Introduction
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"I do not think we are more inspired, have more wisdom, or possess more virtue, than those who will come after us."
GEORGE WASHINGTON
First in War
First in Peace
First in the Hearts of his Countrymen
Artist: James Peale. National Park Service
George Washington: victorious General, humble statesman, husband, brother, stepfather and uncle—planter and surveyor. Strip away these titles and you are left with a man history has struggled to define. He is intangible, unknowable—an austere myth on a one-dollar-bill. Or so it would seem. But dig deeper into the words he has left behind and George Washington comes into sharp relief. This publication provides those words, but in order to fully realize the picture, it is vital to understand the man in broad brushstrokes through the momentous actions that exemplified his character.
Shortly after the Treaty of Paris concluded the Revolutionary War and capstoned Washington’s crowning achievement—and at the zenith of his power—he resigned his commission as Commander in Chief of the Continental army, and returned to private life rather than seize power and emolument. King George III of Great Britain is reported to have said, before Washington relinquished power, that if he did this “he would be the greatest man in the world.” While the origin of these words is debatable, the sentiment is well-placed and most certainly reflected how many felt at the time. Here was a man who by sheer force of will had held together his undersupplied and overmatched army for eight and one half years and secured liberty for his fellow citizens and those millions unborn—and demanded nothing in return. It is for this deed that he will forever be immortalized; however, his legacy stretches far beyond the Revolution. It was Washington’s steady hand that led the American Confederation to a federal Constitution, and it is this Constitution that has served as one of the most indispensable documents to liberty and equality the world has ever known; it provided the stability needed to grow a strong, stable and unified United States. James Monroe wrote the following to Thomas Jefferson, twenty-one days after the Constitution was ratified:
“Be assured [Washington’s] influence carried the government.”
After the successful adoption of the Constitution, Washington reluctantly served two terms as President, establishing the office within the bounds of the very Constitution he helped create. Alexander Hamilton would write Washington on 13 August 1788, regarding a proposed Washington presidency:
“You will permit me to say that it is indispensable you should lend yourself to its first operations—It is to little purpose to have introduced a system, if the weightiest influence is not given to its firm establishment, in the outset.”
National Archives
And after serving as president, once again at the epicenter of power, and for the second time in his illustrious public career, he retired to private life. Many likened Washington’s actions both after the war and after his presidency to that of Lucius Cincinnatus, the great Roman, who, after serving as dictator to end a crisis in 458 BC, relinquished power for the good of the republic, and returned to his farm. This demonstration by Washington, signaling that the Constitution of the United States and the offices established thereunder were greater than any individual, even the greatest patriot the country will likely ever know, is equal to the most selfless acts documented. Or so many historians record. However, from Washington’s perspective, as you will soon read, it was his service as President of the United States that was his most selfless act, and his choice not to run for reelection, understandably, was a self-interested one; after all, he had spent the better years of his life in the service of his country—a service that, he had expressed many times, had not been sought, and so naturally after the government had arrived at stability, and was in the capable hands of John Adams, he wanted nothing more than to return to his beloved Mount Vernon and the “shades of his own vine and fig tree.” Unfortunately, his retirement was not long-lived. He was called upon once again, this time in 1798, one year after his retirement and one year before his death, to serve as commander in chief of the army during the Quasi War with France.
“My whole life has been dedicated to the Service of my Country, in one shape or another, for the poor remains of it, it is not an object, to contend for ease and quiet, when all that is valuable in it, is at stake.”
Despite the fervor, he was not required in the field as a war between the United States and France never fully materialized; however, he would continue in the service of his country, as a lieutenant general, until his death at his beloved Mount Vernon on 14 December 1799.
Precisely why this particular Virginia planter’s son, under British domination, emerged on the world’s stage and affected such an enormous impact, not only upon his own country, but upon all of humankind, is difficult to attribute. His upbring was clearly where his character was given that early and most important shape, work that fell upon his parents, Augustine and Mary Washington, along with his half-brother, Lawrence. But certainly there were other contributors to his extraordinary accomplishments, and perhaps none more so than an event that occurred near present day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the Battle of the Monongahela where a 23-year-old Washington served under British General Braddock during the French and Indian War. It was here that Braddock was mortally wounded and Washington lost two horses, shot from under him, and had four musket balls pass through his coat. After the miraculous events of that day, Washington suspected Providence at work, and perhaps it was here that he first entertained the idea that extraordinary things were meant for him. He wrote to his brother, John on 18 July 1755:
“As I have heard since my arriv’l at this place, a circumstantial acct. of my death and dying speech, I take this early oppertunity of contradicting both, and of assuring you that I now exist and appear in the land of the living by the miraculous care of Providence, that protected me beyond all human expectation; I had 4 Bullets through my Coat, and two Horses shot under me, and yet escaped unhurt.”
Life of George Washington. Battle of the Monongahela
Artist: Claude Regnier. Library of Congress
Whatever the reason for his escape, one thing is without question: Washington went on to live a truly extraordinary life and thus will forever be remembered by the words written by his friend, Henry “Light-horse Harry” Lee:
“First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.”
There is, of course, the other Washington—the Washington that is antithetical to the one above described—the enslaver. And so the question becomes, how do we reconcile Washington’s most brilliant achievements with this glaring injustice? How do we both honor him for his instrumental role in a movement that brought what is commonly referred to as liberal democracy, with its liberty and equality, across the globe, while also properly addressing his participation in the sale and enslavement of human beings? Perhaps we must, first and foremost, accept that he was human; he was not a God, nor was he superhuman or all knowing or all perfection. He was made of flesh and bones and blood and weakness, just as we all are.
“I do not think we are more inspired, have more wisdom, or possess more virtue, than those who will come after us.”
—George Washington, November 10, 1787
Life of George Washington. Mount Vernon
Library of Congress
Washington’s perspective on enslavement did evolve over time, just as our perspectives change over the course of our lives—and by 1778 he had written to his cousin Lund:
“For this Land . . . I had rather give Negroes, if Negroes would do. For to be plain I wish to get quit of Negroes.”
This evolution was certainly influenced and supported by officers within his military family during the Revolutionary War, specifically the Marquis de Lafayette and John Laurens, who were outspoken opponents of enslavement; they looked upon the issue as a moral wrong. And so with these influences, along with other factors—many certainly lost to history—Washington arrived at abolition.
“I never mean (unless some particular circumstance should compel me to it) to possess another slave by purchase: it being among my first wishes to see some plan adopted by the legislature by which slavery in the Country may be abolished by slow, sure, & imperceptible degrees.”
—George Washington, September 6, 1786
Washington seemed to understand that in order for the new nation to survive and eventually flourish, he would be required to set the examples, not only as Commander in Chief of the Continental army, and first President of the United States, but later, as a private citizen. It was in this latter capacity that he added to his last will and testament a stipulation that the enslaved at Mount Vernon that he possesed be freed upon the death of his wife, Martha.
Perhaps it is best to regard Washington’s work as construction on a great bridge between two distinct Western eras; Washington advanced the ideals of liberty and equality, arguably as much as any singular figure in history, but was a product of that previous era. The fact that Washington, and some within his generation, transcended their times to help advance a new political movement based on European Enlightenment ideals is both astonishing and also, quite frankly, difficult, if not impossible to fully grasp in modern times—modern times which Washington helped shape. After all, those Western perspectives concerning liberty and equality that we possess are not our own; they principally can be traced to Washington and his fellow revolutionaries—along with all those towering figures from the European Enlightenment, and beyond, who inspired them.
People will go on debating these important points for as long as Washington is remembered, but what is unquestionable is this: the grand experiment lives on in pursuit of a more perfect union, from Washington’s last will and testament to Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s civil rights movement to the first Black president, Barrack Obama. And it is this clear progress that stands as yet another testament to the enduring exceptionalism of the United States of America—its system of government and its Founders.
NOTES TO THE READER
George Washington’s writings, in 43 volumes (The Writings of George Washington, 39 volumes, and The Diaries of George Washington, 4 volumes), have been widely available for nearly a century now, thanks to the tireless efforts of distinguished Washington scholar John Clement Fitzpatrick, the United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission, and the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, to all of whom this publication is greatly indebted. Additionally, we would like to gratefully acknowledge Chauncey Worthington Ford, the Library of Congress, the National Archives and Records Administration, and Founders Online, operated by NARA in conjunction with the University of Virginia Press.
A vast majority of Washington’s writings were referenced for this volume, specifically his diaries, speeches, public and private letters, and army-related issues. It should be understood that the collective record of Washington’s writings begin in 1745 with academic exercises, thus explaining why entries within this publication begin with the year 1748, the first year diary entries are in existence. The writings, as they appear within the sources listed, have not been altered in the areas of spelling and punctuation; however, past editors/transcribers have made various changes such as ampersands to text, etc. Because Washington has been, in many ways, so inaccessible to the general public for so many years (it is beyond the desire of most to read 43 volumes), it was determined that maintaining Washington’s writing style and cadence offered much needed clues. However, notice should be taken that variations in the existing record of Washington’s writings are prevalent. For example, Washington spent time revising letters long after they were sent (he or his secretary customarily made copies). Years later, historians performed transcriptions from the originals, and also from Washington’s corrected and uncorrected copies. Over time, a multitude of versions of the same letter have come to exist. However, the primary source for this publication, John C. Fitzpatrick (The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1931-1944) did much to correct the record by relying on originals when possible.
Another word upon spelling: the somewhat awkward spelling you will find populating this work was rather standard for the time period as John C. Fitzpatrick notes: “The worst spelling will be found in the Colonial letters, but even a superficial examination of the letters of his contemporaries will show that Washington, while no better a speller, was often no worse than his friends. Governors of Virginia, such as Dinwiddie and Fauquier, British generals like Forbes and Sir John St. Clair, the Speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses, Jefferson, and Madison were no whit more perfect, according to twentieth-century standards. Washington ‘spelled like a gentleman’—and the gentlemen of those early days were not good spellers.”
Regarding formatting, greetings (Dear Sir, Dear Brother, etc.) denote that the succeeding text was copied from the beginning of a letter; his signature (G:o Washington) indicates the end. Incidentally, while Washington did employ variations of his signature during his lifetime, he predominately used this version, and so this version will be used throughout this publication (please note that the “o” should appear directly above the colon; however, it was not possible in this digital format). If both a greeting and signature are present, the letter has appeared in its entirety. The use of three dots, offset, indicates content has been redacted. Founders Online—a National Archives website hosted by the University of Virginia Press—is an essential digital resource for those interested in exploring, in their entirety, much of the material contained within this publication, and for reading preceding and succeeding correspondence; however because this publication uses different sources, you will find variations within the content.
The complimentary notes used by Washington to end his letters (Your Most Obedient Servant, etc.), in certain instances, are approximations in content, capitalization, and/or spacing due to source variability and past and present editorial preference. Also note that Washington, from time to time, employed the “&c.” symbol at the conclusion of letters; however, it has more often been substituted by editors/transcribers for “Your Most Obedient Servant” or similar. Many of the complimentary notes within this book were sourced from the National Archives or Library of Congress.
Washington’s writings have primarily been ordered around important events within his lifetime (please refer to the Timeline). While letters selected for these events do not always directly address the particular topics, they are at the very least indirectly related. Content, including content authored by others, does appear outside of the above described order; this content has been carefully selected and arranged to maximize reader understanding and enjoyment. It has been the intent of this publication to interconnect the letters by themes, either by the sentiment contained within the provided quotation or within the greater content.
There exists duplication of key ideas within this work. These duplications are not errors, they merely provide for greater exploration of particular topics. Additionally, contradictions are prevalent within Washington’s body of work simply because his outlook and opinions evolved.
Finally, you will not find Washington’s every success and failure within this publication simply because, either the source material does not exist or was deemed unnoteworthy due to length or descriptive value. For example, only diary entries for the Revolutionary War period from 1 May to 5 November 1781 survive. Additionally, few personal letters exist from 1776 to 1783 when compared to his overall body of work because most correspondence during this time was written in his official capacity during the war. You will also notice that there is little correspondence between Martha and George Washington; she destroyed all correspondence between herself and her husband excepting two letters. However, the correspondence that does exist paints a memorable portrait.
GEORGE WASHINGTON:
THE INTERVIEW POWERED BY A.I.
In the hallowed halls of history, a voice echoes once more as “George Washington: The Interview” unfurls a never-before-seen side of America’s first President. This electrifying book transcends the boundaries of time, employing state-of-the-art technology and primary source material to bring you face-to-face with the man who laid the cornerstone of the nation we know today. Journey through the intimate details of Washington’s life as he reveals the victories and defeats, the triumphs and tragedies of his storied past.
Are you ready to step into the past and meet the man behind the myth?