To be the first is very difficult. There is no one you can follow and there is no one to show you how to avoid mistakes of the past. The icon of the American Revolution, George Washington, was the first president in the land of dreams. Was he an exceptional, or a mediocre, president? Washington's destiny made him to be first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen. He was celebrated in his lifetime and nearly canonized by subsequent generations. But in fact, he was a mediocre president that was a good man. I made such an evaluation of George Washington as a President and public figure because of his major accomplishments and his character. Most presidents enjoy the benefits and glory when they performed the deeds that they are famous for. What about George Washington?
Although Washington accomplished many things, most of those were not accomplishments made during his reign as president.
October 14: Washington reviews the army assembled ...
April 30: George Washington becomes the first Pres...
Depiction by John Trumbull of Washington resigning...His greatest achievements came before his presidency during the American Revolution. "Washington was perhaps in that class of men whose best days were behind them by the time they assumed the presidency. It was Washington's tax policies that precipitated the Whiskey Rebellion. It was Washington's debt policy that benefited the urban "stock-jobbers" at the expense of the rural farmers. And it was Washington who gave the nation a National Bank that likely funneled illegal money to members of the Federalist Party."1 He was a product of his character and that character limited him during his presidency. However, despite many mistakes, at the end of his presidency, Washington pioneered different ways of taking advice before making decisions. David Abshire says that, "Americans can never be adequately grateful that George Washington possessed the power and the will to intervene effectively in...