As some of you may know, the US mint is doing a series of dollar coins, each with one of the US presidents, released in the order in which they served. They are intended to increase interest in the dollar coin. It's based off the mint's series of state quarters, which has been highly successful. The series starts this month with George Washington, and there will be four presidents every year. I have decided to take the opportunity to write an essay about each president as his coin is released. They will be published on my blog. I'm doing this because I'd like to educate myself about the different presidents, and also because it might be an interesting read for anyone who happens to read my blog. So let's discuss the good and the bad about the first president, George Washington.
Nicknames for George Washington, according to Wikipedia: Father of His Country (and the Latin equivalent Pater Patriae). Sword of the Revolution The General American Fabius — for his military strategy during the Revolutionary War The American Cincinnatus Town Destroyer — used by some Iroquois His Excellency King George
I'm interested in George Washington's connection to marijuana: "Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, and sow it everywhere!" George Washington Note to the gardener at Mount Vernon, 1794 "The Writings of George Washington" Volume 33, page 270 (Library of Congress) (George Washington, first president of the United States of America, grew cannabis on Mount Vernon, his plantation, for about 30 years. He may have used the Indian hemp to treat his chronic tooth aches.) Ref: http://www.taima.org/en/quotes.htm#washington Is this really true?
Yes, he kept slaves. A lot of the Founding Fathers did, and there's a lot of controversy over it, and some hefty discussion about slavery and the Declaration of Independence. Only two signers wanted the references to the immorality of slavery taken out of the Declaration. One was Button Gwinnett, of Georgia. I don't recall who the other was. The debate on this is all over the internet. www.americanrevolution.com has several such debates in the forum, and a thread titled "George Washington: Was He An Idiot?" that is pretty lively. I know that Andrew Jackson thought that Washington was a total puss-bag as president, and he didn't care for Jefferson, either. He saw both presidents as pushovers for the European powers and not decisive enough on domestic issues. He wasn't alone in his opinion, either. But get a look at that forum and root around a bit. Lots of mudslinging and reputation defending going on.
They're not starting with Sam Huntington? Why do the Articles of Confederation always get short shrift?
No argument, there, Roman. I think the coins should start with the presidents of the Continental Congress, but that's just because I'm a history addict.
Was there an office of the President of the United States of America under the Articles of Confederation?
Athelwulf, The original government of the United States was a confederacy. That is, the states had more power than the federal government. However, the states spent their time arguing amongst themselves, so a stronger federal government was created in order to tie the country together into a cohesive whole.
And yet the states (representatives and senators) still spend their time arguing amongst themselves. To consider the US a "cohesive whole" is to be a historian studying the nation from about 1950 or so and before! We ain't been a "cohesive whole" in over a century, perhaps more. Baron Max
