Hail to the Chiefs Part I: George Washington
About two years ago I started researching and blogging about each of the presidents, one by one. I thought this would be a good place to share them.
Thank you Obama and
unamundamour for giving me an idea for a series. I've decided to write a series on the 44 presidential administrations in my own style. I'm thinking roughly one a month.
I'm actually a bit surprised that I have anything to say at all about George Washington. I've usually thought of him as being as wooden as his teeth allegedly were. A man with the same sense of humor as my 3rd grade teacher....only one known joke on record, and not a very funny one at that.
Recently though, I've actually found things that interest me about the man. So tonight I'll give him his props.
1. The man could rise above the egos and be an effective leader.
Look at some of the people that were part of his administration: Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams....more divas in the room than at the Tonys. Somehow, with all that draammaaa going on, he managed to stay above the fray, and help get that fledgling government on its feet.
2. What a man what a man...
In the French and Indian war at one point, when the Indians were shooting at our founding father, they kept missing him so many times the leader ordered that they stop shooting at him because he was obviously blessed. You'd think somebody that much taller than everybody else would have been an easier target.
What made Washington an effective general? He actually listened to what his troops had to say. I never realized just how diverse, or "patchwork" as our President said yesterday, even the Revolutionary War army was. It had New Englanders, Southern Gentlemen, freed slaves, mountain men...you name it. A lot of them he even had to potty train as a lot of the soldiers were getting sick from doing their business wherever they wanted. So the Father of our Country in a sense also had to change the nation's diapers.
Plus, during weather like it is now...I especially appreciate Washington at Valley Forge toughing it out with his army....no cushy apartment to hide in.
3. Not King George I
The biggest thing Washington did was refuse the crown. I really never appreciated what a big deal this was until I saw what happened in other countries. There have of course been other revolutions that overthrew the existing government. Although usually whoever the military leader was became a dictator (basically a king without the inbreeding) and any hope of reform disappeared. You figure this was the case with Julius Caesar, Napoleon and Oliver Cromwell, just to name a few. George Washington said no to being a king, and insisted that he would only have two terms. Partly because he wanted to go hang out at Mount Vernon. But partly because he didn't want to die in office, like a monarch.
Finally...of course one of the more famous moments in the Revolutionary War is Washington crossing the Delaware River. Geek that I am, I'll always think of the discussion Bert and Ernie had about it. Notice how Bert is the one who is all geeked up about Washington. That's pretty appropriate. Something tells me Ernie would be more of a Teddy Roosevelt fan.
ETA: Recommended reading "1776" by David McCullough
Thank you Obama and
unamundamour for giving me an idea for a series. I've decided to write a series on the 44 presidential administrations in my own style. I'm thinking roughly one a month.I'm actually a bit surprised that I have anything to say at all about George Washington. I've usually thought of him as being as wooden as his teeth allegedly were. A man with the same sense of humor as my 3rd grade teacher....only one known joke on record, and not a very funny one at that.
Recently though, I've actually found things that interest me about the man. So tonight I'll give him his props.
1. The man could rise above the egos and be an effective leader.
Look at some of the people that were part of his administration: Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams....more divas in the room than at the Tonys. Somehow, with all that draammaaa going on, he managed to stay above the fray, and help get that fledgling government on its feet.
2. What a man what a man...
In the French and Indian war at one point, when the Indians were shooting at our founding father, they kept missing him so many times the leader ordered that they stop shooting at him because he was obviously blessed. You'd think somebody that much taller than everybody else would have been an easier target.
What made Washington an effective general? He actually listened to what his troops had to say. I never realized just how diverse, or "patchwork" as our President said yesterday, even the Revolutionary War army was. It had New Englanders, Southern Gentlemen, freed slaves, mountain men...you name it. A lot of them he even had to potty train as a lot of the soldiers were getting sick from doing their business wherever they wanted. So the Father of our Country in a sense also had to change the nation's diapers.
Plus, during weather like it is now...I especially appreciate Washington at Valley Forge toughing it out with his army....no cushy apartment to hide in.
3. Not King George I
The biggest thing Washington did was refuse the crown. I really never appreciated what a big deal this was until I saw what happened in other countries. There have of course been other revolutions that overthrew the existing government. Although usually whoever the military leader was became a dictator (basically a king without the inbreeding) and any hope of reform disappeared. You figure this was the case with Julius Caesar, Napoleon and Oliver Cromwell, just to name a few. George Washington said no to being a king, and insisted that he would only have two terms. Partly because he wanted to go hang out at Mount Vernon. But partly because he didn't want to die in office, like a monarch.
Finally...of course one of the more famous moments in the Revolutionary War is Washington crossing the Delaware River. Geek that I am, I'll always think of the discussion Bert and Ernie had about it. Notice how Bert is the one who is all geeked up about Washington. That's pretty appropriate. Something tells me Ernie would be more of a Teddy Roosevelt fan.
ETA: Recommended reading "1776" by David McCullough