Society turns to powerful leaders for guidance in times of uncertainty. Especially after the American Revolution, the people needed a leader to mollify the concerns entailing their newfound independence. They needed a president who could guide them like a king without creating a power vacuum, who could lead with respect without becoming corrupt, and who could put the future of the country beyond his own desires; America’s future was reliant on a leader who had these qualities. Luckily, the first president, George Washington, acted as the “good king” America heavily needed. Like Hrothgar, a good king in Beowulf, George Washington reflects similar characteristics of bravery and prominence. Hrothgar, king of the Danes, is referred to as a …show more content…
Washington’s character as a good ruler cannot solely be based on the example of a single king; he must also be compared to bad kings to further emphasize his better qualities. Washington reflects opposite characteristics of Macbeth, a ruler who let ambition and the corruption of power overcome him. Macbeth became powerful by killing those in his way, and once in control, focused more on maintaining his power than he did on the kingdom. In Act 1, Scene 7, Macbeth portrays this desire to take down anyone in his path when claiming, “I have no spur / to prick the sides of my intent, but only / vaulting ambition” (Macbeth, 1.7.25-27). Macbeth’s willingness to commit murder and treason in order to become King of Scotland demonstrates that too much ambition is a characteristic of a bad king. In contrast, Washington focused on putting the benefit of the country beyond his own power. When he voluntarily chose to step down from office rather than monopolizing the power as Macbeth had done, Washington puts the benefit of the people before his own (Ellis 122). However, some may argue that Washington’s decision was a selfish act, as the people were left without a good ruler, yet Washington meant the opposite. The resignation from office instead helped the country by teaching them “about how to sustain national unity and purpose, not just without him, but without a king” (Ellis 123). Thus, while some could argue that Washington hurt the
In the beginning when there was only but a mere 13 colonies, we couldn’t agree on anything. But despite all odds, we fought the most powerful country and developed into a strong nation, known today as The United States of America. It truly couldn’t have been done without 3 first presidents who laid the ground work for our new nation. Those three presidents and there three administrations included the Washington Administrations, Adams Administration, and Jefferson Administration. Though those three were of equal importance, one that stood out among them was the Washington’s Administration, and here was its significance to our nation.
John Adams, who became the second president of the United States, has been accused by some historians of being the closest thing America ever had to a dictator or monarch (Onuf, 1993). Such strong accusations should be examined in the context of the era in which Mr. Adams lived and served. A closer examination of the historical events occurring during his vice presidency and his term as president, strongly suggests that Adams was not, in fact, a dictator. Indeed, except for his lack of charisma and political charm, Adams had a very successful political career before joining the new national government. He was, moreover, highly sought after as a public servant during the early formation of the new federal power (Ferling, 1992).
Just yesterday we gained a new president and his name is George Washington. The members of Congress, which has sixty-nine, elected Washington to be our first president. Of course he did not agree at first, and it did take a few months. The reason the members of Congress were so eager to have him as president is because of his experience. Before Washington was president, he was a leader of the Continental Army and was chairman of the Continental Congress.
He was the very first president of the United States of America. 69 members of the congress elected him as the first president of the U.S.A. When they decided to elect him as president he was currently the leader of the Continental Army. The congress saw that he had the potential of being the leader of the country.He reluctantly accepted Congress’s decision. This president was George Washington. President George Washington was the best leader because in their early life they grew up with so little education yet he became very smart, in his presidency he was a great leader and lead our country well and also commanded the Continental Army at the same time. legacy was that he left serving two terms as a tradition. (Kenmore. org)
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732. When my father died, I moved in with my half brother at Mount Vernon. He established the executive and judicial branches of the federal government of the United States. His leadership guaranteed the survival of the United States as a powerful and independent nation, and set the standard for future presidents. George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the United States on April 30, 1789. President Washington entered office with the full support of the national and state leadership. There were both domestic and foreign war, and the issue of how to raise revenue for government was hotly debated. Washington was not a member of any political parties, and hoped that they would not be
A president of the United States is at the top of the government and is under the constitution of the United States. He is the leader of not only the executive branch, but he is a leader of our great country. He is respected and known as the most intellectual political official by recognition and scholarly. Out of all of the first presidents, one left a legacy like no other, none other the Washington. George Washington had the most enduring and important legacies. He was a humane, sincere, and he selected very profound example for his country, led important wars, and set important precedents.
These lessons would seem to stay with him throughout his life. He is also erroneously
How hard is it to get a group to agree on one thing? Well, that was the case with George Washington. Everyone agreed that he would be a great president because of his military career. The reasons why he was a great leader is because the things he did as president and his military background.
George Washington is a man who needs little introduction, but several people only know of him as the first President of the United States. However, he has done exponentially more than just being our country’s first leader. In fact, he is the person who made unification possible. It certainly helped that he was a decorated war hero, and was a man who adamantly supported independence. His tenure as president was perhaps the most vital as he established the precedent that others would follow. He is iconic, and an everlasting representation of our countries’ intent when it broke away from British rule. Washington was, and still is, the chief symbol and most effective promoter of American nationalism (Longmore, 2005).
The presidents has always played a crucial role in American politics and are known for their roles in unifying the nation. They are glorified for their charisma and ability to lead, but even these brilliant men have lapses in their judgement. Andrew Jackson, who was president from 1829-1837, was a president of many firsts as he was the first frontier president, first to have a “kitchen cabinet”, and first to use a pocket veto. Jackson was later succeeded by his vice president, Martin Van Buren. Van Buren, who was in office from 1837-1841, was known for his shrewd political skills. Both these men laid down the foundations for a stronger, more centralized national government with methods that garnered mixed responses.
We often elect a President that will guide our country through tough times, but we sometimes overlook the fact that we love a president that appeals to the people in different ways other than their plans to help move the country forward. For an example President George Washington was a man that appealed to everyone because he had the physical aspects of a classical hero. He was tall, heavily built, and a marvelous athlete. Washington moved with dignity and he looked like a leader. Even though many who truly knew him referred to him as “ intellectual and illiterate,” he can still be labeled as one of the greatest Presidents.
On the twenty second day of February, In 1732, our first president, who would later become the commander in chief of the continental army, George Washington was born. George Washington was Augustine Washington’s, and his second wife, Mary Bell Washington’s first child out of 6 other children. After a while George Washington had 5 brothers and 1 sister. Thousands of miles of miles away in London, 6 years after George Washington was born, on the fourth of June in 1738 King George the third was born.King George the third had 7 siblings, including 3 sisters and four brothers.
Throughout his life, George Washington had fairly strong morals. His family was very strict for church and family things. He grew up with a strict environment and it stayed with him throughout his older years. These morals and strict mindset are what got him to be named one of the founders of the United States. People knew of his ability to lead and his fair mindedness. The list of desirable character traits Washington had is long:
He said that your outer appearance should reflect what is on the inside.. He was tall and commanding which showed grace and humility. It was said that he often showed excitement, and he was usually impatient during long events. One of Washington’s strong characteristics was ambition. However, as strategy, Washington did not show his ambition. He was never greedy, he refused salary for public service. It was said that Washington became the ideal for masculine behavior. Washington was very fond of knowledge and books and he had a library of close to 900 volumes. Washington had the ability to mask his interests and appear disinterested which showed his perfect balance of moderation and detachment. As a strong leader, Washington showed many strengths
Today, George Washington is famous for his achievements as America’s revolutionary war leader and the first official U.S president. His accomplishments in history are extraordinary. He led an impoverished Continental Army to victory against the strongest military of that age. However, it is Washington’s character that transformed him into the remarkable man he is known as today. George Washington’s exceptional character was a necessary component in order to win the Revolutionary War. Character is defined as the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. A persona each person possesses. In other words, character is a person’s personality or disposition and ultimately the key to success in life.