George Washington

In a March 1778 letter to Thomas Wharton, Revolutionary War leader General George
Washington aptly describes the nexus between the Army–founded three
years earlier–and the American people. This commentary is quite relevant
today, on the 235th anniversary of the Army.

“The Army and the country have a mutual dependence upon each other and it is of last
importance that their several duties should be so regulated and enforced as to produce
not only the greatest harmony and good understanding but the truest happiness and
comfort to each other.”

Posted by: Dr. Sam Hoff, George Washington Distinguished Professor, DSU

The holiday season was an eventual time in the life of George Washington. Following
are significant events which occurred from December 21 through December 31
involving GW:

December 22, 1789: During GW’s first year in office as president, South
Carolina ceded Tennessee to the U.S. to become a separate state.

December 23, 1775: About eight months after the start of the American Revolution,
King George III issued a proclamation closing the colonies to all trade.

December 26, 1776: Washington and American forces surprised Hessian troops
in the Battle of Trenton during the Revolutionary War. The event was a turning
point for momentum in the conflict, which had been heavily in favor of the Brithish.
About 1000 Hessian mercenaries fighting for England were captured in the
daring day-after-Christmas assault.

December 29, 1778: British Colonel Archibald Campbell led an occupation of
Savannah, Georgia during the American Revolution.

December 31, 1781: After the Revolution was won but before the Treaty of
Paris was signed two years later, Congress established the Bank of North
America. The issue of the National Bank would be an important if
controversial part of the Washington administration a decade later.

Source: ON THIS DAY IN AMERICA
Posted By: Dr. Sam Hoff, Delaware State University

The spector of failing banks, Wall Street woes, and government bailouts may seem
like contemporary problems which have little relevance for George Washington’s time.
That premise is flawed, as the state of the economy was a paramount concern during
George Washington’s presidency. That the new national government started in the red
was a consequence of Article VI of the Constitution, which required the new national
government to pay the debts incurred by the Articles of Confederation. Below is a
message from Washington’s first term as chief executive which demonstrates his
hope of squaring the public debt as soon as possible:

“I entertain a strong hope that the state of national finances is now sufficiently matured to
enable you to enter upon a systematic and effectual arrangment for the regular redemption
and discharge of the public debt, according to the right which has been reserved to the
government. No measure can be more desireable, whether viewed with an eye to its
intrinsic importance, or to the general sentiment and wish of the nation.”

Source: Message to U.S. House of Representatives, November 6, 1792
Posted by: Dr. Sam Hoff, Delaware State University

September 3, 1777 marks the only day that a Revolutionary War battle was fought
in Delaware. The Battle of Cooch’s Bridge engaged elements of British-Hessian forces
under General Cornwallis with Continental Light Infantry Corps under the command of
Brigadier General Willam Maxwell. The objective of the American effort was to
obstruct and harass British troops in order to prevent an invasion of Philadelphia.
British troops travelled from Glasgow up what is now Route 896 to just south of Newark.
American troops opened fire at British positions near Cooch’s Bridge, named after
a family which had emigrated to Delaware from England in 1746. The battle
led to the deaths of as many as 40 Americans and about 20 British troops.
Partly as a result of the resistance they faced, the British left Delaware for Kennett Square, PA,
while General Washington’s forces fortified positions along the Brandywine River
at Chadds Ford. These positions subsequently led to the Battle of the Brandywine.

Source: SAR Magazine, Fall 2003
Posted by: Dr. Sam Hoff, Delaware State University

June 17, 1972 was the date of the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters
in the Watergate building in Washington, DC. The investigation into the botched
burglary revealed an attempt by CREEP, the Nixon reelection staff, to bug the DNC
offices. This in turn led to other revelations and eventually to the resignation of
President Richard Nixon on August 19, 1974. George Washington wrote about how
he felt about such behavior:

“I hate deception, even where the the imagination only is concerned.”

Source: Letter to Dr. John Cochran, August 16, 1779
Posted by: Dr. Sam Hoff, Delaware State University