George Washington

The political landscape during George Washington’s time was
much differernt than it is today, particularly as it relates
to the election process. There were no organized political
parties, though groups developed which later became
institutionalized following Thomas Jefferson’s victory in
the 1800 election. Further, there were no primaries,
caucuses, or party nominating conventions as we know them. Rather, members of Congress would meet to determine favorites. Those choices were then transmitted to presidential
electors, who were originally appointed by state legislatures.
When said electors met in January 1789, they were to
select two candidates, with the top vote-getter becoming
president and the runner-up designated as vice president.
As a result of the first election for president under the
Constitution, Washington carried all ten states that
voted (New York did not send its selection in time and neither
North Carolina nor Rhode Island had ratified the Constitution yet). Washington appeared on the ballot of all 69 electors.
Since John Adams polled the second-most votes with 34,
he became vice president.
It is interesting to note that the latter procedure had
two inherent flaws which were exposed in the 1800
First, without the team-ticket concept, it was possible for
for two candidates to tie in the electoral vote count, forcing
the House of Representatives to select the winner by
a one-vote-per-state method. Second, the original arrangement
left the possibility that two candidates from different groups or
parties could end up serving together as pressident and vice
president. The former flaw above was fixed by the ratification
of the 12th Amendment, and the latter by the maturation of
the political party system.
In Washington’s day, there was no 24-7 spin cycle of news.
Further, it was considered unseemly to actively campaign for
office. Rather, surrogates did most of the direct marketing of
the candidate. Finally, the winner of the election would often
have to wait for months before taking office, as the presidential
inaugural was set for March 4 (later changed to January 20
by the 20th Amendment).
What has remained consistent over time is the view that
the electors got it right by selecting Washington unanimously
in the 1789 and 1792. The American presidency, defined
by the ambiguity of the chief executive’s authority and
the dynamic impact of each occupant to the office, owes
its successful start to the popularity and effectiveness of
George Washington’s eight years at the helm.

Source: Statistics on electoral and state vote count from THE COMPLETE BOOK OF PRESIDENTS, by William DeGregorio, and PRESIDENTS: EVERY QUESTION ANSWERED, by Carter Smith.

Posted by: Dr. Samuel B. Hoff, Delaware State University

As we commemorate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it is important to consider how our most
famous Founding Father viewed civil rights. Actually,
George Washington did not live during a period of equality for
all American citizens. In fact, he was born into a slaveholding
family, inherited 10 slaves at age 11, and had as many as
300 slaves at the time of his death. Yet, Washington’s views
on slavery changed dramatically during his lifetime. This
article contends that the turning point in GW’s views about
persons of color was the Revolutionary War.
At the outset of the Revolution against Britian in 1775, Washington removed free blacks from the Continental Army, but
allowed them to reenlist when the royal governor of Virginia
offered freedom to any Negro who joined the British military.
As the war progressed, black soldiers constituted as much as
one-fifth of the American military.
General Washington soon recognized that when fighting for
freedom, color was less important that courage. He
witnessed the willingness of black soldiers to fight and pay the
ultimate sacrifice for the American cause. Washington’s
nephew was saved by his slave during the Revolution. The Virginia Legislature voted to free French ally Marquis de Lafeyette’s slave after the Revolution. In a letter to the Committee of Congress in 1778, Washington made a positive
reference to using blacks as wagoners. Washington praised
operations such as the 1779 siege of Georgia, in which a
legion of black troops was utilized. Finally, Washington
clearly noticed that black soldiers served longer and for less
pay than Caucasian soldiers during the post-war period
of the 1780s.
Washington’s postwar correspondence demonstrated his
changing attitude on slavery. In a 1786 letter to friend
Robert Morris, Washington wrote that “there is not a man
alive who wishes more sincerely than I do for the abolition
of it.” In a 1787 letter to John Francis Mercer, Washington
wrote that he wanted to see “some plan adopted by which
slavery in this country may be abolished by slow, sure, and
imperceptible degrees.” Additionally, Washington chided
the South Carolina legislature for not ending the import of
slaves and expressed his hope that Virginia would gradually
abolish slavery.
Perhaps the most convincing evidence of Washington’s
change of heart on the slavery issue comes from his last
will and testament. It stated that all slaves owned by
his family would be freed upon the death of his wife Martha.
In fact, Martha released all of Mount Vernon’s slaves
before her death in 1800, and the Washington estate
supported black pensioners until 1833.
George Washington’s developing disapproval of slavery was
relatively unique among Southerners of the founding period.
Although Washington held other humans in bondage, his postwar
writings and actions showed his realization that slavery could
never permanently exist in a nation whose core principles are
liberty and equality.

Posted by: Dr. Samuel B. Hoff, Delaware State University
Source: Excerpts from “Founder Recoiled from Slavery,”
by Dr. Hoff, published in the WILMINGTON (DE) NEWS
JOURNAL, February 22, 2004

SBH: What do you hope for in the new year?

GW: “Tranquil enjoyments.”
Source: Letter to Marquis de Lafayette, February 1, 1784

SBH: That may be difficult in such a busy year. First, there
is the upcoming presidential election.

GW: “In all free governments, contention in elections will take
place.”
Source: Letter to Jonathan Trumbull, March 3, 1797

SBH: Then there is the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

GW: “Games of exercise, for amusement, may not only be permitted but encouraged.”
Source: Letter to William Smallwood, May 26, 1777

SBH: And even the 40th anniversary of the events of 1968!

GW: “Time may unfold more, than prudence ought to disclose.”
Source: letter to Henry Lee, July 21, 1793

SBH: So what do you use to get over a hangover?

GW: “A good moral character is the first essential in a man.”
Source: Letter to George Steptoe Washington, Dec. 5, 1790

SBH: Ok, happy 2008!

“The will of Heaven is not to be controverted or scrutinized by the children of this world. It therefore becomes the Creatures
of it to submit with patience and resignation to the will of the
Creator whether it be to prolong, or to shorten the number
of our days.”

Source: Letter to George Augustine Washington, January 27, 1793

Posted By: Dr. Samuel B. Hoff, Delaware State University

On December 5, 1791, George Washington was serving his
first term as the inititial U.S. president under the
Constitution. On that date, his Secretary of the Treasury–
Alexander Hamilton–presented the administration’s Report
on Manufacturing to Congress. The visionary document
called for government support for trade and for a
more diverse economy, including an increase in commercial
transctions. The report presaged the industrial
revolution and its effect on the American economy.

Source: A Book of Days in American History
Posted by: Dr. Samuel B. Hoff, Delaware State University