George Washington Position Essay

The job of the President of the United States of America is one the most stressful in the world. This is evidenced by the rapid aging of the men who enter the office. Along with living up to the reputation of the president and having to follow up some of the greatest leaders of all time, the president is faced with media that hounds his every move and a nation with the right to express their displeasure anytime they so choose. Our first president, George Washington faced the same issues way back in 1789. Washington serves as a model for future presidents as he was the mold off of which the position was formed. Washington was humble, honest, and brave; all of which, voters look for in today’s presidents.
In his article, James David Barber reflects on presidential

characteristics and how those characteristics affect the actions of the president. The pressures of leadership can negatively affect a president’s behavior as a whole. The pressure affects his thoughts, his feelings, and even his actions. Every decision made plays into the character of the president. Some traits lend themselves better to certain situations. For example, personality traits such as aggressiveness, compliancy, and detachment are powerful influences in how the president handles a situation such as foreign affairs . Similar to characteristics, each president has a different style. This includes his decision making, public relations, and speech style. While some presidents shut themselves off to the public, more often than not, every piece of a president’s style is inspected by the public. Presidents also have to be conscious of world views. Other nations look towards the president as a symbol of democracy and are likely to focus on his characteristics and style. A president’s character is how he is influenced by the world and how he relates the world around him to his political style. Character is dependent on the president himself. As some presidents are better able to handle the pressures of the position and remain true to who they are. The true test of a president is to see how he changes his character in response to the demands of the office. The president’s character is a reflection of his mental fortitude as he faces criticism from all around him.
Most of the pressure faced by a president lies in the expectations held for him.

However, not all of the expectations come from outside the White House. Not only does the public hold expectations of the job that the president must do, but also the president has expectations for himself developed over the campaign or even their entire political career. The president must meet the needs of the masses while meeting the needs of himself. The public wants a president who is actively working on problems and producing solutions that are visible. Lastly, the public expects the president to be genuine. A president who cannot fulfill promises is a president with low approval. According to Barber, there are four personality types that define presidential character. They are: active-positive, passive-positive, active-negative, and passive-negative. Active-positive presidents are defined by high self-esteem and productivity. Active-negative presidents are characterized by a lot of effort, but relatively low sense of self. Passive-positive presidents are defined by a high self-esteem, but rely on others to get work done. Finally, passive-negative presidents are defined by a low approval and low work

ethic.
On February 22, 1732, George Washington was born on his father’s plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia. His father was Augustine Washington and his mother Mary Ball. Washington was the eldest of six children from Augustine and Mary, however Washington has three siblings from his father’s other marriage to Janet Butler. George Washington family history in North America can be traced back to his great-grandfather John Washington. Around 1735, Washington’s family moved to Little Hunting Creek Plantation, which would later be named Mount Vernon. In 1738, the family again moved, this time to a plantation on the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg, Virginia. This would be where Washington spends most of his childhood. However, little is known about Washington’s childhood. Many popular tales of childhood honesty, piety, and strength were just that, tales. Even the famous story of Washington and the cherry tree is believed to have been created by Washington’s first biographer, Mason Locke Weems.
When Washington was 11 years old, his father died, leaving most of the responsibility and land to the young boys. Washington then became the ward of his older, half-brother Lawrence. In 1748, Washington began traveling with a surveying party at the age of 16. The group travel the frontier of Virginia and plotted the western territory. After gaining experience with the party, Washington went out on his own the following year and became the official surveyor of Culpeper County. This experience in the wilderness toughened Washington both physically and mentally.
By 1753, Washington had built up a small reputation in the area. In the fall of 1753, Governor of Virginia sent a 21 year old Washington to deliver a message to the French, who had moved down from Canada to the Ohio Valley. Washington traveled with the message and a guide to the French fort, Le Boeuf. However, the return trip proved to be more troublesome. Washington and his party traveled through snow covered hills, fell into the icy Allegheny River and spent nights without shelter. When Washington returned, Governor Dinwiddie published the party’s story in both Virginia and England, securing international fame for Washington.
After his successful mission, Governor Dinwiddie sent Washington, who was now a lieutenant colonel, and 150 men to protect Virginia’s land claims. Washington and his men battled with a small group of French soldiers then retreated to the smaller Fort Necessity. Here he and his men were surrounded and forced to surrender, humiliating the young Washington. Follow his return home, Washington surrendered his post and took up a position as a volunteer aide to General Edward Braddock. Braddock was sent to drive the French from the Ohio Valley, but in a battle with the French was forced into retreat. During the mass confusion of the battle, Washington served gallantly, even after multiple horses were shot from underneath him. Washington led the survivors to safety in Virginia, where in honor of his conduct, Washington was given command of Virginia’s entire military. In 1758, Washington returned to duty as leader of the Virginian military on an expedition to secure Fort Duquesne. After capturing the fort, the British finally won control of the Ohio Valley. Later in the year, Washington resigned from his position and returned the Mount Vernon.
A little after returning home from the army, Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis. Martha was a widow and extremely wealthy. Martha also had two children, who came along with her when she married Washington. Washington was very affectionate towards the children. A trait desirable in the father of a fledgling nation. From his retirement from the militia until the start of the Revolution, Washington led a simple life, caring for his family and his estate. Washington exhibited traits of a hard worker and in 1758 was elected to Virginia’s House of Burgesses.

By the time the American Revolution was brewing, Washington was well known for his military feats. In 1775, Washington was appointed the military advisor for New York. His goal was to protect it from British attack. Washington was very unexperienced in lead large armies, and Washington mostly learned on the job. After defeat in New York, Washington and his men set up camp in New Jersey. With most of his army leaving in December, Washington planned a daring mission to turn the tide in the colonists favor. On Christmas night, Washington led his men across the Delaware River and attacked a British garrison in Trenton. Washington then turned his attention to driving the British out of Yorktown. Washington surrounded and sieged Cornwallis’ army, finally forcing a surrender on October 19th. After the war ended, Washington presented himself in front of Congress and resigned his position, knowing that it would be better to give up power before gaining too much of it.
Washington returned to what he hoped would be a peaceful life at Mount Vernon. Unfortunately Washington had to watching the fledgling nation he fought so hard for be torn to pieces by a weak Congress and the Articles of Confederation. Washington was frustrated by the failure of the Confederation Congress. By 1787, Washington ended his retirement to reform the Congress. When Washington arrived, he was chosen to preside over the Constitutional Convention. Washington wrote “My wish is that the convention may adopt no temporizing expedients but probe the defects of the Constitution to the bottom and provide a radical cure.” Washington battled for the new Constitution and after it was passed, Washington again retired to Mount Vernon. However, during the first presidential election, Washington received a vote from every elector, making him the first president of the United States.
As first president, Washington was aware that his presidency would set a precedent for all that would follow. Washington took great care in ensuring that the presidency did not copy European forms of government. Washington proved to be an able administrator. He surrounded himself with a capable cabinet and delegated his authority to those select few. Washington is the standard to which all successors are judged as he proved his honesty and integrity. Washington also delivered the first State of the Union Address. In which, set an address that laid out plans for defense, foreign policy, economic plans, education plans, and immigration plans. A standard that even today’s presidents use. According to James Barber, “The presidency is a peculiar office. The founding fathers left it extraordinarily loose in definition, partly because they trusted George Washington to invent a tradition as he went along. It is an institution made a piece at a time by successive men in the White House.”
During his first term, Washington learned that the American people favored this new form of government. Although Washington planned to resign after his first term, Thomas Jefferson encouraged him to return for a second term as he alone could command the attention of the newly forming political parties. Washington’s second term was largely focused on foreign affairs. However, this term was stained by increasing partisan divisions. Washington successfully kept the United States neutral in world affairs. Washington understood the consequences of becoming too involved in world affairs and warned future presidents of this. Throughout all of this, Washington’s second term was largely successful. During his final term, the war with the Indians was won, England surrendered many of its forts in the northwest, and Spain opened much of the western United States to American commerce. In his farewell address, Washington summarized his strong beliefs about what would make the country grow. According to William Allen, “in his “Farewell Address” in 1796, Washington defended this foreign policy approach, famously warning the nation against foreign entanglements. ‘Why,’ asked Washington, “by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor or caprice?’” After retiring from the presidency, Washington returned home to Mount Vernon, where he died on December 14, 1799.
In reference to Washington’s personality, Barber states “George Washington—clearly the most important President in the pantheon—established the fundamental legitimacy of an American government at a time when this was a matter in considerable question. Washington’s dignity, judiciousness, his aloof air of reserve and dedication to duty fit the passive-negative or withdrawing type best. Washington did not seek innovation, he sought stability. He longed to retire to Mount Vernon, but fortunately was persuaded to stay on through a second term, in which, by rising above the political conflict between Hamilton and Jefferson and inspiring confidence in his own integrity, he gave the nation time to develop the organized means for peaceful change.” Similarly, Washington did not dream of the presidency, but merely stepped into the position as need. Washington called upon his honesty and integrity and took up the position in the time of necessity. Barber acknowledges this by saying These four Presidents – like all Presidents – were persons trying to cope with the roles they had won by using the equipment they had built over a lifetime. The President is not some shapeless organism in a flood of novelties, but a man with a memory in a system with a history. Like all of us, he draws on his past to shape his future.”
One action that Washington did while in office that reflected his personality was the signing into law of the Judiciary Act of 1789. This created a six-member Supreme Court and the position of Attorney general. This exhibited Washington’s desire for honesty and integrity in the country’s government long after he was gone. Another action was Washington turning down a salary of $25,000. Washington wanted the position of the president to be one of public service, thus he reject a salary. However, not wanting to discourage candidates who were not wealthy, Washington finally accepted the payment.
In conclusion, biography.com states that, “Washington could have been a king. Instead, he chose to be a citizen. He set many precedents for the national government and the presidency: The two-term limit in office, only broken once by Franklin Roosevelt, and then later ensconced in the Constitution's 22nd Amendment. He crystallized the power of the presidency as a part of the government’s three branches, able to exercise authority when necessary, but also accept the balance of power inherent in the system.”