George Washington, Our First President

George Washington, [57 entering office] 2 terms, from 30 Apr 1789—* 1797. No Party though often labeled a Federalist. Lived 22.Feb.1732-14.Dec.1799 [died at 67; 2-1/2 yrs after office] Pneumonia.  

           Many of us know of Washington through a somewhat elderly and almost bitter image immortalized on the dollar bill, adapted from a painting by Gilbert Stuart. We forget Washington had the elegance, height and good looks to support his great leadership qualities, as is visible in this younger painting. Few men have been as esteemed or honored as much as Washington.  He and Lincoln.  Both men, however, were hated and resisted by a broad spectrum of their own political world.  Sainthood comes with time.  Washington and several other early presidents are among the “Founding Fathers” and even though they were often close friends and mutually committed to the future of the young country they were often bitter rivals in their political views of how the country should take shape.
          It is probably well known that Washington had difficulty smiling because of a wide variety of sets of false teeth he wore, each won more uncomfortable than the next.  He actually preferred fish to beef—because it was easier to chew.
         Washington may not have been as wealthy as is often thought.  At the time of his first inauguration, in New York City, he had to borrow the money to make the trip from Virginia, citing poor crops for his financial problems.  However, his military brilliance won the young country its independence when it was grossly out-matched by a more powerful mother country.  His leadership genius continued to prevail as he was able to moderate a virtual chaos of political alternatives in the early years of America’s freedom.  These alternatives ranged from the idea of replacing the British monarchy with a home-grown American one—many wanted to make Washington our first king!—all the way over to a near state of anarchy.  We could never have become who we are today without him.