As the university and nation get ready to celebrate the first president’s birthday on Friday, GW Today talked with Assistant Professor of History Denver Brunsman about George Washington’s life, times and legacy.
Q: What would surprise people today about life in Revolutionary America?
A: More than anything, I think people today would be surprised how British the American colonists were. In fact, they did not even refer to themselves as American but as British. It was the British in England that called the colonists Americans.
This helped to shape the new nation after the Revolution, and the celebration of George Washington’s birthday is a great example. It essentially replaced the king’s birthday, which had always been a holiday on the colonial calendar. Ultimately, Washington’s birthday became an official national holiday in 1879, but it was celebrated long before that. Few Americans today realize the colonial and monarchical roots of the holiday.
As a side note, in 1971, the observed holiday was moved to the third Monday in February. While it’s commonly known as Presidents Day, the official name for the holiday remains Washington’s Birthday. Ironically, the observed holiday can never fall on Feb. 22, Washington’s actual birthday, since the third Monday of the month is always between Feb. 15 and Feb. 21.
Q: At the start of the Revolutionary War, was George Washington already revered and considered America's leader? If not, how did he achieve this status?
A: Washington was one of the few American colonists with extensive military experience, gained in the French and Indian War in the 1750s. Therefore, he did not have to lobby to be selected as the commander of the new American Continental Army in 1775. He simply wore his Virginia provincial officer’s uniform to the Second Continental Congress and was a natural choice.
Washington’s success in command during the Revolutionary War, particularly in battles such as at Trenton (1776) and Yorktown (1781), cemented his status as a national hero. But then his decision to resign his command at the end of the war in 1783 elevated his reputation to even greater heights. There were—and still are—few examples in world history of individual leaders voluntarily surrendering their power for the good of their particular polity. That gesture made a Washington a lasting symbol of republican virtue.
Q: In 1783, after seven years of war, what was the state of the country?
A: The young nation struggled during the 1780s from the aftereffects of the war, especially from debt and high inflation. During this time, Washington had returned to private life at Mount Vernon. Yet he remained keenly aware of the nation’s difficulties. He joined other national leaders in supporting a convention in 1787 to reform the nation’s governing structure; of course, that convention famously produced our Constitution.
Q: What were George Washington's chief accomplishments as president?
A: If it’s possible for Washington to be underrated in any area, it might be as president. We forget that he had few executive models to follow outside of the monarchy, and the Constitution offered only a blueprint of his duties. In a very real sense, he invented the presidency.
His accomplishments included working closely with Congress to flesh out the executive branch with its various original departments, including state, treasury and war (today, defense). Washington also helped to secure America’s borders and security to the west and east. On the western frontier, the British and their Native American allies continued to occupy territory in the Old Northwest (today’s Midwest), which deterred new American settlement. Washington helped to reverse the situation. Likewise, to the east on the Atlantic, his administration forged a peace with Britain that lasted until the War of 1812. America was born a fragile republic surrounded by enemies in all directions. Without Washington’s leadership, the country might not have survived its first decade under the Constitution.
Q: What was the primary role of early presidents? How has the role evolved over the past two centuries?
A: Believe it or not, many aspects of the presidency have not changed that much from Washington’s time. I attribute this to one reason above all others—legislative supremacy. For all our celebrations of the president, the Constitution is designed to give the legislative branch supremacy over the executive branch. This is a legacy of the American Revolution. All presidents, beginning with Washington, have learned the lesson that they cannot magically pass laws without the support of Congress. We see President Obama today struggling to pass his agenda with Republican control of the House of Representatives. Washington had it somewhat easier, but he still spent an incredible amount of time conferring with members of Congress.
The biggest difference today is the global influence of the American president. Although Washington was an international celebrity in his day, he lacked the influence on the world stage that the president has today. With the growth of American military might, in particular, there has emerged what scholars refer to as the “imperial presidency”—an executive with power that Washington could not have imagined.
Q: Why are George Washington and early presidents still relevant today? What can we learn from them?
A: Remembering Washington and the other founders provides an opportunity to reflect on our country’s origins and how we have evolved as a nation. Often the founders are used merely to criticize today’s America, but we have much progress to be proud of since the nation’s beginnings. Although Washington and his contemporaries advanced notions of freedom, they could not have fathomed a society that recognized the basic human dignity and equality of all people.
In other areas, particularly when it comes to service, we would do well to heed Washington’s example. Though Washington was certainly ambitious, his fame rested on his selfless service to the nation. This important ideal of selfless service, on which the republic was founded, is too easily forgotten today.
Q: Other than the Mount Vernon Estate, Museum and Gardens, where in the area can people go to learn more about George Washington?
A: The Society of the Cincinnati in Dupont Circle is a fascinating site. The society was formed in 1783 by officers of the Continental Army and their French counterparts. Washington served as president of the society from 1783 until his death in 1799. The library and house where the society is headquartered is open to the public.
There are also several sites in Alexandria, including Christ Church, where Washington’s pew is preserved in its original state, and Gadsby’s Tavern, which held balls in honor of Washington’s “birth night.”
A little farther afield, Washington’s birthplace in Virginia’s Northern Neck is a national memorial. Although the house where he was born no longer stands, its foundations have been preserved. Family members, including Washington’s half-brother, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, lie in the family burial ground nearby.