George Washington was a guy who basically had the chance to be an American Caesar and just... said no. When we talk about George Washington president of the United States, we often get this stiff, marble-statue version of him. You've seen the one-dollar bill. He looks like he never cracked a smile or had a bad day in his life. But the reality of his two terms from 1789 to 1797 was actually a chaotic, high-stakes experiment that almost fell apart every other Tuesday. Honestly, if he hadn't been the one sitting in the chair, the whole "United States" thing might have been a short-lived footnote in a British history book.
He wasn't a policy wonk. He wasn't a philosopher like Jefferson or a financial genius like Hamilton. He was a leader who understood power—specifically, how to give it up.
The Job No One Wanted (But Everyone Wanted Him to Do)
Imagine being the first person to ever do a job where the job description hasn't even been written yet. That was the situation. The Constitution gave the outline, but it didn't say how a president should act. Should people bow? Should he be called "Your Highness"? Washington knew that every single thing he did would become a permanent rule for everyone who came after him. He called it "walking on untrodden ground."
He was terrified of looking like a monarch. At the same time, he knew the country was basically thirteen tiny countries pretending to be one, and they needed a strong central figure to keep them from killing each other. So, he struck a weird balance. He hosted formal "levees" where he stood with one hand on a sword and the other in a silk hat, but he refused to let people shake his hand because it felt too informal for the dignity of the office. He was basically trying to figure out how to be "The Man" without being "The King."
The Cabinet: A Literal Room Full of People Who Hated Each Other
If you think modern politics is toxic, you should've seen Washington’s inner circle. He didn't want a "team of rivals" just for the sake of it; he genuinely thought he could get Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton to work together. Spoiler: He couldn't.
Hamilton was the Treasury Secretary, a guy who wanted a massive central bank and a strong federal government. Jefferson was the Secretary of State, a guy who thought a central bank was a scam and that the federal government should basically stay out of everyone’s business. They hated each other so much that they started the first political parties—the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans—mostly just to spite one another.
Washington sat in the middle of this. He stayed above the fray as long as he could. He hated the idea of parties, which he called "factions." He thought they would be the "frightful despotism" of the country. Looking at the political landscape in 2026, it's kinda wild how right he was. He spent most of his presidency acting as a referee between two geniuses who were trying to pull the country in opposite directions.
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The Whiskey Rebellion: When the President Actually Led an Army
Most people forget that as George Washington president of the United States, he actually led troops into the field while in office. It’s the only time a sitting president has done that.
In 1794, farmers in Western Pennsylvania were furious about a tax on whiskey. Now, whiskey wasn't just a drink back then; it was basically currency. It was easier to transport liquid grain over the mountains than heavy bags of corn. When the feds tried to collect the tax, the farmers started tarring and feathering tax collectors.
Washington didn't mess around. He personally donned his old military uniform and rode out with 13,000 militia members. By the time they got there, the "rebels" had basically vanished. But the point was made: The federal government had the power to enforce its laws. It was a brutal, necessary moment that proved the Constitution actually had teeth.
Neutrality and the French Mess
While everyone at home was arguing about whiskey, Europe was on fire. The French Revolution had turned into a bloodbath, and France and Britain were back at war.
Jefferson wanted to help France because they helped us during our Revolution. Hamilton wanted to stick with Britain because they were our biggest trading partner. Washington? He chose neither. He issued the Proclamation of Neutrality in 1793. It was incredibly unpopular. People were calling him a traitor in the streets. But he knew the U.S. was too broke and too weak to survive another war. He chose the boring, safe path because it was the only way the country would survive its infancy.
Key Precedents Set by Washington:
- He created the "Cabinet" (the Constitution doesn't actually mention a cabinet).
- He insisted on being called "Mr. President" instead of something fancy.
- He established the right of the president to withhold certain documents from Congress (now called Executive Privilege).
- He stepped down after two terms, a tradition that lasted until FDR.
The Complicated Reality of Mount Vernon
You can't talk about Washington without talking about the fact that he was a slaveholder. It’s the massive, uncomfortable shadow over his entire legacy. While he was talking about liberty and the rights of man, he had hundreds of enslaved people working his plantation at Mount Vernon.
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Historians like Erica Armstrong Dunbar, in her book Never Caught, have detailed how Washington actually circled the law to keep his slaves. When the capital moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania law said any slave living there for six months was automatically free. Washington would rotate his enslaved staff back to Virginia every few months to reset the clock. It's a dark, calculating side of a man we usually think of as purely noble.
He was the only Founding Father to stipulate in his will that his slaves should be freed after his wife’s death. It was a gesture, sure, but it doesn't change the reality of the lives he controlled while he was alive. Understanding this complexity is essential if you want the real version of the man, not the fairy tale.
The Farewell Address: A Warning We Ignored
In 1796, Washington decided he’d had enough. He was tired, he was being attacked by the press, and he wanted to go home to his gardens. His Farewell Address wasn't a speech; it was a letter published in a newspaper.
In it, he gave three big warnings:
- Don't get involved in foreign entanglements (stay out of European wars).
- Don't let political parties tear the country apart.
- Keep religion and morality as the "pillars" of political prosperity.
We basically ignored all of them within about twenty minutes of him leaving office. But the very act of leaving was his greatest achievement. At a time when every other world leader was a king or a dictator for life, Washington walked away. He proved that the office was bigger than the man.
The Myth of the Teeth and Other Weird Facts
We've all heard the wooden teeth thing. It's a lie. He never had wooden teeth. He had dentures made from ivory, gold, and—this is the grim part—human teeth purchased from enslaved people. He suffered from dental issues his whole life, possibly because of the mercury he was given to treat smallpox earlier in his life.
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By the time he was inaugurated as George Washington president of the United States, he only had one natural tooth left in his head. He was in constant pain. That’s why he looks so grim in his portraits; his dentures were bulky and uncomfortable, making his mouth bulge out.
He was also a bit of a fashion icon. He insisted on wearing a suit made of American-grown wool to his inauguration to promote local business. He was a master of "the look." He knew that if he looked the part, people would believe in the office.
How Washington’s Presidency Influences Us Today
Every time a president gives a State of the Union address or appoints a Secretary of State, they are following the path Washington hacked out of the wilderness. He defined what an American leader looks like: someone who is powerful but ultimately accountable to the law.
He died in 1799, just two years after leaving office, after catching a throat infection while riding across his farm in a freezing rainstorm. His last words were "Tis well." It was a quiet end for a man who had lived through the most loud and violent period of American history.
Actionable Ways to Understand the Washington Era
If you're looking to actually "see" the history rather than just read about it, here are a few things you can do that aren't just reading a textbook:
- Visit Mount Vernon (Virtually or In-Person): Don't just look at the big house. Look at the slave quarters. Look at the distillery. It gives you a sense of the "CEO" version of Washington.
- Read the "Circular Letter to the States": Written in 1783, it shows his vision for the country long before he was president. It’s arguably more insightful than the Farewell Address.
- Track the "Firsts": Pick a modern political event (like a cabinet meeting) and trace it back to see how Washington handled the very first version of it. You'll usually find he had the same headaches we have now.
- Examine the Jay Treaty: If you want to see Washington at his most controversial, look up the 1795 Jay Treaty. It nearly sparked a civil war and shows how he was willing to be hated to do what he thought was right for the country's long-term survival.
Washington wasn't a perfect man. He wasn't even a particularly brilliant politician. But he was exactly the right kind of stubborn. He held a fragile collection of states together with little more than the strength of his own reputation, and then he had the grace to step aside so the democracy could actually breathe. That is the real legacy of the first president.