[Music]

washington had developed an effective

spy network by the end of 1776 and

he received intelligence that a garrison

of 1 500 german mercenaries hessians

were in winter quarters near trenton new

jersey

they were complacent and not expecting

an attack that was where washington

planned to strike he hoped a victory

would boost patriot morale and

lead to a surge in volunteers on

christmas night washington led his army

on a stealthy nighttime crossing of the

delaware river into new jersey a

remarkable military feat on the morning

of december 26

the continentals took the hessians

completely by surprise and took over 800

of them prisoner they also took tons of

crucial supplies and weapons to equip

their army with a few days later the

british attacked washington's position

at trenton

and were repulsed then in another

remarkable military maneuver washington

circled around the british army and

attacked the garrison at princeton

inflicting the third defeat on the

british in 10 days the british retreated

from southern new jersey entirely and

washington

finally went into winter quarters at

morristown this

stunning series of victories likely

saved washington's army but the war

was still far from over

[Music]

the british plan for the war in 1777 was

more complex than

the year before an invasion army led by

general john bergoin called

gentleman johnny for his elaborate

uniforms and lavish lifestyle would

advance south from quebec to take albany

new york

the goal was to isolate new england

which had the highest concentration of

patriots

and was contributing the bulk of

volunteers to the continental army from

the rest of the colonies which they felt

would be easier to control

howe in new york was supposed to send

troops to support bergoin

but controversially failed to do so

likely due to personal rivalries between

the senior british commanders instead in

the summer of 1777 house hit out from

new york to capture philadelphia where

the continental congress met

how defeated washington at the battle of

brandywine and in september entered

philadelphia the congress

fled west to york pennsylvania but the

real action was taking place in the

north

in new york gentleman johnny had led his

men into a trap without realizing it

finding himself completely surrounded by

an american army commanded by horatio

gates the expected help from halp never

came and he was defeated in detail by

the americans in two battles at saratoga

in september and october on october the

17th he was forced to surrender his army

to gates the surrender of burgoyne sent

shockwaves around the world nowhere more

so than in paris

since the war began the french

government had been looking for a reason

to support the american cause

since it would hurt their british rivals

the victory of the americans at saratoga

convinced king louis xvi that the

americans could

stand up as a fighting force and entered

into a formal alliance with the

americans by the end of 1777. they

promised troops money supplies and most

importantly

a naval fleet something the americans

sorely lacked horatio gates meanwhile

took much credit for the victory despite

not having much to do with the actual

battle strategy itself and

he used it to advocate himself to

replace washington as general in chief

an

attempt that ultimately failed

washington's army made winter camp at

valley forge north of philadelphia that

winter was brutal bitterly cold

and snowy and around 2 500 american

soldiers died at the encampment

the american cause was greatly helped by

the presence of two foreign officers who

wanted to help the american cause the

marquis de lafayette a

19 year old french nobleman and soldier

sailed for america in late 1777 against

the orders of his king

and was made a general by washington

lafayette brought knowledge of european

warfare to the americans and he had a

positive effect on morale it is believed

that the eventual alliance between

france and the americas was

due in no small part to his efforts

meanwhile baron friedrich von steuben

former prussian army officer and

administrator left germany after being

accused of having homosexual affairs he

arrived at valley forge in february 1778

and was made inspector general of the

army he was influential

in developing a training program that

turned the continental army into a

professional fighting force he was a

colorful figure

elaborately dressed and prone to cursing

at the soldiers in several languages

facing fallout from the campaign of 1777

general

howe resigned and was replaced by sir

henry clinton clinton abandoned

philadelphia and marched back to new

york pursued by washington the two

armies

fought an indecisive battle at monmouth

on june 28

and came back to new york to discover a

french fleet in new york harbor the

french had declared war on great britain

and what had been a regional civil

conflict was now a continent-spanning

war involving several major european

powers the british government now was

sending few reinforcements to their

armies in america more concerned with

protecting their caribbean possessions

the focus of the war

now moved to the southern colonies after

the british captured the city of

charleston south carolina in early 1780

an army commanded by lord cornwallis

routed horatio gates at the battle of

camden which

ended gates military career he was

replaced by general nathaniel greene who

engaged in hit-and-run tactics with

cornwallis army that slowed their

advance north to virginia washington

whose ranks were now swelled by french

soldiers in a french naval fleet

received a word that cornwallis had

moved his army to yorktown sensing an

opportunity to trap him there washington

moved his army away from new york to

virginia cornelis found himself

surrounded he wasn't able to retreat by

sea because

the french fleet had blockaded it and

washington's troops had laid siege to

his fortifications

after two weeks of battle cornwallis

realized his situation was hopeless he

surrendered to the allied army on

october 19 1781. the war was for all

intents and purposes

over the defeat of yorktown caused the

collapse of lord north's government in

london and the new government called for

peace talks

in september 1783 the treaty of paris

was signed in which great britain

recognized the united states of america

as an independent nation the last

british troops left new york at the end

of 1783.

against all the odds and the hardships

george washington and the continental

army

had won the war and earned america her

independence

[Music]

washington was a national hero now there

were many in congress who were prepared

to offer him the title of king but

washington refused he was at the head of

the army and

could have easily taken power had he

wanted to but washington wasn't

interested in being a dictator

so in december of 1783 he voluntarily

resigned his commission as general in

chief

and retired to mount vernon the articles

of confederation which governed the new

nation quickly proved to be inadequate

and

it became clear that a national

constitution was needed to establish a

government for the united states

washington was called out of retirement

to serve as president of the

constitutional convention of 1787 in

philadelphia there he oversaw the

creation of a document that still forms

the basis of american law

more than 200 years later and serves as

the basis for

national constitutions all over the

world the first election

for president of the united states was

held in 1788 and washington was elected

to serve as the first president he was

inaugurated in new york city in april

1789.

being the first president washington was

left to define many of the precedents

that still serve the executive

branch today he settled on being

addressed as mr president

turning down the more elaborate title

his excellency or

his highness he gave the first inaugural

address and the first presidential

address to

the assembled houses of congress he also

formed the executive branch into a

cabinet of department secretaries

which still persists to this day most of

washington's time as president was

spent playing referee to two warring

factions within his cabinet

washington was the only president not to

be a member of a political party

and didn't like the idea of them in the

first place the same could not be said

of alexander hamilton secretary of the

treasury and thomas jefferson secretary

of state

hamilton believed that the future of the

nation was in strong federal government

a national banking system and commerce

in cities and

formed the federalist party while

jefferson favored decentralized

government controlled by the states and

an economy controlled by agrarian

interests and

he hated the idea of banks he formed the

jeffersonian republican party

the two were bitter rivals and cabinet

meetings often degenerated into shouting

matches with

washington having to step in to maintain

order he favored hamilton's plan and

spent most of his first term on economic

issues he was exhausted by 1792 and

showed no interest in

running for a second term but was begged

to do so by all sides and was

unanimously re-elected by 1796 he

outright refused to run for a third term

and chose to retire

this set another president no president

would serve more than two terms until

franklin roosevelt in 1940

and after roosevelt died in office

during his fourth term congress passed

an amendment to the constitution that

set the two-term limit

into federal law washington again

retired to mount vernon vice president

john adams being elected in 1796 as a

second president

during this time relations with france

had deteriorated after the french

revolution

and it seemed like there might be war

washington accepted the position of

commander-in-chief of the united

states army in 1798 to defend the

country if it was attacked but no army

would appear and washington didn't have

a field command

on december 13 1799 washington started

suffering from a sore throat

the next day it was even worse doctors

were summoned but disagreed

on what was causing the illness and what

to do about it at one point nearly a

pint of blood was drawn from him

bloodletting being a common medical

practice at the time though it probably

just made things worse

at around 10 30 p.m on december 14th

george washington died age 67.

news of his death touched off a wave of

national mourning at his funeral on

december the 18th general henry lee

known as lighthorse harry gave the

eulogy in an ironic twist of fate lee's

son robert ely would be the leading

figure in a rebellion against the nation

that george washington played a key role

in founding

washington owned over 300 slaves at the

time of his death slavery was essential

to the building of his family's wealth

but

as he grew older washington grew more

uneasy with the institution of slavery

by the 1780s washington was privately in

favor of emancipation he kept silence on

the matter while president

recognizing that it played such an

oversized role in the economy of the

southern states and

that it could destroy the new nation

washington and the other founding

fathers failure to

settle the question of slavery would

lead to civil war 60 years after

washington's death washington wanted to

free his own slaves while he was still

alive but he wasn't able to persuade the

other heirs of the curtis estate to free

their slaves at the same time

the slaves that worked at mount vernon

had intermarried and started families

and

washington said he did not want to break

up those families by freeing some

and not the rest meaning the ones not

freed could still be sold to someone

else and chipped away

in his will he ordered that half his

slaves be freed immediately after his

death but the rest being freed after

martha's death

martha preempted this by freeing all of

his slaves in january 1801 but never

freed her own slaves thus causing the

break-up of

slave families that washington had tried

to prevent she died in may 1802 at the

age of 70. george and martha washington

were interred at a tomb at mount vernon

where

they still are today despite some

attempts by the american government to

have the move to a tomb in washington

d.c

the new capital that was named after the

nation's first president

after his death memorials and monuments

to washington went up all over the

country in the capital the 555-foot tall

washington monument was completed in

1888 because of a federal law passed in

1910 to limit the height of buildings in

washington d.c

the monument is the tallest building in

the city and is likely to remain that

way in the future

the myth of washington outgrew the man

washington was very quickly

a character emerged that was almost

godlike the person every american

aspires to be but we think that his

story is interesting enough

on its own that it doesn't need to be

embellished like that washington the man

was a far more complicated figure

than washington the myth but that just

makes him more compelling as a

historical figure

perhaps lighthouse harry lee said it

best in his eulogy of washington when he

described him as

first in war first in peace and first in

the hearts

of his countrymen so i really hope you

found that video interesting if you did

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