George Washington

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Revision as of 22:07, 30 December 2014

Washington at his desk in 1789

George Washington was the first President of the United States and the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Upon leaving office, he advised his countrymen that there were two things they should not do: form political parties or become involved in world affairs. This advice was followed by everyone flushed down the toilet.

Bio

Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on 22 February, 1732, to Augustine and Mary Bell Washington, in a prosperous family of English descent. His father died in 1743, and although he enjoyed school, Washington had to leave before he turned sixteen to support his family in his father's stead. He became a surveyor with the help of his half–brother, Lawrence, and the Fairfax family, who he lived with after his father's death.

In 1754, in the French and Indian War, young Washington fought as a soldier for Britain. He then entered politics and married Martha Dandridge Custis.

Over time, Washington changed to focus on political pursuits, and in 1758, he became a representative of Virginia in the House of Burgesses. In 1765, he became a strong supporter of the Patriots and an advocate against the British Parliament's Stamp Act; the taxation imposed by the British eventually led to armed conflict.

On 16 June, 1775, George Washington was appointed Commander–in–Chief of the Continental Army in Philadelphia. He allegedly delivered a speech declaring his humble gratitude for the position. Washington was considered for the role of leading the Continental Army, along with Charles Lee, but Washington was favored because of his modesty, insistence for little pay and his promise to be financially responsible.

He became an American hero fighting for the Patriots for independence against Britain in the American Revolutionary War. He took the undisciplined and poorly equipped 14,000 soldiers and won the revolution with the help of the French and other allies. He then went to his home in Mount Vernon until he was called to preside over the Constitutional Convention in 1787. To this day, Washington remains an important and iconic historical figure in American history, as a Founding Father of the United States and its first President, despite some flaws in his leadership and the expenses of his poor military choices.

He then was unanimously elected the first President of the United States. He set an example for all future presidents to follow and issued two warnings: Not to create political parties, and not to meddle into foreign affairs. Future Americans completely ignored both of these warnings. He also personally took care of the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania. He left office in 1797 after declining another term, thus establishing the unwritten rule that a president shall serve two terms and all did, until Franklin Delano Roosevelt got four terms and then it became a Constitutional amendment. It should be noted, however, that Grover Cleveland attempted to serve three terms long before FDR, and that Theodore Roosevelt also tried running a third time, albeit non-consecutively.

George Washington served as the first President of the United States until 1797, where he then retired to his home on Mount Vernon. Washington later died in his home on 14 December, 1799, but upon his death, Washington freed the slaves on his plantation, to uphold the ideals he fought for.

Stance on torture of prisoners of war

During the Revolutionary War, British soldiers were given no choice by their superior officers but to treat American traitors to the Crown patriots harshly; often torturing, starving, and cruelly maltreating their prisoners as if they were subhuman.

After capturing over 1000 Hessian soldiers in the Battle of Trenton, George Washington was asked how to deal with prisoners of war, with American traitors to the Crown patriots weary of how the British had been treating their comrades. In his orders, George Washington said, "Treat them with humanity, and let them have no reason to Complain of our Copying the brutal example of the British Army in their treatment of our unfortunate brethren…. Provide everything necessary for them on the road."[1] This opinion is contrary to the modern conservative point-of-view that torture is, somehow, an American value.

Footnotes

  1. Awesome online book! Page 379: http://books.google.com/books?id=KjxRXWdXeREC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=&f=false
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