George Washington (1732-1799), founding president of the United States. He served as a land surveyor in his early years. During the American War of Independence, he served as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and made great contributions to the independence of the United States. He was elected president in 1789 and re-elected in 1793. Because of his contributions to fighting for American independence, developing the American economy, building a democratic and legal system and consolidating the federal foundation, he was respected as the "father of the nation" by the Americans. After the two terms of office in 1797, Washington refused to participate in the election again and retired to his hometown. This move created an example of abandoning the lifelong presidential system and peaceful transfer of power in American history.

【Classic Quotes】

Our most reliable guarantor is our own wisdom.

Don't take on things you can't accomplish, but you must keep your promise.

【Famous quotes】

Stable: Stable and reliable. Wisdom is the crystallization of past experience and is the unique wealth of everyone. It teaches us to do and speak, and it teaches us to win our own life and freedom. Other people's wisdom cannot help us become smart. Therefore, our own wisdom is the most reliable.

Don’t force yourself to do tasks that you can’t complete. If you agree, you must do it.

George Washington was born in Wickfold Manor in Virginia, USA in 1732. He was the son of a wealthy planter and inherited a considerable property at the age of twenty. From 1753 to 1758, Washington served in the army and actively participated in the war between the French and the Indians, thus gaining military experience and prestige. In 1758, he returned to Virginia and soon married a rich widow with four children, Martha Dandleyju Castis (he had no biological children).

Washington operated his property in the following fifteen years and showed extraordinary talent. When he was elected as a representative of Virginia to attend the First Continental Congress in 1774, he had become one of the largest wealthiests in the American colonies. Washington was not a pioneer in independence, but the Second Continental Congress in June 1775 (he was a representative) unanimously elected him to command the mainland troops. He had rich military experience, rich property, and was well-known; he was handsome, strong (6 feet 2 inches tall), and excellent commanding skills, especially his tenacious character made him a natural candidate for commander. During the entire war, he served loyally, without paying any money, was honest and dedicated, and was a role model.

Washington began to command the Continental Army in June 1775, and his most meaningful contribution was achieved during this period when the second presidential term expired in March 1797. In December 1799, he died of illness at home in Winn Hill, Virginia.

First, he was a successful military leader in the American War of Independence. But in fact, he was by no means a military genius, and of course he could never be compared with generals like Alexander and Caesar. At least half of his success was due to the unexpected incompetence of the British generals who faced him, and the other half was due to his own talent. But remember that several other American generals were defeated, and Washington eventually won the war despite several small defeats.

Secondly, Washington was the chairman of the Constitutional Convention. Although his thoughts did not play an important role in the formation of the US Constitution, his supporters and his reputation played a major role in the ratification of the states. At that time, there was a powerful force opposing the new constitution. If it were not for the influence of Washington, it would be difficult to say that this constitution could be implemented.

Secondly, Washington was the first president of the United States. It was lucky to have a person like Washington who was both virtuous and capable as the first president. Looking back at the history of South America and Africa, we can see that even a new country with a democratic constitution at the beginning, it was easy to fall into a military autocratic country. Washington was a firm leader. He maintained the unity of the country, but he had no ambition to control the regime forever, and neither wanted to be a king nor a dictator. He set a precedent for taking the initiative to give up power—a precedent that the United States still pursued today. With other American leaders at that time, such as Thomas Jefferson, April 13, 1743

—July 4, 1826), James Madison (March 16, 1751 - June 28, 1836), Alexander Hamilton, January 11, 1757 - July 12, 1804), etc., George Washington lacked the spirit of innovation and profound thoughts. But he was much more important than all these talented figures. He played a crucial role in administrative leadership, both in war and during peace, and no political movement would have achieved his goal without him. Madison's contribution to the formation of the United States was significant, and Washington's contribution was almost indispensable.

George Washington's position in this book depends to a large extent on how people understand the historical significance he brought to the United States. It is naturally difficult to ask an American today to make an impartial evaluation of that historical significance.

Although the United States had a greater military and political influence in the mid-twentieth century than the Roman Empire at its peak, its regime might not have been as long as the Roman Empire. On the other hand, several technological achievements made by the United States will be regarded as of great significance by other nations in the future, which seems obvious to all. For example, the invention of aircraft and the landing of humans on the moon represent the achievements that people have dreamed of for generations in the past; it is hard to imagine that the invention of nuclear weapons will be regarded as insignificant achievements in the future.

Since George Washington is generally comparable to Augustus Caesar in Rome, it seems reasonable to rank him very close to Augustus in this book. If Washington is slightly lower, it is mainly because he has been in much shorter time than Augustus, and many others such as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison also played an important role in the formation of the United States. But Washington is higher than those of Alexander the Great and Napoleon because his contributions are more indelible than theirs. Washington, the founder of the United States of America,

As we all know, the capital of the United States is Washington, which is located on the banks of the Potomac River along the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, there was no such city in the United States before 1800. It was specially established by the American people to commemorate George Washington, the founding father of the United States. This shows how noble he is in the minds of the American people.

On February 22, 1732, George Washington was born in a Virginia plantation family. He lost his father since childhood and inherited only a small amount of land and 10 black slaves. At the age of 16, he went to the west as a land surveyor. Later, he traded land in the Ohio River Basin. With his hard work, Washington became a famous large plantation owner in the local area. At that time, Britain and France fought a protracted war for North American colonies. In order to defeat France, Britain tried its best to strive for large-scale plantation in North America.

The support of the owner, in 1754, the Governor of Virginia agreed to give 200,000 acres of land to the rich people who participated in the anti-French war. Washington actively participated in the British war against France, commanded the local armed forces in Virginia, made many military achievements, and helped the British army drive the French out of North America. However, after the war, Britain immediately turned against the enemy and declared that the land in the west was private property of the royal family and was not allowed to be reclaimed. This ban caused Washington to lose more than 30,000 acres of land at once. From then on, he became a firm opponent of British colonial policy.

On April 19, 1775, the people of Boston came to Netherton (on the evening of April 18, 1775, British troops stationed in North American colonies quietly set out from Boston to confiscate weapons collected by North American militia. North American militia detectives discovered this situation and immediately rode a horse to report the news to the militia along the way. The militia quickly ambushed and prepared for battle.) The first shot to resist British colonial rule. The people of North American states responded one after another, and the vigorous American War of Independence broke out.

In June 1775, 13 British colonies in North America held a "Continental Conference" in Philadelphia, and Washington was appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. At this time, the Boston rebels were fighting fiercely with the British troops there. Washington immediately set off on horseback and arrived in Boston on July 3. He personally went to the front line to command the battle, causing a serious blow to the British army.

In the early days of the war, the US military fought very hard. Most of them were temporarily recruited farmers. Their clothes were ragged, their weapons were not formally trained, and they did not have regular military training. They were not like an army at all. On the other hand, the logistics supply of the US military was also extremely difficult. The soldiers often had no food and were not warm in their clothes. Sometimes they could not eat bread for five or six days, so they had to eat horse feed. In the cold winter, many soldiers had to march barefoot.

On the contrary, their opponent, the British army, were well-equipped, well-trained, and sufficient logistics supply. Therefore, the US army suffered repeated defeats, and the fortresses in New York and other places were successively lost. By September 1777, even the capital Philadelphia was occupied by the British army, and some generals with weak will actually lead their troops to surrender to the British army.

Under the extremely severe situation, Washington was always loyal to the cause of independence of the North American people and never wavered. With his extraordinary talent, he organized the American army, which was originally free, scattered, lacking organizational discipline and unified command, trained and grew in battle, and gradually established a powerful regular army. He encouraged the American soldiers and called on them to fight for freedom, pointing out: Are the Americans free or slaves; our land should belong to ourselves, or be robbed and destroyed; two roads, one is to resist bravely, and the other is to tame, and are placed in front of the soldiers of the Independence Army.

He tried to unite the states, connect them, and fight together. In October 1777, the US defeated the British army in Saratoga, thus reversing the entire War of Independence. At the same time, in order to isolate Britain and the United States, they launched diplomatic activities in many ways to seek assistance from France and other countries. In June 1778, French warships advanced into the United States, and the British army was forced to retreat from Philadelphia and turn the main attack direction to the south. In 1780, the British army transferred its main force to the southern port city of York. France and the US army advanced side by side, approaching York. The French army blocked the harbor with the navy, cut off the British sea supply line, and cut off the British army's retreat route, and Washington led his troops to attack from the front.

In September 1781, British commander Kang Huali led 7,000 British troops to surrender to Washington in Yorktown, and the American War of Independence achieved the final victory. At this point, the military confrontation phase in the American War of Independence ended. In 1783, Britain and the United States signed the Paris Peace Treaty, and Britain officially recognized American independence.

After the victory of the War of Independence, Washington broke up and returned to Virginia to continue to operate his own plantation, enjoying a quiet pastoral life under the shade of vines and fig trees. In 1787, Washington came out again, presided over the Constitutional Convention, and formulated the world's first bourgeois constitution. In April 1789, Washington was elected the first president of the United States.

After eight years as US president, he vowed not to be re-elected and resolutely returned to Mount Vernon Villa to live a civilian life.

On December 14, 1799, Washington died of illness.

The truly great politician - Washington

"A pure politician should respect and cherish religion and morality just like a devout person."

If this sentence came from Zhang San or Li Si's mouth, it might cause laughter.

Because in the minds of ordinary people, politics means playing with and trampling on morality. Only when people are deceived can politicians' mouths slip out of their high-sounding moral words.

Fortunately, the person who said this has been practicing as much as possible throughout his life.

He is one of the founding fathers of the United States. It is precisely because of this rare character among politicians that when I was thinking of writing some essays about great people, I felt that Washington should be put in the first article.

As time goes by, we can increasingly feel the impact of Washington's political heritage in the development of world history.

Unfortunately, we only hear more about Washington, and most of our understanding is at the level of middle school textbooks. We are all attracted by the image of Kangxi's private visits and Yongzheng's wise and wise men. Sitting in front of the TV, we seem to be the people of the Qing Empire.

In order to no longer always lose our direction in the jungle of politics, we should eliminate the beams in our eyes. Because there are so many wonderful things in the world that we need to appreciate.

Washington did not come from the Zhongming Dingshi House. He lost his father at a young age and began to make a living independently at the age of 17. His education was not even as good as Lincoln, and at most he was just elementary school. He also had a miraculous experience that seemed invulnerable to swords and guns. At the age of 22, he became the commander-in-chief of Virginia and became a famous hero. From the age of 21 to 26, he fought against the French and Indians. But for the next 16 years, he was just an ordinary planter in Virginia.

It was the times that once again pushed him to the forefront of history. In 1775, Washington was elected as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. He was ordered to face major issues such as freedom or enslavement in times of crisis. When the enemy was in front of him, it seemed that the ego should obey the overall situation and move forward under the leadership of a godlike figure.

But we have not seen historically common things on the American continent.

In the pursuit of independence and freedom, the United States has always been accompanied by people's vigilance against autocracy and distrust of power. Even John Adams, who led to Washington's election as commander-in-chief, was uneasy because he was worried that when establishing a symbol of the cause of creating an independent country, historical experience made him realize that the risks were extraordinary: "All the strong are trying their best to seize all the power they may obtain."

The process of the War of Independence is an incredible political alternative in the eyes of many of us today. However, it seems that it is still impossible today, but it is being practiced at that time. Short-term military service has caused Washington's troops to be replaced like flowing water. In order to build a combat-capable army, Washington requested soldiers to serve for three years in 1776. Although the representatives of the Continental Congress were in front of a great enemy, they were still worried that an army with too strict internal organization would often be in danger of becoming a tool in the hands of tyrants. In the end, although they accepted the proposal, they also stipulated that the states had the right to appoint officers of their own troops. They did not want to start with the struggle for freedom and end with tyranny. Because they knew that the blood of martyrs might also be exchanged for tyranny, and then demanded respect for tyranny in the name of blood. But just to exchange for a slave, what is the meaning of bleeding?

Usually, wars are inevitable to burn, kill, rob and capture, but Washington always firmly believes in the political value of morality. Even his soldiers' naked feet left bloody footprints in the snow, it cannot prompt him to use bayonets to collect military supplies. He was engaged in a people's war. If only this is the case, it is not only Washington who has done this from ancient times to the present.

But it was on this issue that Washington's actions overshadowed all those who wore crowns or emperors without the name of emperors. At that time, the War of Independence was going on hard and arduously. A doctor described the image of a soldier: "Shoes were so rotten that they exposed their toes, and their toes could not cover his naked legs. The pants were so torn almost impossible to cover his shame, and his shirt was torn into pieces..." It was such a group of people who were for the freedom and independence of the United States.

But the country did not give them the compensation they deserved. For example, the demobilized soldiers even had to owed "four, five, or maybe six years" salary, and the mainland meeting did not pay them. They dedicated their bright years to the cause of freedom and independence, but they received extreme poverty and ungratefulness, "they were in debt, had no money, and did not even have the money to go home." Washington was heartbroken for this. The soldiers were also full of complaints.

But in the dissatisfaction of the soldiers, what he saw was a threat to freedom, rather than an opportunity to seize power.

When Colonel Lewis Nicola wrote a letter in 1782 to persuade Washington to take responsibility for the King of the United States

When he was resigned, he replied: "There is nothing in the entire war that makes me more painful than the thought you said in the army... I hate and strongly condemn this extremely harmful view that would destroy my country." In 1783, Hamilton also tempted Washington to use the power of the bayonet of his dissatisfied army, and Washington also replied that he could not lead actions that would "cause domestic unrest and end in blood."

I don't know if Washington had a single word of private thought. Because in that era, there was no precedent for the people to manage themselves. At that time, the great powers were ruled by kings, and history could be said to be basically a history of royal power. There was no innovation in the world to establish a republic government in a big country. Montesquieu believed that the republic system was only suitable for small countries, while the great powers were governed by an autocratic monarchs. In Europe, it was generally believed that the people who governed the country themselves would eventually lead to anarchism and chaos in the world. But no matter what, Washington did not follow the trend of the time and add an extra crown to the world. However, the world would have a president, which would make the crown dim and even difficult to wear.

On March 15, 1783, he convened a meeting of officers that decided the direction of American history, calling on officers not to "open the floodgates of civil strife", but to "let your descendants say this reason when talking about the brilliant example you set for mankind," that the world would never have seen human performance reach such a state of goodness and beauty without this day." People seemed unmoved. At the end of the speech, he took out a pair of glasses from his pocket. He said, "Please allow me to wear glasses. For this country, I not only white my hair, but also almost blinded my eyes." The hard-working men shed tears. The dark clouds of tyranny and civil strife disappeared in an instant. The American people fought for freedom, and also gained freedom, and got rid of the usual revolutionary tragedy in history: the struggle for freedom begins with autocracy.

The American War of Independence was the only revolution in world history that kept its promises. The Declaration of Independence in 1776 solemnly declared to the world: "We believe that the following truth is self-evident: everyone is born equal, and the Creator gives them several unalterable rights, including the right to survive, the right to freedom and the right to pursue happiness. In order to protect these rights, mankind established a government among them, and the legitimate power of the government was granted by the consent of the ruled." These exciting words and sentences are not just propaganda materials made for recruiting soldiers and horses, and when they seize power, they become empty text. The history of the United States is the history of fulfilling these promises.

It is also because of this that German musician Schubert said that in the United States, the thirteen "golden doors are open to victims of indiscriminate theory and authoritarian politics." And the Irish nationalist leader Henry Graton spurs his compatriots: "Always look at the United States until you determine the feasibility of being a slave."

From being the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in 1775 to issuing an order in 1783 to promulgating the "United States of America and the Kingdom of Great Britain", Washington fought for freedom and independence for eight years. Paine said enthusiastically: "The sun never shines like this in this way," and Washington is the greatest warrior of this cause. Independence has created a generation of great men and given Washington a prestige and reputation that no one can match. He is the unique idol in the hearts of the American people. However, he

Not only did he not have the ambition of being insatiable for absolute power, but he was not willing to hold any public office at that time. Washington never made the North American continent's achievements in corpses and bleeding thousands of miles - and never had the glory that many generals in Chinese history! - Washington made the world see for the first time that humans can transcend the logic of fighting and sitting in the country. They fought for independence and freedom, not for power and the seat. This was the unprecedented contribution of the American War of Independence to the world.

The reward he needed was to be able to take the shade and cool off under his grape trellis and fig trees, and enjoy the ease of leaving the power to return to the fields. In his letter to Lafayette, he said, "I have finally become an ordinary citizen on the banks of the Potomac River."

It is his unparalleled political personality that makes future generations write such sentences without regret when writing his political biography: If he had finished his life when he returned to Mount Vernon on Christmas Eve, then he was one of the greatest figures in American history, and his life could be said to be full of divine glory. Washington does not need mediocre people to make such assumptions afterwards.

Although he later returned to politics, he did not seize the record of power in the name of striving for the cause of the American people for life.

In 1789, Washington was elected as the first president of the United States, but even his travel expenses to New York, the temporary capital, were borrowed money to make up for it. When he was on the road in his own carriage, he would change the course of human history. He was on an unprecedented path and would prove to the world that the idea that mankind must have a savior and savior is out of place. The torch of freedom cannot be extinguished. Because of his failure, it will become an example of the inability of human freedom and autonomy. When will humanity recover its confidence in pursuing freedom? Later generations are pleased to see that he left signposts for freedom, not tombstones.

During his first presidency, Washington was tired of the power struggle. In 1792, the year of the presidential election, he told Madison: "He would rather pick up a hoe and earn a piece of bread than in this situation now." The question is, how will power transfer smoothly after Washington left office? Will there be bloody battles? There are too many lessons from history. In such an electoral country, how to transfer power is indeed related to the great cause of a thousand years. The country needs him to continue to work. In 1793, as the only candidate, the Electoral College unanimously passed him to continue re-election. He set a precedent for re-election of at most two presidents.

In his farewell speech in 1796, he had made up his mind to refuse to list himself as the next presidential candidate, but hoped to entrust the important task of governing the country through elections. In this year, Emperor Qianlong of China passed the throne to Jiaqing and became the emperor for 61 years.

In March 1797, Washington returned to Mount Vernon to run his own industry. He did not serve for his life, and relied on the throne of power until the last breath of his life. He did not select successors, but allowed the people to be elected. This was his outstanding contribution to human political civilization. He told later generations and the present that kings and nobles were not indispensable, and that the people had the ability to rule themselves, and did not need to designate successors by powerful figures. In the election, he was out of the matter, neither attacked Jefferson who betrayed himself, nor cheered for John Adams, thus showing the charm and vitality of the republic.

He also disliked partisan disputes and warned the American people about factional disputes to the country, but he always remained impartial. This can be said to be the limitation of this great man. He did not realize how political leaders could have a problem without a great man created by the times and hoped for the public; he did not realize that the competition for political positions would inevitably lead to factional disputes.

Even at the last moment of his life, future generations can feel his personal charm. One of his biographers, Flexner, wrote: "Washington also confirmed that the old tomb of Mount Vernon's family was too narrow and dilapidated. He planned to build a better one, but did not want to build a building that stood proudly on the streets and alleys in the capital named after him." He did not want the city center of Washington to become his cemetery. The real monument was standing in people's hearts, not a majestic marble building. However, not all politicians understand and willing to accept this principle.

The moment he closed the coffin, people were filled with grief, not with lingering fear. The political legacy he left behind not only benefited the American people, but also benefited the entire world. The American people had no need to worry at this time and in the future, and the sky would collapse once a great man died.

Washington opened a new era of politics. Although he was in power, he always obeyed the call of conscience and used power cautiously and humbly. He was a politician among politicians and a great man among great men. Later generations can see from him that politicians can still have such an image. It was him who used his words and deeds to tell the world how well politics and morality can be combined. Politics is not always a synonym for shamelessness, nor is it only a political villain who can achieve success. Washington is like a beacon of political personality, always reminding people who have or want to have power not to be dizzy in the maze of power.

But Washington is not a natural right god. He himself did not think so, nor did his compatriots shaped like this. He was resentful in front of him, and some people were criticized after his death. Although he could be said to be another national flag of the United States, the American people would sing in the song: "Blow the trumpet of praise, let Washington's reputation sound all over the world and win cheers", but the Americans did not put him on the altar and praised him as the great savior of the American people. Because there was never a place for the political altar to stand on this land. The American people did not put their destiny and hope in the hands of the saints from then on. They admire Washington, but are always vigilant about power.

There are three different opinions on the historical community’s evaluation of Washington:

It is both a military strategist and a political thinker
Chapter completed!