Discuss the social, political, and economic concerns that George Washington had in his rise to power and prominence in America from his early days to becoming the first President of the United States of America under the Constitution. Be sure to deal with the impact of Shays' Rebellion on his thinking, especially about the need to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation that would eventually lead to the creation of an entirely new form of government defined by the Constitution.
DUE DATE: Friday, September 28, 2012 by midnight
WORD COUNT: 300 words minimum
Helpful Links:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/georgewashington
http://www.mountvernon.org/
http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/
http://www.ushistory.org/us/15a.asp
http://shaysrebellion.stcc.edu/
49 comments:
In the period spanning between the ratification of the Articles of Confederation to its removal from the United States’ government, George Washington became a major contribution to the development of the Constitution. With constant recall of recent frightening and frustrating events, George Washington supported critical ideas for the nation with the other delegates’ support and respect, to where he would become the new nations’ first President of the United States. These important factors that influenced Washington’s concern for the forming nation were through: first, social unrest within the populations, second was the lack of political unity and control, third was the constant economic issues that had formed from war debts. After the Articles of Confederation was taken into effect, a sense of national pride and unity arose in its citizens and leaders for finally forming laws to follow their freedom; this would not last long after the nation’s national law would become the downfall of a nation taking its earliest steps. With continuous frustrations between the growing gap between the elite and poor farmer classes, unrest in the nation was mounting as months carried on with no noticeable resolve to the issues of both the past war or for equality amongst its people. This unrest would then create a mounting opposition to the new government that was built through as a “friendship” of states than as a united nation as a whole. Such effects of the Articles also resulted in a lack of political unity of security of the United States, creating grave warnings to encourage the delegates and George Washington to help truly unite the states under a union, not a confederation. The word “confederation” would not be heard again after the Constitution until the secession of the Southern states of the U.S. One of he most recognizable effects of the Article of Confederation that as inflation climbed to dangerous and frustrating levels, so did the debt of the lower class. Many of those poor farmers were war veterans, who in response to continued lack of freedom, were lead by war veteran Daniel Shays in Massachusetts, a large group of farmers demanded payments, resulting in a quick exchange of fire, leaving a few dead an injured. This act was clearly remembered by Washington, since he was a high-class millionaire, and was among the threatened that desperately needed to secure the peace. Thus, through social, political, and economic reasons, George Washington helped build the foundations of the Constitution. Because of Washington’s active involvement in the creation and ratification of the Constitution, our national system would not be what it is today.
From his early days to his life of prominence, George Washington played a huge part in the forming and independence of America’s history. Washington, one of the founding fathers of the United States, grew up very grounded in his beliefs and had a very sturdy understanding of life which would help aid the foundation of America. First, Washington’s contribution to the ending of Shays’ Rebellion helped form the American Economy; second, George kept up with politics and contributed to the writing of the Constitution; third, the American people looked up to George because of his final victories in the war and his leadership qualities. In economic, political, and social aspects, George Washington majorly contributed to forming the United States under the Constitution. In 1786, a huge uprising took place known as Shays’ Rebellion which was sparked because of many farmers losing their land through tax delinquencies and mortgage foreclosures. At this time Washington was enjoying a retired life at his home in Mount Vernon, but Washington’s attention was called to action and he began to share his opinion on the rebellions which soon inspired a change in our nation’s government. George Washington was one of the first of the founding fathers to recognize the problems with America’s government. His time and experience in the War of Independence had convinced him that excessive concerns for states’ rights and state sovereignty would be fatal to an effective government. The Continental government had an inability to accommodate the American army, which convinced George Washington that the American government had to change in such a way that it may be capable in satisfying the American needs. George Washington had leadership qualities in the form of charisma and confidence which were two of the many reasons that he was elected to be the first President of the United States. So in an economic, political, and social factor, George Washington became one of the most prominent historical figures in American history.
In America, through his youth up to his presidency under the Constitution, George Washongton continued to rise in power contained some concerns. First, George Washington rose to power economically early on in his life; second everyone looked up to George Washington; third there was many problems with his political rise. All of these factors contributed to the rise in power of George Washington. In George Washington's early twenties he stumbled upon a fortune, for his father was a wealthy land owner and he later on died. George's sister and brother also died, meaning that Washington inherited all of his fathers wealth. He was very rich at a young age, and he got even richer when he married a very rich women. George Washington later became Americas first millionaire. With this much money Washington quickly rose into economic power. Socially, everyone looked up to George Washington. In the war, he supported his troops and thus they supported him and his ideas about social beliefs. His excellent character and leadership also gained him much support and he began to rise in power socially after already being in economic power. All this support greatly increased his popularity. Politically, George Washington was always rising in power. Even after failures he never fell out of political power. When he was the leader of the Continental army he lost almost every single battle he was in, but his troops stuck with him no matter what. After all these blunders and failures he was promoted to Colonel. He retired after the war to his home, but this was a short retirment. Shay's rebellion heated up and George Washington came out of retirment. He realized that he could not live the rest of his life in retirment. He helped revise and strengthen the Articles of Confederation. This would later be replaced with the Constitution. He would become the first president of the United States under the Constitution. He was the perfect president for he had no children, he was very popular among the people, and he had excellent leadership skills and great character. He served for two terms. So even after planning to retire, he continued to rise in power politically.
As America emerged victorious after the Revolutionary War, there was no greater man in the country than George Washington. His performance as the commander of the American army elevated him in the eyes of the population, making his opinion of the utmost importance. As Washington fulfilled his destiny as a leader of the country in the years following the war, three concerns plagued him: the social unrest within the country was nearing a breaking point; America was almost bankrupt due to the costs of warfare; and it appeared as though the nation was about to fracture politically. With the eruption of Shays’ Rebellion in 1786, Washington decided to see the country through this tumultuous time, earning him the epithet, Father of His Country.
Although he had envisioned retiring to Mount Vernon, Washington soon realized that the unified country he had fought for would not be able to survive under the Articles of Confederation. Despite the enormous increase in national pride following the war, the citizens of the new country became restless without a common enemy. The Articles of Confederation, while a good stop-gap measure, were by no means a sustainable form of government and inter-state relations began to grow tense. With an extremely weak central government, the Articles allowed the states to regulate themselves, which contributed to Virginia and Maryland nearly going to war with one another over the tax rate on eggs. Economically, the country was no better; the costs of the war had left the nation nearly bankrupt and forced the states into instituting harsh economic policies to make up for their debt. In this economic depression, political parties began to emerge arguing for or against a stronger central government. These competing factions nearly split the country in two. Shays’ Rebellion was the tipping point. These social, economic, and political factors precipitated this bloody rebellion, led by Daniel Shays, a veteran of the Revolutionary War whose farm land was taken away due to his inability to pay the aggressive taxes of the time. Shays’ Rebellion was a rude awakening for those leaders who believed that the Articles were good enough, and made them see that change was a necessity. In this time of struggle, the nation turned to George Washington. Unfettered by political bias, Washington was able to steer the country towards the Constitution and when it came time to elect a president, he was the unanimous choice. His devotion to the creation of a united and independent country, coupled with his refusal to become a king, made him an unprecedented leader, one without greed.
Missy Smith
Period 1 and 4
In America, following the Revolutionary War, George Washington took the title “President” from 1789 to1797. George Washington, going through thick and thin, reserved his ideals and his land close to him. First, social turbulence within the newly born country, particularly the soldiers who were finally able to come home; second, the political malfunction that was called The Articles of Confederation were, at this time, being scrapped all together and a whole new document, The Constitution, was being written to take it’s place; and thirdly, was the actuality that the country was penniless due to war costs. Thus, these social, economic, and political factors helped this nation to mature into what it is today.
George Washington had inherited a home on Mount Vernon, through family death, and quite a bit of money. He used almost everything to buy land; he was addicted to buying property. He married Martha Dandridge Custis, who was a rich widow, and bought even more land. Seeing as he was sterile, maybe George Washington was making up for the fact he could not produce offspring by buying land.
A massive uprising took place known as Shays’ Rebellion which was sparked because of many soldiers, who were also farmers, losing their land through income tax delinquencies and finance foreclosures, in 1786. George Washington is considered the first millionaire, that’s because he was, but the rest of the country was feeling the burn of the war debts. Thus, the beginning of Shay’s Rebellion, lead by Daniel Shay. George Washington being one of the high class men threatened by this rebellion, he had to do something to secure his spot. It is safe to say that this rebellion scared George Washington, seeing as he was one of the richest men during this time, and so he saw to a “peaceful” ending. Shay’s Rebellion ultimately resulted in the removal of the Articles of Confederation and transferred to the government being under the constitution. The Articles of Confederation focused on giving power to the states and having a small federal government. This ideal was not working because states themselves were being too independent to work together.
From the time of his nascency, to his senility, George Washington portrayed the image of the American with "true principles." The "great" Washington slowly rose to wealth and power through the "perks" that followed from family deaths. Through much spectating of radical events, George Washington participated and supported the dire concepts that were proposed for the nation with aid from the Congress, to the point where he would rise "regretfully" as the first President. The aspects that brought Washington to where he was were the following: initially, chaos among the public; secondly, was the inefficient political totality and dominion; and lastly, were the repetitive issues with wealth due to war debts. However, the country was proud of their first attempt at really "chasing freedom." Still, the system was quite flawed and the Articles of Confederation later became the reason for one of the country's own hinderances. Perturbation spread like a plague betwixt the upper and lower farm classes, increasing as the months were dragged further, silent and discreet. Most of the poor farmers were veterans of the war and had nothing to come back to but inflation due to the Articles of Confederation. The distress would later create a "dreaded feeling" to the "blooming" government that forged through the unity of states instead of a single empire. Thus, the states were not "in sync" with one another; creating more issues that eventually caught the attention of Washington and Congress, urging them to act upon this moment and abolish the confederation in order to "form a more perfect union" as stated in the constitution. The distress of the farmers then blossomed and the poor and frustrated farmers; under the leadership of Daniel Shays, marched to the bansk and demanded payments in Massachusetts; which in turn led to a fued where shots were oscillated and a few died, others injured. The act "spooked" George and he helped get back the "footing" that the Constitution was based upon. Without Washington's involvement,and his disgust in being president, our national system and perhaps our entire country, would not be what it is today.
Olivia Brophy
Periods 3 & 4
During the period of his elevation into and time in the public eye, George Washington faced numerous issues. These issues helped to define Washington as a person, but also influenced his governance of the entire nation as President. First, as a societal elite, popular reactions such as Shays’ Rebellion threatened George Washington’s world, including his economic and political interests; second, all of his money was tied up in land, and if the new Constitutional government failed, he would lose everything; thirdly, as President, George Washington struggled with maintaining the “neutral” politics he believed to be correct, while trying to improve the country. Thus, social, economic and political reasons largely shaped the thinking of the first president of the United States of America, George Washington.
The social problems that George Washington met as he climbed his way up the American ladder profoundly affected him. Shays’ Rebellion especially frightened Washington and other members of the elite in the United States. This is because popular mob action, if heavily supported, had the potential to overrun the weak government under the Articles of Confederation. A complete overthrow of this government would in turn lead to the complete overthrow of the social hierarchy present in the new states, of which Washington was an important member. Eventually, this rebellion and it’s social implications would prompt a rethinking of government, coupled with the ability of mobs to wage terrible economic effects on the nation.
Washington, more than anyone else in the United States at the time, had the right to fear mob-action and the destruction that it could bring upon the economy and those who bolstered it. With the majority of his money tied up in his immense land holdings, Washington would have been ruined if the American economy was brought down by mobs demanding their delayed pay from war as well as tax cuts, and most importantly for Washington, their land, as was the case with Shays’ Rebellion. While Washington had, in fact, inherited a large amount of land from family, he continued to add on to his estate by purchasing the land of indebted farmers. If these same debtors received their land and pay, Washington would have to give up and/or sell some of the land that he accumulated, and the income that the land provided. Additionally, if the unstable government of the Articles of Confederation failed, Washington would be at a loss to protect every inch of the land he had inherited, worked for, or bought from the lawless land-grabbers who would undoubtedly try to claim property for themselves. These social and economic challenges Washington faced led largely to his political thought and problems.
A main political difficulty that George Washington faced both before and during his time as President of the United States was trying to maintain his interpretation of “proper” politics - meaning, keep a fairly neutral stance - while trying to improve the country. When trying to ratify the Constitution, for example, Washington did not support the development of two separate groups of thought (Federalists and Antifederalists). Instead, Washington believed that the framers should be united as Americans trying to stabilize their country, who just happened to see differently on some subjects. As his second term as president drew to a close, this issued ballooned into the formation of two main political parties, the Federalists and the Democratic Republicans. However, despite his best efforts, Washington was biased toward Federalist policies, which tended to favor the upper class.
These social, economic and political circumstances surrounding George Washington and his rise to superstardom in the United States of America, as well as Shays’ Rebellion, all profoundly shaped this iconic leader’s frame of mind, especially in dealing with the creation of a new, constitutional government.
Cammie Gelbuda
Period 1 & 4
In the United States of America, George Washington was under the Constitution, he continued to upsurge in power and controlled many concerns people had including himself. First, everyone looked up to him for advice and would found out how he would fix the concerns George Washington mad many problems with his political upsurge; second, he rose to political power very fast. George Washington had many problems with his political upsurge; third, George Washington had many problems with his political upsurge. All of these reasons helped George Washington increase to his supremacy. Everyone looked up to him. He helped out the troops and the soldiers supported him and his social beliefs. His perfections helped him gain support and he began to rise socially and economically. He was rising politically as well as economic and socially. Even when he made mistakes everyone knew that they were little so his power never fell. When he was in charge of the Continental Army they lost many of the war, but the soldiers stood by his side. George Washington came upon a lot of money; the money belonged to his father, so he would inherit most of it. His brother and sister soon passed, so he later on got all of the money. He was rich at a young age, he then went and married someone almost as rich as him. George Washington became America’s first millionaire. With all this money he has rapidly raised him to economic power, faster than anyone. George Washington retired after the war was over; he went back to his home. This was only for a short period. When Shays’ Rebellion came George Washington came out of retirement to help with it. He realized that when he went into retirement that was when the people needed him the most, so he never went back. He helped with the Articles of Confederation that would later on replace the Constitution. He was the first president to have two terms which was eight years. He was the first president to be really popular amount many people, he was a perfect chartacher. George Washington continued to rise in political power.
George Washington's rise to glory in the years following the American Revolution made him into one of the most beloved men in the young nation. Although his actions during the American Revolution brought him fame and power, his position faced him with many difficult crises. First, socially, the tumult within the country was growing every day ; second, economically, George Washington's wealth was based solely on his land which could be taken from him if debts were collected; and third, politically, in order to protect his own interests, he had to set up a government in which his property and rights would be protected. Therefore, for social, economic, and political reasons, George Washington's "great" actions reflected his own interests in the nation.
Internal strife within the country grew each day after the Revolutionary War once the weakness of the Articles of Confederation was exposed. The final straw that finally forced the nation's leaders, especially George Washington, to change the disastrous government was Shays' Rebellion. This rebellion signified the same ideals that the American Revolution had brought about only a few years earlier. The people of the young nation-mostly poorer class residents- were becoming more impoverished by the day as impossible debts mounted up. Finally, these people reached a breaking point and rose up in rebellion, showing the social unrest of the nation. Economically, George Washington was tied to his land for prosperity. From a young age, he inherited fortunes in land, but if debtors started calling in their pay, he would have to sell or give up his land. In addition, Washington bought up the land that indebted farmers were losing. If America's government failed, he would lose all his wealth and the power it brought along with it. After the Constitutional Convention was finally called together, Washington, along with other wealthy delegates, drafted the Constitution in order to maintain social, economic, and political stability for the nation, but an underlying motive of the Founding Fathers was to preserve their own financial well-being. So, although nowadays America is said to be a haven of liberty, its first leader was just as driven by his own financial concerns as he was about creating a powerful and equal nation.
We all know him as George Washington, a great man who accomplished so much for our country and overcame a lot of the Americas issues when in fact he to overcome some of his own first. Some social political and economical issues that George Washington had to overcome during his rise to power were: his age when he got into power, his rise through political power, and the status he claimed throughout his life.
One of the social problems that George had to accomplish was the status he held during his lifetime. He was born into a rich family and so he was a well known person, as he got older his father died and the fortune went to his older brother. Soon after his brother and younger daughter died as well leaving the entire family’s stock to him. With all of this money he was able to do just about anything he wanted and became more well known. Because of how well known his family was being left with there money also meant being left with their titles. This mean he had to keep his name in good terms, so in order to do so he figured he might as well go into the military.
Another problem he had to beat was his age that he got into power economically. Because his parents died when he was a younger man he still had a lot to learn. With all the money he had though he was able to figure things out pretty easy by any means he wanted. With all the money he had finding things to do and new things to learn was an easy task. Another easy task for him to do was rise into power politically.
George Washington never had a big problem rising to power politically because of how rich he was and his part in the military. No matter how many battles he won or lost he was a great leader and his troops always followed him. He later on became the “first” president of the united states and continued to be in power until 1797 where he then got succeeded by John Adams and was the officer of the military for 2 more years.
Like one of the many titles given to George Washington, the Father of his Country was not branded such a name simply because it was catchy. Be it literally or metaphorically, this man did indeed nurture and dedicate himself to the United States of America from before the nation won its independence and throughout the beginnings of its most vulnerable years. During this time period of Washington thoroughly involving himself to maintain the country’s stability, he grew several concerns. Three of which were of the sense of unity, that was so flamboyantly present during the Revolutionary War, slowly dissipating to the point of constant social disturbances; the enormous economic weight of the war’s aftermath that the fledgling nation was forced to bare on its shoulders; and how America’s ill-fitting and raw political system began to split at its seems. It was with the event of Shay’s Rebellion that Washington stepped up to the plate and earned some of the previously mentioned titles for himself.
-I know this is incomplete but this is all I can do for the night. I'll redo it when I get the chance.
Samantha Nicolas, Period 6
Throughout George Washington’s presidency from 1789 to 1797, the country of America struggled under new issues that needed to be addressed. As president, George Washington harbored specific political, economic, and social concerns for both his personal self and the welfare of the country. First, strong influences of dominant parties tested Washington’s view of what he believed America’s position in the world should be; second, since money was tied to land, competition to both gain and retain property reached a new, high breaking point; third, the extent of George Washington’s high-ranking status would be jeopardized should the attempt for a stronger central government fail. Therefore, for of political, economic, and social concerns, George Washington pushed for a stronger central government in order to not only benefit the country of America, but also reward his underlying personal interests.
After having experience in being closely associated with larger powers (such as France and Great Britain), George Washington had always insisted on a position of neutrality for America. He believed that until the United States could “mature” a little more, the country should exercise caution when it came to dealing with more “influential” groups, political parties included, since he believed that domination of any singular group would interfere with the country’s critical growth. According to him, officially siding with any type of larger power was unhealthy for the nation. Whether choice was between two countries such as France and Britain or two separate political parties, George Washington wanted no part of it, although when it came to formal parties he gradually tended to lean towards Federalist ideals.
The most prominent example of the competition over land during this time was the Shays’ Rebellion of 1786. This uprising, led by a veteran of the Revolutionary War, occurred in response to the lack of economic relief available to the farmers in debt. If they failed to make their payments, the men were faced with confiscation of their farm lands or even imprisonment. This rebellion was meant to put a stop to the land confiscations so the farmers would be able to keep their livelihood. Primarily, it was this frightful occurrence that gave rise to the call of a stronger central government to deal with such ruffians who might try to topple the government. This personal economic interest was the same for Washington, who was rich from both family inheritance and marriage, and whose already large estate was being added to with confiscated land. If protests such as these continued and eventually succeeded to sway government opinions, then Washington would lose land as well as money.
The many problems that arose under the Articles of Confederation proved the current system of government to be ineffective. With no power to tax or enforce laws passed by Congress, the country wasn’t really getting anywhere. George Washington, having a rather high rank on the social scale, would be at a great disadvantage if a stronger central government was not achieved. With weak administration such as the organization under the Articles, popular unruly protests certainly had the potential to overthrow the government along with the social pyramids that came with it. In order to keep his status, a stronger core was needed to protect those individuals in “power” and sustain the order within the colonies.
In the late 1700s in the United States, during the time George Washington was gaining power, three things had been on his mind that had him occupied. First, the social problems of the Nation, such as Shays’ Rebellion, had been on his mind at the time; Second, the political status had also been addressed during this time; Thirdly was the economical problems that had occurred throughout this time.
One social problem that had aroused while Washington was currently retired was Shays’ Rebellion. This rebellion was caused by the common farmers who were losing their land and all their money because of the taxes that have come up and foreclosures. Washington’s’ opinions that he had shared to the common farmers that had started this revolt changed the way many people thought and ultimately changed the U.S. Government from what it was into what it is now today.
As for the political status of our nation, George Washington had, as previously stated, Georges’ opinions and his own social status helped immensely with the shaping of what the people wanted the United States to look and be like, and how this country should be run. Also, Washington knew very well that the future United States rested upon his shoulders. This is because he knew that everything he would do would be an example for what later presidents would be like. So he knew that if he did well, the people would believe that this new government would hold well and be for the better good of the people within the nation.
Lastly, for the economical problems, in 1790 Hamilton developed the idea for a national bank. As the northern merchants and business men supported this idea, the southerner planters despised it, and caused a split between the overall ideas of the U.S people. This split between the ideas caused the division of ideas into the first United States political parties, the Federalists Party, and the Democratic Party.
Beckett Lee
Periods 3 and 4
In 18th century America, George Washington drastically changed America. However, the tumultuousness of American life during this time concerned George Washington and caused him to develop strong viewpoints of how to prevent complete anarchy and chaos. First, George Washington believed that the American people were naturally good, but Shays’ Rebellion forced him to adopt stronger methods of repression; second, he believed that a republic is best administered with a strong government, a belief strengthened by Shays’ Rebellion; third, he believed in a free economic system based on private property. George Washington believed that these factors would address his concerns and allow America to flourish.
George Washington was concerned about anarchy and mob rule. While he believed in a free social system of citizens possessing civic virtue, he also believed that it should be regulated by the government to prevent majority groups from overthrowing the government and higher classes. He preached loyalty and patriotism for America because he wanted to prevent a never-ending cycle of American revolts which would destroy the possibility of a free America. This fear was exemplified by Shays’ Rebellion which showed that America still had revolutionary angst which, if left untamed, would destroy the United States.
In the same turn, he knew that the formation of political parties under a weak Federal Government would divide America politically. In this way, he knew that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” In his Farewell Address of 1796, he warned of forming political alliances. He knew that if America formed permanent political alliances or parties, America would degenerate into a loose collection of bickering and warring states which would end all hopes of a successful democratic republic run by the society which created it.
George Washington was a strong believer in an independent American economy based on private property. He feared mob rule would end hopes of true economic freedom because of the hatred of wealthy aristocrats carried over from the American Revolution. This particularly concerned him because he was a wealthy landowner who would receive a lot of hatred if a revolt like Shays’ Rebellion was ever successful in overthrowing the power, both in society and in politics, of the wealthy. For the independence of the American economy, he passed the Tariff of 1789 and encouraged the development of American businesses. To ensure the safety of private property and the wealthy, he set the precedent of using government troops to suppress and revolts, rebellions, or outbursts against the government or wealthy. George Washington, with his social, political, and economic powers, ensured that anarchy and mob rule would not become the defining feature of American history.
George Washington’s rise to power in the late 1700’s was very important to American History. It was because of the ideas and leadership of Washington that an entirely new form of government was established, a government defined by the Constitution. First, George Washington was a very popular socially because of his impeccable integrity and admirable character, along with his incredibly rich social status; Secondly, Washington was the perfect candidate for the presidency because of his unintentional political “campaign” by being the leader of the army that led the colonies to victory; and third, Washington had a well-developed understanding of the economic practices that had begun to develop in the United States at the time. Therefore, George Washington’s social status, unintentional politics and understanding of the economy gave him the ability to rise to power.
George Washington’s social status in late colonial America was one of the reasons that he was able to rise to the power of president. Washington was incredibly rich both from his inheritance and from his wife, and it was his wealth that got him noticed by the people important for his rise to power. But, something should also be said about his character. Although he did not have the greatest militaristic mind, nor did he know the most about how to run the country he was elected president because everyone knew very confidently that he would be the least likely to let the power got to his head. all of this is how, socially, Washington was able to rise to power
Washington’s involvement in the French and Indian War and in the Revolutionary War was like a ongoing unintentional campaign that helped him rise to presidency. Being a commander in the Seven Years War, Washington had a chance to display his leadership skills in action. This caused him to be noticed by everyone and eventually was one of the main reasons that he was chosen as Commander in Chief of the rebel army. It was because of this past that the right people knew Washington and was able to get him elected to president.
The Virginia delegate that was present during the writing of the Constitution was George Washington, and it was because of his presence there that he was elected President. In order to become a delegate of state one would have to be very good with economics or at least have some basic understanding of it. Because of this it would then be logical to assume that because George Washington was a state delegate he also had a good understanding of economics. In fact, we know this assumption to be true because before the French and Indian War, Washington was very good at buying and selling property. If Washington had never become well versed in economics than he would have never become a Virginia Delegate and thus would have never become president. Therefore we can conclude that it was because of Washington’s economic understanding that he eventually rose to become the first president of the United States.
George Washington’s rise to power in the late 1700’s was very important to American History. It was because of the ideas and leadership of Washington that an entirely new form of government was established, a government defined by the Constitution. First, George Washington was a very popular socially because of his impeccable integrity and admirable character, along with his incredibly rich social status; Secondly, Washington was the perfect candidate for the presidency because of his unintentional political “campaign” by being the leader of the army that led the colonies to victory; and third, Washington had a well-developed understanding of the economic practices that had begun to develop in the United States at the time. Therefore, George Washington’s social status, unintentional politics and understanding of the economy gave him the ability to rise to power.
George Washington’s social status in late colonial America was one of the reasons that he was able to rise to the power of president. Washington was incredibly rich both from his inheritance and from his wife, and it was his wealth that got him noticed by the people important for his rise to power. But, something should also be said about his character. Although he did not have the greatest militaristic mind, nor did he know the most about how to run the country he was elected president because everyone knew very confidently that he would be the least likely to let the power got to his head. all of this is how, socially, Washington was able to rise to power
Washington’s involvement in the French and Indian War and in the Revolutionary War was like a ongoing unintentional campaign that helped him rise to presidency. Being a commander in the Seven Years War, Washington had a chance to display his leadership skills in action. This caused him to be noticed by everyone and eventually was one of the main reasons that he was chosen as Commander in Chief of the rebel army. It was because of this past that the right people knew Washington and was able to get him elected to president.
The Virginia delegate that was present during the writing of the Constitution was George Washington, and it was because of his presence there that he was elected President. In order to become a delegate of state one would have to be very good with economics or at least have some basic understanding of it. Because of this it would then be logical to assume that because George Washington was a state delegate he also had a good understanding of economics. In fact, we know this assumption to be true because before the French and Indian War, Washington was very good at buying and selling property. If Washington had never become well versed in economics than he would have never become a Virginia Delegate and thus would have never become president. Therefore we can conclude that it was because of Washington’s economic understanding that he eventually rose to become the first president of the United States.
Tristan Mauricio
Period 1&6
After the Revolutionary War America needed guidance after a long period of War, and the man who was put into control was none other than George Washington. After he had proved himself as a great man of morals and a sense of liberty no one dared to challenge him and nobody could have ever done what he did. Socially he was the kind of man that anyone would want to be; politically he had great influence and could have gotten anything he deemed necessary for the people; and economically he was more than well off, he became so rich he is called the “ First American Millionaire”. Without George Washington the country that we live in today wouldn’t be what he dreamed it to be.
Although he never wanted to become the President the United States couldn’t decide on a better man and the current state of America was too fragile to simply leave behind. With the weak central government that Congress had established enforcement within the states was unorganized which spelled out trouble. In 1786 a man named Daniel Shays led a small army of Army Veterans in an attempt to overthrow the state of Massachusetts since they were not properly providing for the Ex-Patriots. The Rebellion was brought down and the rebels disbanded but Congress realized that a strong central government was needed and to keep the United States together with a great leader at its head, George Washington had no choice but to accept. The first form of Government underneath the Articles of Confederation was certainly not one of the best. George Washington did not believe that his current government would not suffice for the brand new country. He fought for many years and refused to leave his country behind worse than it was before he came into office and left behind the Bill Of Rights which would appeal to both the States’ and the Federal Government. Socially, politically, and economically George Washington left us a legacy that we could be proud of and become the greatest country in the world
George Washington’s rise to legendary status is very important to American history. Although he was in fact a great leader, he was still human and was not perfect. First, politically Washington was under a lot of pressure as the first president of America; second, Washington cared very deeply for his wealth and land, he even fought for it; thirdly, although we make him to be one, Washington is not a god, he was human too.
America was the very first republic government in all the world. The founding fathers did not want to loose the new republic to a president who became greedy and became a dictator. Which is why they chose Washington. He didn’t want to be president, because he had no interest to rule his country, he felt obligated to and took the job. As the first president, Washington was under a lot of pressure to steer his country in the right way. Doing what he thought was right, he arranged a treaty with the British. This nearly got him impeached for a belief that he was going to sell the country to the Brits. People believed this rumor because Washington was known to care deeply about land and money. Acquiring almost all of his wealth and property at a very young age from dying relatives, Washington soon began to play the game of mass land ownership. Having not much else to use his wealth on, he began to by up land in the Ohio River Vally in his early twenties. He soon ran into the French in “His valley” and fought with them over it after hiring some soldiers. This fight was the start of the Seven-Years-war. A whole war started over an aristocrat wanting a piece of land. It is around this time that Washington begins to rise in power in the world. After the Seven-Years-War, Washington was quickly promoted to general. Not because he was a good commanding officer, for he was a terrible officer, but because he was a good leader overall. Many images of Washington are of a perfect General who won many glorious battles for the sake of his nation. Raising him to a god-like status as depicted in or many paintings, statues, and monuments of him. However, Washington made many mistakes, sometimes costing people their lives. Even Washington himself knew he was not perfect, saying, “I am no better or worse than my predecessors.” Therefore, Washington is not the perfect person we make him out to be, he started a war over money....that doesn’t sound perfect.
Annika Newman
Periods 1 & 4
George Washington, the first President under the Constitution, had a titanic impact on America in the late 18th century. Washington's leadership and ideas introduced an entirely new form of government, illustrated in the United States Constitution. First, social tensions among impoverished farmers and wealthy upper-class men resulted in reactions such as Shay's Rebellion, which greatly interfered with Washington's view on American government; second, economic unrest, failing paper currency, and the control of commerce set off a chain reaction, leading to a constitutional convention; and third, the Articles of Confederation's weak central government ideas led to many nation-wide issues, causing George Washington to aid in the creation of a new system of government. Thus, for social, economic, and political reasons, George Washington's rise to power and notoriety greatly influenced America and ultimately led to a federal government.
Social tensions built up rapidly during the 1780s amongst frustrated, impoverished farmers who wanted to free themselves from the pressure of a merchant-dominated government. In 1787, these tensions reached their climax during Shay's Rebellion, in which these backcountry farmers retaliated with their muskets, hoping to end the unfair inequality amongst the American people. Despite their failed efforts, the rebellion's impact lingered on. Government officials, such as George Washington, saw the rebellion as an example of a failing confederacy, feeling obliged to act. Economic uneasiness was evident throughout the states prior to Shay's Rebellion. Public debt and the nation's credit caused the quarreling of states over taxes and paper currency. Shay's Rebellion was hugely caused by the desire for impoverished farmers to convince the state to cut taxes, issue paper money, and suspend the taking over of property. More than any other issue, the control of commerce ignited the “chain reaction” that led to the establishment of the Constitution. Politically speaking, the Articles of Confederation proved to be undeniably weak in dealing with the shaky nation. After the rebellion's sudden outburst, fear struck the hearts of many of the propertied class and government officials. Thus, the Articles were ratified in 1788 by nine states, guaranteeing a new a government under the Constitution. As chairman of the constitutional convention, George Washington had much say in the creation of the content in the Constitution and the new federal government. Therefore, George Washington played a large role in defining American government as federal under the Constitution and setting the political, economical, and social stage for America in many more years to come.
-Christian Filbrun
Between the years 1789 and 1797, George Washington stepped up to the plate and became the first president of the United States. Portraying himself through his actions as well as his words was a feat predicated mainly upon his success as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and his act of presiding over America’s Constitutional Convention, advancing his pacification to multiple areas of government and military strife. Despite conflict management being an inevitable factor in his eight year presidency, his journey to actually becoming president was equally significant. Politically, Washington dealt with ineffectively unified unaffiliated parties; socially, he conveyed the knowledge of disassociating with foreign powers; and economically, he tackled the national debt. Thus, for political, social, and economic reasons, George Washington established the basis for an exclusive new way of thinking for years to come. First off, effectively interlinked political parties were non-existent at the time. With Alexander Hamilton’s Anti-Federalist Party established in 1791, he was able to create the first original party affiliation, setting the stage for the succeeding Anti-Federalist Party/Democratic-Republicans. Consequently permitting later radical alliances to establish permanent subdivisions. Next, Washington carried with him the valuable insight of avoiding permanent pacts with foreign associations. He was severely concerned with the fact that even though independence had already been acknowledged, Shay’s Rebellion of 1786 had convinced him to come out of retirement, creating a sturdier federal government. Upon returning from his leave and conveying his thoughts on the matter to Henry Knox, he agreed with his idea of creating a strong central government. Lastly, Washington’s skill in tackling the national debt was recognized through his commitment of acquiring a sustainable United States financial basis geared towards the future. To illustrate this, he was able to ascertain and revise imperfections found in the Articles of Confederation (such as war debts) by implementing and supporting the First National Bank. Despite the resistance of many of his politicians when it came to paying off these debts and finalizing the “bank bill”, Washington and the Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton acknowledged that international integrity was essential (hence the main reason for the formation of the Tariff Act in 1789). As embodied by George Washington’s political parties, social isolation in relation to foreign alliances (especially during and after the Revolutionary War), and an economically sound approach to the national debt, the United States became more capable than ever through his deep-seated apprehensions.
George Washington became an elite American leader in the period spanning the French and Indian War (1754-1763), to his inauguration as the first President of the United states of America under the Constitution in 1789. With fundamental economic, social, and political issues in mind, he played an influential role in the creation of the Constitution. Socially, Washington felt that one of the things essential to the well-being to the existence of the United Sates as an independent power was "The prevalence of that pacific and friendly disposition among the people of the United States which will induce them to forget their local prejudices and policies..."; Politically, he believed a strong centralized government was the most important thing for a country to have; And economically, he was majorly influenced by the economic policies of Alexander Hamilton.
Washington embodied the third reason for why the constitution was written, to insure domestic tranquility. By all measures, Washington proved himself a capable, even a great, president, by not only helping to shape the new government, but also by leading the country skillfully through several crises, both foreign and domestic. One in particular influenced Washington's thinking, especially about forming a more perfect union that would secure the blessings of liberty for which he had fought and so many had died.
In the fall of 1786, Daniel Shays, a former Continental captain, led a revolt of debtor farmers that ignited western Massachusetts. Massachusetts eventually gathered enough loyal militia to dispel the Shaysites on January 25, 1787, in a clash at Springfield that claimed the lives of four rebels. Although Shays' Rebellion was completely crushed by March, it resulted in an mental and emotional impact that shook the United States from end-to-end. Let down by the Confederation's weaknesses and the growing ardour for uncontrolled democracy, prominent Americans called attention to the fact that the riots had lasted for more than half a year, and Congress had done nothing really to stop them. No one was more perturbed by these events than George Washington, who worried that the trouble in Massachusetts would give rise to rebellions in other states. According to Washington, "the thinking part of the people of this Country" concurred with the conclusion that he drew from Shays' Rebellion: "These disorders are evident marks of a defective government." Submitting to the rising call for change, Congress agreed that a council would meet in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation. Twelve of the thirteen states sent delegates to participate in these deliberations. As part of the Virginia delegation, Washington traveled north determined "to adopt a more vigorous and energetic government, than the one under which we now live."
Edith Chavez
Periods 1+6
The beginnings he had as a patriotic general up until his election as the first president of the United States under the Constitution caused George Washington to gain a powerful reputation. After the Revolutionary War, many problems still plagued the fledgling nation including some that scared Washington for his own personal reasons. Of these, there were three main issues: social unrest in the country; an economic, financial crisis brought on by the war; and political disunity between states. These issues heavily affected the new government and Washington’s time as president.
The political disunity under the Articles of Confederation was insane. The newly founded states were only loosely unified under the Articles and had constant disagreements. Virginia and Maryland, for example, nearly brought around a civil war all because one state had a tax on eggs while the other didn’t. This argument over a single tax, and whether one state should force on it on another state or not, revealed the growing economic and financial problem that the Revolutionary War had caused for the U.S. The war had left the states with a great war debt and to pay it off they started to put higher taxes which the people couldn’t pay due to the lack of cash in circulation. Some had land and owned slaves but were actually poor in terms of hard money or were in debt. To come up with the cash, many started to call in private debts, though this only led to social problems as the debts called in usually couldn’t pay either. The social unrest was growing each day and was at its breaking point. In 1786, a group of protesting debtors struggling in the post-war economy formed an armed militia to stop courts from forcing them to pay off their debts; this armed protest became known as Shay’s Rebellion. Despite, the protests of the lower class veterans never reaching the violent extent of the French during the French Revolution, they did cause George Washington to fear the potential threat these people posed, especially considering the amount of wealth he had though this was only in the land he had for he too would lose land if people started forcing him to pay debts. The Articles of Confederation had proven their uselessness so Washington strived along with others to form a more powerful central government and what would eventually become the Constitution to provide peace and liberty- especially from paying debts with land- for the people of the United States. George Washington became president as he was the best for the job and is now seen as a great founding father though really the peace and liberty he wanted was more for himself as he really just wanted to keep his land.
Ryan Volkman
The esteemed war hero, George Washington, was rising up to power as the first President of the United States of America under the Constitution in the 1780’s. His wealth helped him rise up to power strengthening his political, economical, and social knowledge which lead up to his presidency. His economical wealth was from the experience and knowledge he had of buying and selling land; his social popularity was acquired from his wealth and experience; and his political power came from his economical wealth and social popularity.
George Washington’s economical wealth came from his early years. At a young age George was a land surveyor and found a huge amount of wealth in that business so he started investing lots of money in some of the land he surveyed and became very rich off of that. His father, who was a wealthy land owner, had died and George got the inheritance after his Brother and Sister had died as well. George Washington had later married an even richer woman, which then made George Washington Americas first Millionaire. All of his money gave social popularity to George Washington which Increased because of his troops from the Revolutionary war who supported him and his political views. George Washington was a millionaire and was very socially popular and he decided that he would retire. Things changed for George Washington after Shays Rebellion. He had left retirement and helped make the Articles of Confederation stronger, which would eventually be replaced by the Constitution. But he didn’t stop there. Because of his extreme wealth and knowledge as well as experience in economical affairs, and his huge social popularity, he went on to be the first President of the United States of America under the Constitution.
The Second Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation in the late eighteenth century was a weak coalition of ambassadors from separate states; they had very little power as a whole. To unite the states together and end the infighting they created a new government, the constitution, which would be lead by a brilliant leader, George Washington. As the new leader of a fledgling nation he came across a variety of conflicts that put the nation at risk of collapse. First, George and his administration had to face the crippling debt created in the founding of the nation; secondly he needed to face his political attackers; third he needed to unite the separated population of the states. Thus for economic, political, and social reasons George Washington had to reform the early federation.
George Washington hired a financial genius as his Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, in pursuit of creating an economically stable union. He called for the congress to pay off the entirety of the federal and state war debts, a major sum of over sixty-three million dollars. This was crucial in creating a government that was stable, if it was financially crippled the new union could easily collapse. He also fought to create a national bank that would be able to regulate the national creation of currency and maintain its value. Previous attempts at currency sank in their appreciations until they became almost valueless, creating a need for a way to regulate commerce. And with the establishment of a useable currency the new nation had a tangible economic future.
The nation at the time was very split between the wealthy north and the agricultural south, and their politics followed those two groups, the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. These two groups lead by Hamilton and Jefferson were very hard to please, as the two wanted vastly opposite things. And although Hamilton’s bank got put into place the whole act was a vastly complex political stunt. George Washington had the complex task of uniting a very separate division in the people
The rich landowners and merchants were at a constant struggle with the poorer farmers. Taxes and tariffs strained the fledgling states and in a desperate plea for equality Daniel Shays lead a rebellion that defined the weakness in the current government. With George Washington at the helm he was able to steer America to a constitution and a stable government, with a largely stable population.
Amanda Jerd
Periods 3 and 6
Since George Washington’s inauguration in 1789 as the President of the United States, he has only fallen upwards. His humble beginnings and failures in battles did not lead to shame, but rather consequentially led to his appointing as the first president of the United States. There were three factors that affected this rise to power: first, the fragile political state the newborn States were in; second, the social unrest of the unhappy citizens under the Articles of Confederation, exemplified by Shays’ Rebellion; and third, the weak economic state of the country after the War. Thus, for these political, social, and economic reasons and concerns, George Washington was elected president and served his two terms in the exemplary manner he did.
In 1789, George Washington became the president of the United States, mostly because of his success in the Revolutionary War and his strong character. He was a hero to the American people, but he doubted if the job was meant for him, eventually which led to concerns during his rise to power. First, George Washington was against partisanship, believing that people should agree and get along; second he believed the presidency to be a position of formality and strong authority; third he strongly believed in private property rights, partly because of his enormous wealth. Thus, social, political, and economic concerns of George Washington greatly reflected his personal values and interests.
When backlash to the Articles of Confederation led to events like Shays’ Rebellion from 1786-77, it became apparent that the Federal government was weak. This terrified Washington, because he believed that civic virtue could hold society together. Many farmers suffered from high debt as they tried to start new farms, and local sheriffs seized many farms when they could not pay. This led to armed conflict, because of the unresponsive government that imposed high taxes. Thus , leaders like George Washington felt compelled to end these actions beyond the jurisdictions of law. This response shaped Washington’s view for a strong and central government.
The failure of the Articles of Confederation, and Shays’ Rebellion convinced George Washington that a stronger central government was needed. He even warned of the formation of political parties in his Farewell Address, which he believed would divide and destroy the government. This shaped his fear of foreign alliances. While Thomas Jefferson welcomed the French Revolution as a glorious fight for democracy, Washington was worried that America would be dragged into the bloodshed and anarchy.
Economically, George Washington was a very rich man who inherited his wealth. But his wealth was tied to his land, making private property of the utmost importance for him personally. This especially caused concern for him when Shay’s Rebellion arose, because there was a common hatred for wealthy land-owners who owed debt. If the government failed, George Washington would surely lose a large portion of his land and property. Thus, he helped establish private property rights and more government authority, mostly because of fear for losing his wealth. Therefore, George Washington developed concerns socially, politically, and economically in order to preserve order and his interests.
During the early stages of the establishment of the United States, the country was still being molded and George Washington was helping to mold it. In his ascent to power, Washington was faced with many concerns. Of them are three major concerns; first, Washington had to please Americans in order to prevent uprisings; second, he was put into positions where he had to make quick decisions to prevent war with other countries; and finally, he had to protect the economic well-being of the country. So, for social, political, and economical reasons George Washington had to make wise decisions in a small amount of time in order to protect the growing country.
Socially, George Washington was forced to make decisions that he hoped would be supported by all or at least most of Americans. Pleasing everyone would prove to be difficult because, at the time, Americans were divided into two main groups, pro-British Americans and pro-French Americans and both were pushing Washington to make a decision on who to support in the war. Of course, if he made a decision on a subject as delicate as this one he would face severe consequences. Taking the many outcomes into consideration, Washington decided to declare his neutrality in the situation. By making this choice, Washington refused to take side in the conflict and therefore he avoided up-risings on either side.
Politically, George Washington was trying to prevent war with other countries and he was also did not want to be in the middle of a war between France and Britain. Although he had already declared America’s neutrality in the war between France and Britain, America still had deep ties with both sides. Severing America’s ties with either country would be difficult considering the French were claiming legally America had to aid them (Treaty of 1778), Britain was supplying Native Americans with the means to fight American settlers, and both sides were threatening to confiscate American cargo. George Washington was cornered on both sides and needed to make a decision.
Economically, Washington had to protect the economic well-being of the country. France and Britain’s threats would compromise the well-being of the country that Washington was trying to secure. France trying to force America to join them in the fight against Britain would cause America a debt it could not afford to take on. Britain was trying to take American trade, which, at the time, was what most American relied on at the time. Both sides were threatening to confiscate American cargo which would immediately affect the American economy.
(Already posted earlier)
In 1789, George Washington became the president of the United States, primarily because of his success in the Revolutionary War and his strong character. He was a hero to the American people, but he secretly doubted if the job was meant for him, which led to personal concerns during his rise to power. First, George Washington was against partisanship, believing that people should agree and get along; second he believed the presidency to be a position of formality and strong authority; third he strongly believed in private property rights, partly because of his enormous wealth. Thus, social, political, and economic concerns of George Washington greatly reflected his personal values and interests.
When backlash to the Articles of Confederation led to events like Shays’ Rebellion from 1786-87, it became apparent that the Federal government was weak. This terrified Washington, because he believed that civic virtue could hold society together. Many farmers suffered from high debt as they tried to start new farms, and local sheriffs seized many farms when they could not pay. This led to armed conflict, because of the unresponsive government that imposed high taxes. Thus , leaders like George Washington felt compelled to end these actions beyond the jurisdictions of law. This response shaped Washington’s view for a strong and central government.
The failure of the Articles of Confederation, and Shays’ Rebellion convinced George Washington that a stronger central government was needed. He even warned of the formation of political parties in his Farewell Address, which he believed would divide and destroy the government. This shaped his fear of foreign alliances. While Thomas Jefferson welcomed the French Revolution as a glorious fight for democracy, Washington was worried that America would be dragged into the bloodshed and anarchy.
Economically, George Washington was a very rich man who inherited his wealth. But his wealth was tied to his land, making private property of the utmost importance for him personally. This especially caused concern for him when Shays’ Rebellion arose, because there was a common hatred for wealthy land-owners who were in debt. If the government failed, George Washington would surely lose a large portion of his land and property. Thus, he helped establish private property rights and more government authority, mostly because of fear for losing his wealth. Therefore, George Washington developed concerns socially, politically, and economically in order to preserve order and his own interests.
In the early 16th century in Virginia one of our founding fathers was stockpiling land. George Washington was a big land owner with not much else. He held much land; he started getting land at the age of 14 when he had a surveying job; and he married into an even richer family. But all of this was threatened by a revolt by war veterans.
George Washington one of our founding fathers held a lot of land in the Ohio river valley much of this land was bought with his brothers money once his brother and niece died leaving him a very rich man with a large property already combined with the land that George already owned made him a substantially rich and well off man. But if the rebellion lead by veterans succeeded he would lose a lot of the money value in the properties and all of the cash that many people owed him or that he had collected.
George Washington started surveying land when he was about 14 and a short while after started buying all of the land he could with all of his money he had a special interest in the river front property in the Ohio River valley also a place where the seven years’ war started by him exploded.
Much of George Washington’s wealth came from the unexpected death of his well off brother and the subsequent death of the next to inherit the money, his brothers’ daughter. Much of the land that George had was next to and surrounding the already large property but this cash would only last him so long so when he had the chance he married an even richer widow and became one of the first millionaires, But if the revolts lead by the veterans succeeded much of the wealth that he had accumulated by his marriage would be wiped out and he would be back to square one near broke but with a ton of land.
Brynn Villa
Period 1&4
George Washington faced many different trials as many people would in the late 1700s, the time of his presidency. He faced trials that would cause a man to go a bit insane, but George Washington stuck it through. He faced trials that would affect him socially through his life and marriage; politically as the president and head general; and economically as a man of no money. However, with all these trials it seemed to only make Washington stronger.
George Washington lived a life where he felt he just needed to do the right thing. He was very humble, but at the same time he showed people that he was not to be messed with. George Washington was very lonely. He was unable to bear kids which caused women to not want to be with him. However, there was one woman who married him and she was very rich. He also received a lot of money and a home after his brother and niece had died, making him the first billionaire.
All was well until some veterans became upset and started a rebellion called Shay’s rebellion. This rebellion was caused because these veterans were becoming bankrupt and they weren’t ok with that, so they decided to make a stand. This caused Washington to get a bit ancy. If this rebellion occurred, he would lose his money and his home and be back to square one. Many people also wanted Washington to be kicked out of presidency. Little did they see how much he was helping their country and fellow citizens.
Washington still to this day stands as a great president. He was very humble and willing to lay his life down for the good of the colonists. He was a great president and leader. He was also a great example. Though life got the best of him at times, he stood tall and high and wouldn’t allow people to get the best of him. However, he is not some super man like a lot of people think the presidents are. In fact, they are each just normal people.
sorry its late
In 1789, New York City, George Washington, the first president under the Constitution by unanimous vote, was addressing the nation, the new nation, now under the Constitution, instead of the Articles of Confederation. Washington had risen through the ranks in both politics and the military, to become one of the most important men in the nation; however the whole reason he had gotten involved in the Revolution and presidency was because of many personal factors and concerns he had. First, Washington was concerned economically for the protection of his economic prosperity, his land; second, Washington was socially concerned that the citizens would grow more and more disordered every day and turn on the same cause they had fought for only a decade ago; third, Washington was concerned that politically, the weak central government would not be able to put down the disorderly people. Therefore, because of these economical, social and political reasons Washington was concerned for himself and the nation, which led eventually to the unanimous selection of him as president.
Economically, Washington was one of the wealthiest men in the colonies before and after the revolution, this drove Washington’s decision of becoming embroiled in the revolution and eventually becoming President. Washington, in an attempt to claim land in the Ohio River valley pushed into French land and effectively started the French and Indian War. The entire reason Washington personally pushed into French territory was because of land, and indirectly he gained more experience that would be invaluable in the revolutionary war. Washington is concerned about his shady claim to land and is fighting for economic security, which, in the colonies was land, due to the low abundance of gold. Washington was selected by the continental congress as the general of the continental army in 1775. The primary reason that Washington chose to accept in an attempt to protect his land and assets; Washington, if successful in the war would not only gain more land, but also protect his land, which was his primary concern. Washington also decided that change had to come ten years later, when Daniel Shay and Revolutionary war veterans decided to rebel. Washington decided to demand change, in order to protect his land from future rebellions, which the weak central government could not hope to control. Washington and all of his decisions to join, and support the revolution were based on his concern for his economic prosperity. Socially, Washington was, after the Revolution one of the most important men in the colonies, and as the people grew more and more disorderly, he began to grow socially concerned for his image and his name. Shays’ Rebellion showed the mood of some of the southern colonies. Washington concerned for his name and image, as well as the nation he had fought so hard for tried to bring more social order and create a more central government. Because of this need for more social order Washington attended and supported the Constitution which created a more central and quicker to respond government.
*Page One*
Politically, Washington, throughout his career was concerned for his prosperity and reputation. Washington chose to join the revolutionary cause in 1775 because of this political concern. The change of government would protect Washington from being taxed, if the British came up with a major tax for the wealthy, and politically allowed Washington to create a new identity for himself. Washington did not want to be labeled as the one who started the French and Indian war, and as a direct result the Seven Years War in Europe. Because of this Washington sought to displace the current political system and create a more tolerant one that was based on liberty. Washington, in 1789 became the first president under the Constitution. The reason he accepted this proposal, and the Constitution, was because he was concerned politically for the prosperity of the baby nation, whose weak central government would have a hard time responding to national emergencies, which was shown by Shays’ Rebellion. Washington’s decision were based on the political concern for the new nation, and its prosperity he had fought so hard for and poured his own personal funds into, in an attempt to gain money out of his investment, in a new nation.
Washington’s decisions and motives from before the revolution until his presidency were because of his economic, social and political concerns.
*Page Two*
-Christian Filbrun
George Washington’s ascension to immortality can attributed to his courageous and intrepid roles as a general in the Revolutionary War in 1776 and for his invaluable role in the crafting of the U.S Constitution in 1787. The general consensus is that George Washington is a lofty figure free from the expedient nature of politics but a closer look into the context of Washington’s decisions and actions, brings forth a different notion regarding Washington’s motives. The expediency of Washington is exemplified by his decision to expedite the process of reforming the Articles of Confederation; his willingness to adopt Hamiltonian fiscal policies; and his willingness to be president despite his own objections. These three actions show the extent of Washington’s self-interest in his decision making as a statesman and as President. The United States under the Articles of Confederation was a tumultuous and uncertain time in U.S history and these qualms were inflamed by Shay’s Rebellion. This rebellion was orchestrated by the poor farmers calling for their debts to wiped; the U.S government under the Articles of Confederation was too weak to respond to this threat effectively. This Achilles heel in the government freighted George Washington because the central government’s weakness could allow for a mobocracy to take hold of the nation. Washington had too much at stake to allow this happen, considering he was the wealthiest man in America. Washington catalyzed the movement towards having a stronger central government as means to protect his holdings in America contrary to common belief that he did it for the wellbeing of the nation. Washington and other Founding Fathers put the Constitution in place as buffer between them and the disgruntled citizens. This new document essentially grants the central government unprecedented power needed to keep the people in submission. When Washington was President he appointed Alexander Hamilton to be the Secretary of Treasury and his policies favored the wealthy and propertied class in hope that these upper classes would provide for the people. George Washington, being a man of immense fortune, adopted these policies because they benefitted him financially and secured his status. The fact that Washington was willing install a central bank similar that of England shows that he is willing to compromise his principles in order to further his own wealth. George Washington was on a path to increase and secure his own wealth and status by adopting a centralized economy which in turn also centralized the wealth in class of people. After Washington’s masterful assault and rebuffing of British forces catapulted Washington to an almost divine level of allurement by the American people. Washington became the first President of the United States. The first President reluctantly accepted his post but ultimately he wanted to be home at Mount Vernon. The fate of America at this time was very fragile and Washington knew he was inseparable from his creation. The failure of America would also be the failure of his own legacy and if his nation faltered while he relaxing at Mount Vernon it would tarnish his image as a respectable statesman. He knew that a respectable statesman would accept the burden of leadership and Washington’s actions were driven by his fear of losing this image. George Washington might have acted out of expediency but it his actions have had positive consequences on our nation.
Steven Fraser
per 6
emerging victorious after the Revolutionary War, there was no greater man in America than George Washington. His achievements as the commander of the American army lifted him up in the eyes of the people making his opinion second to none. As Washington fulfilled his duty as a leader of the country in the years following the war, three problems troubled him: The country was nearing a breaking point because of social unrest; America was almost bankrupt due to the costs of the revolution; Also it seemed as though the nation was going to fracture because of politics. with the event of Shays’ Rebellion in 1786, Washington decided that he needed to guide the country with these troubled times, thus earning him the nickname The Father of His Country.
Although initially deciding that after the war he would retire to his home of Mount Vernon, Washington soon realized that the country that he had helped create would not survive under the Articles of Confederation. Even in the face of the widespread national pride following the revolution, the citizens of the newly created United States of America soon grew restless without a common enemy. The Articles of Confederation, while a good short term soulution, were in no way a form of government that could last and inter-state relations grew more and more strained as a result. With a very weak central government, the Articles gave the power to the states to regulate themselves. this contributed to Virginia and Maryland nearly going to war with each other over taxes on EGGS! The country was in no better shape economically either. the debts owed by the states for the war had left them nearly bankrupt and the states began to implement hard economic policies to pay them back. It was in this depression that the first political parties began to emerge, debating over having a stronger or weaker central government. the fighting of these two parties nearly split the country in two. the event that tipped the balance was Shays’ Rebellion. These social, economical, and political problems were the reasons for this rebellion, which was led by Daniel Shays who was a veteran of the Revolutionary War whose farm was taken from him because he could not pay the high taxes of the time. The Rebellion was a wake up call to those in charge who believed that the Articles were sufficient enough to keep the country together and made them see that change was necessary. in this troubled time the nation turned to George Washington to lead them. indifferent to political bias Washington was able to lead the country to the constitution. when it was time to elect the president he was unanimous chosen for the position. his dedication to the creation of a more unified country along with his lack of greed as shown in his refusal to become king made him a one of a kind leader.
Steven Fraser
Krizelle DeGuzman
Period 1 and 4
After emerging victoriously from the Revolutionary War, George Washington was given the powerful title of “President.” He was faced with many challenges, including ones that were personal although ultimately his decisions, whether personal or not, were what helped shape the country. First, economically, Washington was under pressure because the war resulted in a lot of debt; second, he had to specifically form a government in which his land (his wealth) would stay protected; thirdly, trouble was brewing socially on a daily basis. Therefore, for economic, political, and social reasons, George Washington’s decisions that shaped the country were for personal gain.
Although they had won, the nation was nearly bankrupt after the war and states enforced economic policies. Many people were in debt and since the policies were strict, some farmers and their land were being taken. Shay’s Rebellion, led by Daniel Shays’, scared George Washington a lot but it also demonstrated how high the internal conflicts really were. The elite group was terrified because if this action was supported enough, they could get rid of the weak government under the Articles of Confederation. This of course would be terrible for them since the social hierarchy would be overthrown and since Washington was also part of this elite group, he was also very troubled. Since Washington’s wealth was made from his land he tried to form a government around his own needs to ensure the safety of his money. Because of Shay’s Rebellion many realized that there was a need for change and so they initiated the Constitutional Convention. The delegates formed the Constitution to help maintain economic, political, and social problems and create stability not just for the nation’s own need but also for the protection of their wealth. Other problems that plagued the nation were social, such as the Articles of Confederation increasing the great divide between the high and low classes began to increase. States would bicker over ridiculous things (Virginia and Maryland arguing over the price of eggs) since they could govern themselves.
Amanda Jerd
Periods 3 and 6
Since George Washington’s inauguration in 1789 as the President of the United States, he has only fallen upwards. His humble beginnings and failures in battles did not lead to shame, but rather consequentially led to his appointing as the first president of the United States. There were three factors that affected this rise to power: first, the fragile political state the newborn States were in; second, the social unrest of the unhappy citizens under the Articles of Confederation, exemplified by Shays’ Rebellion; and third, the weak economic state of the country after the War. Thus, for these political, social, and economic reasons and concerns, George Washington was elected president and served his two terms in the exemplary manner he did.
After Revolution, the states had thrown off their oppressive British government, but that left them with a void that, until filled, would make the fledgling states vulnerable. Washington was not a man of weak morals nor considerable power but when the Constitutional Congress realized that the nation was at stake, they recognized humble George Washington as the man for the job. The Articles of Confederation loosely bonded the states together under a government, but taxes and other laws could not be enforced because the people feared a strong government. Shays' Rebellion was loud and clear to Washington that the Articles had outstayed their welcome, they were not strong enough to hold the states together or keep laws between states (such as debtor laws) fair. Originally the plan had been to update the Articles but with Washington as the unanimously elected president of the convention, the Articles were thrown out and replaced by the Constitution, written by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Gouvernor Morris. Washington realized that without a stronger central government as well as uniformity and equality, the states would not become united. After the Revolutionary War, the economic state of states was horrendous. No one paid all of their taxes, budgets were almost non-existent, and debts soared. With Washington elected as President of the United States under the Constitution, there were fears that it would become a monarchy, but his humble acceptance of the position as well as the nonchalant resignation proved those fears false.
Nick Palmares
per. 1,4
during the late 1700s in the United States, in the time of George Washington, three things had been on his mind that had him busy. First, the political status had also been addressed during this time ; Second,the social problems of the Nation, such as Shays’ Rebellion, had been on his mind at the time; Thirdly was the economical problems that had occurred throughout this time.
As for the political status of our nation, George Washington had, as previously stated, Georges’ opinions and his own social status helped immensely with the shaping of what the people wanted the United States to look and be like, and how this country should be run. Also, Washington knew very well that the future United States rested upon his shoulders. This is because he knew that everything he would do would be an example for what later presidents would be like. So he knew that if he did well, the people would believe that this new government would hold well and be for the better good of the people within the nation.
One social problem that had aroused while Washington was currently retired was Shays’ Rebellion. This rebellion was caused by the common farmers who were losing their land and all their money because of the taxes that have come up and foreclosures. Washington’s’ opinions that he had shared to the common farmers that had started this revolt changed the way many people thought and ultimately changed the U.S. Government from what it was into what it is now today.
Lastly, for the economical problems, in 1790 Hamilton developed the idea for a national bank. As the northern merchants and business men supported this idea, the southerner planters despised it, and caused a split between the overall ideas of the U.S people. This split between the ideas caused the division of ideas into the first United States political parties, the Federalists Party, and the Democratic Party.
One of the most noteworthy men in American history was George Washington, the first man to become president under the most modern form of government in the United States, during the late 1700’s. Washington’s superior leadership skills and ideas molded a government that is still evident in the constitution today. First, before the constitution, the Articles of Confederation were set in place in an attempt to form a centralized government, but as this sorry attempt at politics began to fail, Washington steeped in to assist in the formation of a vastly improved form of government; Second, Shays’s rebellion is a great example of the social misbalance befalling America, which conflicted with what Washington envisioned for the American government; Thirdly, The implementation of a currency system surrounding the concept of paper money was failing, which led to an economic crisis. Thus, Washington’s mind for politics, economics, and his ability to solve social conflicts, made him the obvious choice to sort the country out.
While the United States was still politically uneasy standing alone, it turned to the Articles of Confederation as a government to stabilize the new born country. This government was too weak to support the United States so the Articles of Confederation was ratified in the year of 1788 in order to make room for the constitution, which would later confirm its ability to support a nation. Then, Shays’s rebellion showed Washington the extent at which the United States was socially one sided. The poverty stricken farmers were made to struggle for every cent they made, while watching as the money consistently flowed into the upper classes pockets. Finally when the one sided economy became too much for the farmers to bare, the decided to rebel against the government, which scared Washington because if this rebellion would of succeeded it could of torn apart the newly formed united states. The implementation of a paper currency posed numerous economic problems. Mainly with the paper money border lining states started different policies regarding taxes, one state might have a higher tax than another, or it might have no tax at all, which in turn encouraged commerce in the states with lesser or no tax regulations. As Washington watches as the lopsided economy worsens, he becomes increasingly encouraged to aid in the creation of the constitution.
Manisha Dail
Period 1 & 6
Starting up at 1789 through 1797 George Washington took the higher position of president and given the iconic name Father of the country. Washington did indeed live up to this name even though he wasn't that keen on being the president. His good natured and high spirits although three issues continued to hassle him. His Political detachment among the states, economically he took America out of its national debt, and the growing social unrest within the nation. So for these very political, economic, and social difficulties Washington would face a lot in his two term presidency.
First, Washington wasn’t really under the Articles of Confederation that much because he was detached from the rest of the states and although he was the president they would constantly be fighting and would be in political disagreements. As one state would have a tax on a certain item and the other state would not have that tax so there was constant bickering on that if our state has a tax then their state should have tax. This problem would lead to a much bigger problem and this lead to higher taxes on the people who couldn’t pay them. This ultimately led to the outbreak of a rebellion. Second, the Revolutionary War caused many financial and economic problems in the nation. After the war had pasted it had left a great impression and the to remove the impression the authority began to put higher taxes on the people who couldn’t pay because of different levels of income. Some of the people did indeed own land and maybe some slaves but they were not that well off and people with no land yet alone slaves were very poor and they eventually couldn’t do this any longer. Lastly, the social unrest wasn’t a small affair in fact it was quite the opposite it was growing every day. One day it came to its relative maximum and in 1786 the armed protest known as Shay’s Rebellion came into play. It started out with a group of protesting debtors who were struggling with financial means in the economy’s state and formed into an armed group trying to forcibly stop the courts from making the people pay off their debts. When Washington came to know about this he was frightened at the potential threat that the posed to him and if he had to start to pay his debts then he would lose a big portion of his land. Although Washington had to face many issues during his presidency he formed the basis of an independent country all while being an unparalleled leader.
As the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army the services and achievements of George Washington are unique in the world's history. He was much more than the Commander in Chief, he was the one necessary person, whose humble, unswerving, and determined sense of patriotic duty to the country was what shaped our great nation. Washington's ability to put real backbone into the Revolution kept it from collapsing or merging into a civil conflict under the hardships and unexpected disadvantages encountered during the eight years of war. Although he was not by any means the greatest military strategist, losing more than half of the wars he went into, there could have been no more perfect person to choose as Americas first president. Washingtons involvment in the Articles of Confederation greatly boosted his social and political standing thus in turn boosting his power which was already on the rise. In the late 1780's Washington was faced with another crisis, Shay's rebellion. Led by Daniel Shay's, the rebellion was brought on by several factors: Financial difficulties brought about after the war, an economic depression caused by lack of physical money, and harsh government policies instituted in 1785 to solve the state's debt problems. Shay responded by raising a militia of 700 men, many unpaid veterans of the Continental Army. They marched first for Worcester where they closed down the commonwealth`s supreme court, then turned west to Springfield where they broke into the jail to free imprisoned debtors. The barns of some government officials were burned as well. In the end justice was served, not without having shaken up Washington though. After all of Shay's followers were captured he states "What a triumph for the advocates of despotism, to find that we are incapable of governing ourselves and that systems founded on the basis of equal liberty are merely ideal and fallacious." Because of the uprising of his people, Washington has now been brought to light upon how the government really works. How it in fact does not have the poeples best interests in mind. Because of how he handled these hardships and many more, Washington truly was the perfect president.
George Washington, the First President of the United States under the Constitution, had a terrific impact on America in the late eighteenth century. His ideas of leadership not only completely changed the idea of government but also provided the basis for the Constitution even though he did not directly add to its writing. There were three powers that affected his rise to power – First, there was a social unrest with the people under the Articles of Confederation; Second, the states were in a fragile condition; and third, there was a weak economic structure after the war. Thus, for social, political, and economic reasons, George Washington’s rise to power greatly affected America.
After the Americans threw off their British oppressors, the social structure of the states was vulnerable. Washington, with his strong personal morals and power among the people, was chosen by the Constitutional Congress as a man who could rebuild the states. The Articles of Confederation had a weak hold over the states as a unit, and their laws and taxes could not be enforced because of the people’s fear of an tyrannical British-like government. Shays’ Rebellion was one good and clear example of the social unrest, for the Articles of Confederation had overstayed their welcome. Washington was sure that they were now unable to control the states. At first, Washington and others thought to simply re-do and re-organize the Articles of Confederation, but that just would not do. They were then thrown out, for a new document called the Declaration of Independence was ready to take its pace. Written by Thomas Jefferson, and edited by Gouvenor Morris, the Declaration was able to unify the states once more. George Washington also realized that the states lacked equality, and without this, it was impossible to become one. He thought the easiest explanation for this was that there was no strong central government, for after the Revolutionary war, the economic and political structures were almost non-existent. No one paid their taxes or worried about paying of their debts, and budgets were almost unheard of. With Washington as President of the UNITED States, under the Constitution, there were suspicions of it turning into a dictatorship, but in his humble and gracious way he proved those suspicions to be wrong by not only accepting the position, but also resigning in a casual and offhand way.
As a private citizen Washington felt himself exploited by British merchants and restricted by British regulations. Washington became a Virginia delegate and, was elected Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. He took command of a war that lasted six horrible years.
After the war his officers wanted him elected king but he refused and returned to private life on his farm. But he was soon called out of retirement to preside at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. He helped form a new government and became the first President of the United States. He appointed Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton to his cabinet. He was known as the "Father of the Nation," and as leader along with those he chose to serve under him created a new government that shaped our nations policies and institutions.
During the American Revolution war many of the poorer people had to take large loans to keep their farms functioning while they were off fighting in the revolution. After the war America had a huge debt due to the money borrowed from Spain and France. The economy was bad, and with renewed trade with Britain, more money was leaving the country than entering it. Taxes were needed to pay the debt and keeps the economy flowing.
Daniel Shays, a Revolutionary War veteran now a Massachusetts farmer who had be wounded and came home from war to find himself in court for the nonpayment of his debts. He found others who had given up everything to fight in the war in the same condition. He and his "Shaysites” (fellow protestors) started Shay's Rebellion to protest the direct taxes and other economic and political problems the farmers faced. They did this at first by forcibly preventing the courthouses from holding sessions. Washington's reaction to the rebellion was that "we are fast verging to anarchy and confusion!" (meaning that Shaysites were treasonous villains) but Jefferson referred to it as “a necessary medicine for the sound health of government", (meaning that the insurrection was an act of civil disobedience).
The rebellion was eventually put down by the state militia, but not before the news spread and it was realized that the federal government lacked the power to control necessary economic and political issues.
As a result, the Philadelphia Convention took place in the spring of 1787, at which the Constitution was written, creating a strong central government. Washington’s participation was significant to the document drafted there, which continues today in the twenty-first century as the oldest written constitution in the world.
Annelise Rank
Period 1 & 4
Before George Washington became President of the United States, he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). Washington's great leadership during the Revolutionary War lead to him becoming the first president of the republic. The title "President" isn't something anyone should take lightly, and George Washington didn't. He knew it would be a powerful position with a lot of challenges, but that didn't stop him from doing his best, and shaping the Country as he went along. Washington faced many challenges; economically, his own wealth, socially, and politically.
George Washington was faced with economic challenges from post war debt; Washington's personal finances was a challenge when he had to protect his wealth and land, forming a government to protect those two. Secondly, he was faced with social issues, Shays' Rebellion being an example of that. Thirdly, Washington was faced with political challenges when there was lack of political unity and control.
Shays' Rebellion (a war at the US Arsenal at Springfield, Massachusetts) was a result of the harsh economic conditions of Massachusetts farmers who wanted paper money. This rebellion sent the the U.S's economy in a down spiral until 1788. This issue impacted George Washington's thinking because it raised questions about the relationship between citizens and their government, soon forcing Washington along with Americans to think about their understanding of the promises that the American Revolution made, and the kind of government they needed to fulfill their needs as U.S. citizens. These thoughts Washington had, lead to the need to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
The Articles of Confederation, according to wikipedia, "was an agreement among the 13 founding states that established the U.S.A. as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution". The A.O.C. had a weak government and became a concern for nationalists. That was why George Washington second guessed the A.O.Cs; he felt it didn't provide a strong national government, which is exactly why the Articles were replaced by the Constitution on March 4, 1789. The constitution provided a strong national government with a chief executive (the president), courts, and taxing powers.
Although Washington faced a lot of expected challenges during his term in office, he was the first to take the job and really set the standard for what future presidents of the United States should be like. He handled the challenges maturely, and put the people first. He is great.
Sonia Mendonca
Per 1&4
As America emerged from the Revolutionary War, the people were in need for someone to take control, a man name George Washington who took the title “President” from 1789 to 1797. After he had proved himself as a great man of morals and a sense of liberty no one dared to challenge him and nobody could have ever done what he did. Socially he was the kind of man that anyone would want to be; politically he had great influence and could have gotten anything he deemed necessary for the people; and economically he was more than well off, he became so rich he is called the “ First American Millionaire”. Without George Washington the country that we live in today wouldn’t be what he dreamed it to be.
Although he never wanted to become the President the United States couldn’t decide on a better man and the current state of America was too fragile to simply leave behind. With the weak central government that Congress had established enforcement within the states was unorganized which spelled out trouble. In 1786 a man named Daniel Shays led a small army of Army Veterans in an attempt to overthrow the state of Massachusetts since they were not properly providing for the Ex-Patriots. The Rebellion was brought down and the rebels disbanded but Congress realized that a strong central government was needed and to keep the United States together with a great leader at its head, George Washington had no choice but to accept. The first form of Government underneath the Articles of Confederation was certainly not one of the best. George Washington did not believe that his current government would not suffice for the brand new country. He fought for many years and refused to leave his country behind worse than it was before he came into office and left behind the Bill Of Rights which would appeal to both the States’ and the Federal Government. Therefore for social, political, and economic reasons, we look back at George Washington as being a leader and one who has led the United States to be a great country.
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