George Washington-Founding Father? Essay -- essays research papers

George Washington became President in 1789 and since then has been regarded as America’s â€Å"Founding Father†(10). This grand and hero-like status is said to have â€Å"began gravitating to Washington six months before the Declaration of Independence, when one Levi Allen addressed him in a letter as ‘our political Father.’†(10). The preservation of Washington’s role as a national hero has been allowed by authors and the media omitting his many flaws as if they had either been forgotten or were no longer important. Yet by excluding these human faults, they have projected an almost god-like hero and inflicted him upon the nation as their Father, somebody whose â€Å"life still has the power to inspire anyone†(10). When in reality, how can a slave-owning President be a hero to Black Americans today? Similarly, Americans of native descent today could not worship Washington, if they knew explicitly how he had treated their ancestors. However textbooks do not explicitly reveal these faults, and even if they give some indication the authors make sure to justify Washington to the best of their ability. Many Americans fail to know very little about the claims of Washington’s greed for wealth, his inability as a politician and President to speak before the Senate and Congress, and the debate to whether he was as good a General as is commonly believed. In addition to these forgotten flaws and human frailties; are the purely fabricated tales of Washington’s childhood, which are still retold to children today. As a boy George Washington allegedly accidentally chopped down a cherry tree, which he confessed to his father’s delight. There is also the tale where his father planted some seeds in the garden which grew up to spell ‘GEORGE WASHINGTON’ so as to† demonstrate by analogy God’s design in the universe†(10). However these anecdotes are the pure invention of Parson Weems (10) as very little is known about Washington’s early childhood or his relationship with his father. These invented tales, no matter how ridiculous, are less offensive than the authors who brush over or omit Washington’s involvement in slavery. In the ‘moral autobiography’ of George Washington called Founding Father; Richard Brookhiser justifies Washington’s actions by stating â€Å"slavery was sanctioned by the Bible and by Aristotle†. Although Brookhiser underlines the hypocrisy that Washington used the â€Å"rhetori... ...the senate. He suffered from stage fright and often â€Å"blushed and faltered†, (18) even at his inauguration as President, â€Å"he trembled and several times could scarce make out to read his speech† (18) This weakness of his is often glossed over as it doesn’t seem to fit in with his image as the towering, imposing â€Å"founding father†. Yet today, it is essential for a President to be able to deliver impressive and clear speeches to the whole country. Finally there are some criticisms that he was not as effective General as is often believed. Thomas Paine claimed that he was a bad general whose strategy consisted of â€Å"doing nothing† (19). Although Paine had a personal agenda in condemning George Washington as he resented not being appointed Postmaster-General, and then later by not being rescued from French persecution by the government, it is true that George Washington did lose more battles than he won (20) and often did seem to do nothing for long periods of time. There is also the issue of his harsh treatment towards his own soldiers, any who were caught deserting or plundering were â€Å"flogged† (21) and he even a â€Å"Gallows near forty feet high erected† to terrify the rest into obedience.