George Washington's Personal Qualities and Rise to the Presidency

Introduction

Recent nationwide racial strife has galvanized public attention on the nation's Founding Fathers, whose lives have been subjected to increasingly close scrutiny to determine whether they are worthy of continued adoration and respect. Indeed, even formerly sacrosanct figures in U.S. history, including George Washington, have become the focus of criticism by modern Americans because they owned slaves while simultaneously — and hypocritically — advocating for a new country where all people were equal.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the relevant literature to identify the personal qualities of George Washington and to determine how those qualities, along with his particular circumstances, facilitated his rise to the first presidency of the United States. Following this review, a summary of the research and important findings concerning Washington's personal qualities and how his circumstances shaped his political career are presented in the conclusion.

Washington in Historical Context

The current political climate makes it clear that the office of the president of the United States is a high-profile position subjected to the closest possible scrutiny under the unique circumstances that exist at any given moment in American history. Entire journals and countless books and scholarly texts have been written about the country's presidents, but none have received as much attention as George Washington — and for good reason (Ellis 2002). Through a life of public service, Washington succeeded in achieving what few of his British contemporaries thought possible. Notwithstanding the critical assistance provided by the French, Cornwallis would never have surrendered at Yorktown had it not been for the military genius of Washington; without him, the Union Jack might well be flying over the U.S. Capitol today.

Although Washington did not have cable television networks or social media platforms covering his every move, the mainstream media of the day was positively fascinated with him, and his activities were eagerly reported in the newspapers (Ellis 2004). It is not surprising, then, that Washington's life and unique qualities have been the focus of a great deal of scholarship over the years, due in large part to his contributions to the nation's founding and its continued existence — a firm testament to the leadership qualities that were desperately needed during the critical period when he served as president from 1789 to 1797.

Personal Qualities and Public Image

The historical record confirms that he was the right man for the job, and Washington's contemporaries agreed. Tall even by today's standards, strikingly handsome, and charismatic, Washington possessed personal qualities that contributed to his ultimate career as U.S. president — including, notably, early correspondence with a paramour at the same time he was courting the nation's first First Lady. The manner in which he leveraged these personal qualities to become the nation's first president makes him stand out among the other Founding Fathers. When the layers of people's outward personas are peeled back, there will always be some warts and blemishes; but despite his worst qualities, Washington not only redeemed himself — he helped create a nation and a legacy that endure to this day.

There are also important issues to consider when evaluating Washington's personal qualities from a 21st-century perspective, given that he lived in a very different time with vastly different laws, customs, values, and social mores. Although it is widely known today that Washington owned slaves, this was neither uncommon nor illegal; slave ownership was memorialized and protected by the U.S. Constitution. Ellis (2004) cites the example of Washington's "favorite slave, Billy Lee," as well as his characterization of Native Americans as "savages," as an indication of the prevailing zeitgeist of the era.

Nevertheless, even Washington suffered from the cognitive dissonance that results from proclaiming that all men are free while simultaneously owning dozens of them outright. It is reasonable to suggest that he would have freed his slaves prior to his death had doing so not placed him at an economic competitive disadvantage with his neighbors. This pragmatism was also reflected in many of his other actions during his adult life. In this regard, Locke and Wright report that in 1776, Washington issued a proclamation "declaring martial law and offering freedom to 'all indentured servants, Negros [sic], and others' if they would leave their masters and join the British" (125).

Washington demonstrated his prowess and bravery early in his military career when, in 1754, he led a combined force of Native American allies and British colonists that killed a French diplomat in a border dispute, thereby precipitating the Seven Years' War (Locke & Wright, 2019). This early episode underscored the future president's intense ambition to prove himself on the field of battle and to shape his image as a dignified statesman (Ellis 2004). A dignified image was essential to political success in the early days of the nation's history, and Washington had a keen eye for what passed as acceptable behavior and dress (Freeman 2002).

On the one hand, the importance of this type of image during the late 17th and early 18th centuries cannot be overstated, especially since Washington lived in what was essentially a British world where wearing appropriate attire, saying the right thing at the right time, and comporting oneself according to strict social rules were essential to political success. On the other hand, Washington also had his work cut out for him given the fundamental differences between the infant United States and the gentrified England of old. As Freeman notes, "National politicians were not ethereal aristocrats competing for fine degrees of rank and distinction among a coterie of peers. Their personal and political careers relied on mass public opinion, as did the entire American political system" (xxii).

While it remains unclear from the historical record just how much attention Washington paid to newspaper accounts at the time, the future president — like all astute politicians of the era — recognized the importance of presenting a good public image. According to Freeman, "Obligated to be accountable to the body politic, political leaders performed before a vigilant and judgmental audience" (xxii). It is likely, therefore, that Washington not only kept a close eye on what was being said about him, but also took great pains to ensure that what was reported was positive and reflected those personal qualities regarded as characteristic of great leaders of the day. As Freeman advises, "A man of good reputation [during Washington's time] was respected and esteemed; a man of honor had an exalted reputation that encompassed qualities like bravery, self-command, and integrity — the core requirements for leadership" (11).

To his credit, Washington intuitively recognized what was needed to communicate these personal qualities in ways that would inspire confidence in the burgeoning nation. His lifelong status as a member of the gentry provided him with the experience and taste required to model the way for his contemporaries. Moreover, he succeeded where many others tried and failed — yet another testament to his unique blend of personal qualities. As Freeman explains, "Defining themselves as a national elite, public figures variously avoided, adopted, and adapted past precedents, sometimes succumbing to habit, sometimes making deliberate republican modifications" (43).

Conclusion

While many aspects of George Washington's life that are still taught in the nation's schools — such as his honesty in confessing to chopping down his father's favorite cherry tree, or his brawn in throwing a silver dollar across the Potomac River — are apocryphal, the research showed that Washington does indeed deserve the accolades heaped upon him over the years. The research also showed that his numerous positive personal qualities were countered by some negative ones, but on balance he fully deserves his title as "Father of the Country."

Notwithstanding his minor personal frailties and his status as a slaveholder — a failing he shared with many other Founders — Washington emerged from a critical review of the literature with his image largely intact, and even shining brighter than ever, especially when his life is compared to the increasing incivility that has marred modern politics. Humble in his piety but earnest in his commitment to his new country, it is reasonable to conclude that Washington's face will be among the last presidential visages remaining on Mount Rushmore and his statues among the last standing in the nation's eponymous capital long after many others have been pulled down by protesters.

Although no military leader or politician completes a professional career without controversy and detractors, the fact that Washington managed to cobble together and hold a coalition of the sometimes-unwilling — and then lead it to victory against a global superpower — suggests that he combined in one person qualities that we might today associate with leaders as varied as Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and Joe Biden. He was a man who could have been a king, but chose instead to help forge a new republic where no individual is above the law. In the final analysis, George Washington can be regarded as the gold standard against which all past, current, and future presidents will be measured, due to the unique blend of personal qualities that facilitated his rise to the executive office.

Works Cited

Ellis, Joseph J. His Excellency: George Washington. New York: Vintage Books, 2004. ISBN 1-4000-3253-9.

Ellis, Joseph J. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. New York: Vintage Press, 2002.

Freeman, Joanne B. Affairs of Honor: National Politics in the New Republic. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002.

Locke, Joseph L., and Ben Wright. The American Yawp: A Massively Collaborative Open U.S. History Textbook. Stanford, CA: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, 2019.