How George Washington Became President
In the summer of 1779, the tide in the Revolutionary War was turning in favor of the Continental Army, led by General George Washington. At Washington's direction, General John Sullivan carried out a campaign that destroyed at least 40 Iroquois villages in central and upstate New York. The Iroquois were British allies who had been raiding American settlements, and "the Sullivan Expedition" robbed the British of a valuable ally in the war. In July 1780, 5,000 veteran French troops led by the comte de Rochambeau arrived at Newport, Rhode Island to aid the Continental Army. These combined forces, under Washington's leadership, delivered the final blow to the British in 1781, after a French naval victory allowed these forces to trap the British army in Virginia. The British surrender at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, marked the end of major fighting in continental North America.
After Yorktown, the British still had 26,000 troops occupying New York City, Charleston and Savannah, together with a powerful fleet. The French army and navy soon departed, so the Americans were left to fend for themselves, with an empty treasury and unpaid soldiers. Washington was able to dispel unrest by suppressing a threatened uprising in the army known as "the Newburgh Conspiracy" in March 1783.
The initial peace treaty articles with the British were ratified in April, 1783. A recently formed Congressional committee, chaired by Alexander Hamilton, was considering plans for a peacetime army. On May 2, 1783, Washington submitted his opinion to the Committee. Hamilton's proposal was defeated in Congress in two votes held in May and October of 1783, with an amended proposal also being rejected in April 1784.
Under the Treaty of Paris, signed in September of 1783, Great Britain recognized the independence of the United States. Following this, Washington disbanded his army and, on November 2, gave an eloquent farewell address to his soldiers. On November 25, the British evacuated New York City. On December 23, Washington formally resigned his commission as commander-in-chief.
Washington retired to his home at Mount Vernon, but his retirement was short-lived. He was persuaded to attend the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787, where he was unanimously elected president of the Convention. He did participate in the debates very much, but his gravitas helped to maintained order and to keep the delegates focused on their task at hand. The delegates created the office of the presidency, and had Washington in mind for the position. Following the Convention, many were convinced many to vote for ratification of the new Constitution because it had Washington's support. The Constitution was ultimately ratified by all thirteen states.
The Electoral College elected Washington unanimously as the first president in 1789. To this day he remains the only president to have received 100 percent of the electoral votes. John Adams was elected Vice President. At his inauguration, Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States of America on April 30, 1789, on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City. The 1st United States Congress voted to pay Washington a salary of $25,000 a year, a large sum in 1789. Washington declined the salary, considering such remuneration to be contrary to what should be expected from a public servant. At the urging of Congress, however, he was convinced to accept the payment, in order to avoid setting a precedent in which the presidency would be seen as open only to independently wealthy individuals.
Washington was aware that everything he did set a precedent. He was attentive to the formalities of office, making sure that the titles and trappings were republican and did not resemble the practices in European royal courts. He preferred the title "Mr. President" to the more majestic names proposed by the Senate.
Washington was an able administrator. He excelled at delegation and as a judge of talent and character. He established many of the practices and procedures that became part of the office of President, such as messages to Congress and a cabinet form of government. He also gave the example of tolerance of opposition voices and of a smooth transition of power to his successor. After reluctantly serving a second term, Washington refused to run for a third, establishing the customary policy of a maximum of two terms for a president. When this tradition was broken by the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt to a third term in 1940, Congress and the states responded by codifying the traditional two term limit for a president established by Washington as the Twenty-second Amendment.
When Washington died in 1799, he was eulogized by Congressman and former General Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee, a Revolutionary War comrade, who famously said of Washington:
"First in war—first in peace—and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble and enduring scenes of private life; pious, just, humane, temperate, and sincere; uniform, dignified, and commanding, his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting. To his equals he was condescending, to his inferiors kind, and to the dear object of his affections exemplarily tender; correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence, and virtue always felt his fostering hand; the purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues. His last scene comported with the whole tenor of his life—although in extreme pain, not a sigh, not a groan escaped him; and with undisturbed serenity he closed his well-spent life. Such was the man America has lost—such was the man for whom our nation mourns."
After Yorktown, the British still had 26,000 troops occupying New York City, Charleston and Savannah, together with a powerful fleet. The French army and navy soon departed, so the Americans were left to fend for themselves, with an empty treasury and unpaid soldiers. Washington was able to dispel unrest by suppressing a threatened uprising in the army known as "the Newburgh Conspiracy" in March 1783.
The initial peace treaty articles with the British were ratified in April, 1783. A recently formed Congressional committee, chaired by Alexander Hamilton, was considering plans for a peacetime army. On May 2, 1783, Washington submitted his opinion to the Committee. Hamilton's proposal was defeated in Congress in two votes held in May and October of 1783, with an amended proposal also being rejected in April 1784.
Under the Treaty of Paris, signed in September of 1783, Great Britain recognized the independence of the United States. Following this, Washington disbanded his army and, on November 2, gave an eloquent farewell address to his soldiers. On November 25, the British evacuated New York City. On December 23, Washington formally resigned his commission as commander-in-chief.
Washington retired to his home at Mount Vernon, but his retirement was short-lived. He was persuaded to attend the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787, where he was unanimously elected president of the Convention. He did participate in the debates very much, but his gravitas helped to maintained order and to keep the delegates focused on their task at hand. The delegates created the office of the presidency, and had Washington in mind for the position. Following the Convention, many were convinced many to vote for ratification of the new Constitution because it had Washington's support. The Constitution was ultimately ratified by all thirteen states.
The Electoral College elected Washington unanimously as the first president in 1789. To this day he remains the only president to have received 100 percent of the electoral votes. John Adams was elected Vice President. At his inauguration, Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States of America on April 30, 1789, on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City. The 1st United States Congress voted to pay Washington a salary of $25,000 a year, a large sum in 1789. Washington declined the salary, considering such remuneration to be contrary to what should be expected from a public servant. At the urging of Congress, however, he was convinced to accept the payment, in order to avoid setting a precedent in which the presidency would be seen as open only to independently wealthy individuals.
Washington was aware that everything he did set a precedent. He was attentive to the formalities of office, making sure that the titles and trappings were republican and did not resemble the practices in European royal courts. He preferred the title "Mr. President" to the more majestic names proposed by the Senate.
Washington was an able administrator. He excelled at delegation and as a judge of talent and character. He established many of the practices and procedures that became part of the office of President, such as messages to Congress and a cabinet form of government. He also gave the example of tolerance of opposition voices and of a smooth transition of power to his successor. After reluctantly serving a second term, Washington refused to run for a third, establishing the customary policy of a maximum of two terms for a president. When this tradition was broken by the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt to a third term in 1940, Congress and the states responded by codifying the traditional two term limit for a president established by Washington as the Twenty-second Amendment.
When Washington died in 1799, he was eulogized by Congressman and former General Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee, a Revolutionary War comrade, who famously said of Washington:
"First in war—first in peace—and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble and enduring scenes of private life; pious, just, humane, temperate, and sincere; uniform, dignified, and commanding, his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting. To his equals he was condescending, to his inferiors kind, and to the dear object of his affections exemplarily tender; correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence, and virtue always felt his fostering hand; the purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues. His last scene comported with the whole tenor of his life—although in extreme pain, not a sigh, not a groan escaped him; and with undisturbed serenity he closed his well-spent life. Such was the man America has lost—such was the man for whom our nation mourns."