So, George Washington.

The Precedent creator, the first, establisher of civil government in the US and a fine dancer too. Had a lovely horse.

What are your views on President number one? A fan, or do you go against the grain? What were his faults? A legendary President of merit, or do you think John Adams secretly did all the good stuff?

Views good or bad. Interesting info. Anecdotes (not apocryphal). What you like or dislike about George Washington.


I'll start with my first bit of lesser known Washington info. He was a gifted dancer, and the ladies would line up to be offered a dance with the President at balls.

He also refused to shake hands, feeling it beneath the Presidency.

So what else?

Originally Posted by Scot Ferre
Washington was a consensus builder, usually only because of his fame and earned respect. He mediated between divisive people, like Hamilton and others who didn't like Hamilton.

Well, Alexander Hamilton didn't like many people and not many liked him. Which led to his interesting yet premature end.

He had a temper, but most of the time he was able to bridle it, amazingly enough.

He used to calm himself down by taking long rides on Nelson, I believe.

He freed his slaves after his death.

Really? That's very interesting.

He kept us out of war between France and Britain, even though France claimed that Americans owed them a debt. There was a backlash against the French in the States, but at least it was limited to that and very few hostilities occurred as a result. Washington favored neutrality - mostly because the county didn't have the resources to maintain a standing army, and to continue commerce with many nations without favoring one or the other.

Yes, I think Adams took that up too (More on him later). A good decision - I bet, whether he is now, he wishes some of his successors followed similar decisions!

Originally Posted by Dawa Lhamo
Gotta like Washington, if only for his obvious reluctance to take on the job, on his insistence on being called Mister President rather than Honorable, Majestic or whatnot, on his refusal of a large salary. It's hard to imagine being the first executive leader of a new government. That takes some serious cojones. And he was religiously tolerant - some of his letters on the subject of religious tolerance were required reading in an American religion class I took in college. (which is always a plus for me) Add to that the fact that he refused to run a third term, establishing the precedence of the two term limit - which is another safeguard to our democracy. ^_^

Correct me if I'm wrong, but he didn't set the two term precedent, so to speak? He stepped down, set that precedent of a peaceful changeover, but Teddy R, Ulysses SG, FDR and a few others tried for a third term. With the parties as opposed to the Presidents half the time they seem to have been ousted as opposed to stepped down!

And it was a very good thing Washington stood down. After all, he'd have died during his third term, and what would that have done to the flegling union?

Quote:Originally Posted by bjblackpool
Who was his Veep?

Quote:Originally Posted by Scot Ferre
John Adams.
Back then, the loser of the race for President became the VP. It didn't last too long. Imagine Obama and McCain.

Or Polk and Clay, Wilson and Roosevelt, Hayes and Tilden, or Nixon and Humphries!

Originally Posted by james campbell
Didn't he chop down a cherry tree?

"Here is the axe, for I cannot lie, it was I."


"I once had Washingtons original axe, that he cut the cherry tree down with. It was rather old, I'd had to replace the blade twice and the handle thrice, but the original axe it was."


I think this was an apocryphal tale.