The Presidency of George Washington

by Forrest McDonald

In this volume, Forrest McDonald admits that George Washington was no executive genius, and notes that a number of his advisers and cabinet members were considerably more important in formulating programs and policies than he was. Nevertheless, he maintains that, but for Washington, the office of president might not exist today. McDonald asserts that Washington's reputation as a man of integrity, dignity, candor, and republican virtue was well-deserved, and that he contributed best by serving as a symbol.

The book covers the central concerns of Washington's administration: a complex tangle of war debts; the organization of the Bank of the United States; geographical and social factionalism; the emergence of strong national partisan politics; adjustments in federal-state relations; the effort to remain neutral in the face of European tumult; the opening of the Mississippi River; and the removal of the threat of Indians and British in the Northwest Territory. McDonald also describes the rivalry between Washington's two most important department heads, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.

Author Biography: Forrest McDonald is Distinguished Research Professor of History at the University of Alabama and the author of fifteen books including States' Rights and the Union: Imperium in Imperio, 1776-1876; The American Presidency: An Intellectual History; Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution; "We the People": Economic Origins of the Constitution; E Pluribus Unum: The Foundation of the American Republic, 1776-1790; and The Presidency of Thomas Jefferson. He was named by the National Endowment for the Humanities as the sixteenth Jefferson Lecturer, the nation's highest honor in the humanities.

Genres: History, American History, Biography, Nonfiction, Presidents, Politics, American Revolution

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Dr. McDonald was a Distinguished Research Professor of History at the University of Alabama, where he was the Sixteenth Jefferson Lecturer in the Humanities in 1987. He was awarded the Ingersoll Prize in 1990. Professor McDonald is the author of several books including Novus Ordo Seclorum (University Press of Kansas, 1985), and The American Presidency: Roots, Establishment, Evolution (University Press of Kansas, 1994).

Reviews

[Michael O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a largely a scholarly treatise on the Washington Administration. It is really for the avid history buff like me --- as opposed to being a popular culture type of work. I think that it adequately describes the monumental challenges faced by George Washington in establishing the first real Federal Government, having no civil service, no prior precedents to guide him, no budget, and a mountain of debt remaining from the Revolution. The one complaint I have with McDonald's work is that he tends to credit Alexander Hamilton's accomplishments as Treasury Secretary at the expense of Washington, portraying his own as being more of picking skilled subordinates rather than due to any real leadership skill on Washington's own talents.

[Marc A · Rating 5 out of 5]

The University Press of Kansas began their "The Presidency of...." series in the mid 1970's. Since then, volumes in the series have been published on an irregular basis. All of the presidents from George Washington to Jimmy Carter have volumes dedicated to them, with a few exceptions. Presidents who died early in their terms share volumes with the vice presidents who succeeded them. William Henry Harrison and John Tyler share a volume, as do Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore, and James A. Garfield and Chester Alan Arthur. For some of the more obscure presidents, the volumes in this series are the best available treatments of their administrations. Of the post-Carter presidencies, a volume on the George W. Bush presidency is available, and a volume on the George H. W. Bush presidency is scheduled to be released in February 2026.

The Presidency of George Washington, by acclaimed historian Forrest McDonald, is the earliest entry in the series. McDonald provides us with a lot of information in the book's 210 pages. Following the requirements of the newly ratified constitution, Washington and the Congress had to create the U.S government from scratch. The Departments of State, War and Treasury were the first to be established. The Supreme Court also had to be set up. Washington had to appoint the heads of the departments as well as the justices of the Supreme Court.

The role of Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury cannot be overstated. He was Washington's most trusted advisor and was the driving force behind most of the administration's accomplishments. His plan to retire the nation's Revolutionary War debts is described in detail, and McDonald succeeds admirably in making this complex issue understandable.

Later, the French Revolution and the wars in Europe that followed threatened to spill over into North America. Washington was adamant that the new nation remain neutral. The European wars divided the political class and created the first political parties. Those who sympathized with the French Revolution made up one faction (led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison), and those who supported the British made up the other (led by Hamilton). During the last years of his administration, Washington stubbornly refused to yield to either the pro-British or pro-French war mongers. Much to his distress, Washington was harshly criticized in the partisan press, but he held his ground even when his closest supporters demanded war. When Washington left office the nation was at peace, but due to the ever-changing situation, the unresolved issues with the European powers were passed on to his successor John Adams.

McDonald covers a lot of ground in this short but surprisingly comprehensive book. The Presidency of George Washington is a concise and satisfying account of the beginnings of the republic. Well written, it is never boring, there are no dull sections and the narrative never drags. Students of American history will love this book.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little confusing at times especially when discussing the economic conditions at that point in history (you definitely need a little background in economics to understand, of which, I felt lost reading some of the material). Also, the book discusses more so Washington's cabinet members and their decisions and the events that occurred during his presidency, and not so much Washington's own reasoning and decisions for those events (still important, however). You will learn a lot about the era with little to no bias on the matter, however, and I recommend reading the book. Happy reading!

[Dave Benner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best book on Washington's presidency, bar none.

[Ruppert Baird · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique and interesting look at the eight years of America's new government and it's basic genesis from various points of view. An intriguing and interesting read.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The general consensus is that the two greatest US presidents were George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I firmly believe that and in my opinion, Washington was the greatest. Before he became president he did something very rare in the history of the human race. After the victory in the war of independence, his stature was such that he could have been "elected" king. However, his honor was such that he had to be persuaded to run for president and then re-persuaded to run for a second term. He then thoroughly rejected any thought of a third term.
The nation that he led was still very fragile and every action by Washington or congress that was not explicit in the constitution would establish a precedent. Furthermore, the world was still a dangerous place, with the French revolution and subsequent European war creating a dangerous environment for the new nation. His actions in building the new government and keeping it out of foreign entanglements fully justify the admiration that he receives.
This book kept my attention from the first page as the early years of the new government are described. For this is a book about the Washington administration rather than Washington the man. So many legends in the annals of history were there and setting the tone for over 200 years of continuous government. You also learn of the emergence of political parties, as Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson and Adams among others vie for power and influence. Alexander Hamilton is the most interesting of these giants, as he successfully creates the financial institutions that made the country fiscally sound.
The more I read about Washington and that period of history, the more I am impressed by him. I have no idea what would have happened if he had been different, but it is a sure bet that it would have been worse. It is unfortunate that we teach our children nonsensical myths like the one about the cherry tree. The truth is so much more inspiring, and he truly deserves the accolade of "the father of his country."

This review also appears on Amazon

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note this book is "the presidency of GW," not "GW the president." Washington tried to stay above the fray as much as possible (both to imbue the office with dignity and to limit his tasks to what the Constitution explicitly required), and so others, such as Hamilton, Jefferson, and Jay (especially in his treaty with England), are the major players in the administration, although Washington is always hovering in the background.

I had not heard of Forrest McDonald until his recent death was noted in National Review. I was certainly impressed by his work in this book. The biggest issues of the two Washington administrations were, first, dealing with state and federal debts from the war, and, second, maintaining neutrality in the war between England, France, Spain, and others that broke out after the French Revolution. McDonald deals quite ably with these issues. Hamilton is, of course, the hero. Note that you can be a supporter of a strong central government in the late 1800s without being a statist today. Some seem to think that conservatives are hypocritical for being fans of Hamilton without being fans of, say, Woodrow Wilson, but that is not a contradiction (and that's true even without considering the fact that Wilson considered himself a Jeffersonian, which of course he was not).

A third major issue of the day was partisanship (or, Federalism vs. "Republicanism" as understood at the time, or, Hamiltonism vs. Jeffersonism). Again McDonald lays out the issues well while showing how Washington managed to appear above it all while certainly putting his thumb on the scale on the side of Hamilton. As an aside, it's hard to grow in respect for Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe as men when one reads about this era. They were such vain, conceited, rude men. Are all politicians such? Perhaps not. This criticism is not a substitute for fair evaluation of their accomplishments and failures as public figures; it is merely an aside.

[Jerry Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good read. Thorough with facts, but it was limited in scope just in the nature of the book. As an overview of the administration, it did a great job. It also helped me to understand some of the foreign relations aspects of the administration better than before. However, if it was the first book that I had read on the administration, it would leave me wanting to know more.

[Mark Desrosiers · Rating 4 out of 5]

You have to read between the lines in this one: Forrest McDonald is very conservative. Still, I've never read a better explanation for Alexander Hamilton's economic policies, and on the whole McDonald hits the write tone and interpretation for this unique figure in world history.

[Mk100 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in college and really enjoyed it. Books about George W. - you know, the one no one criticizes - never get old. This book deals capably with the question of why Washington was viewed by contemporaries as the indispensable man.

[ericAgrimes-vo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detailed and informative look at the presidency of George Washington. For some reason it didn't captivate me.

[Nat Bond · Rating 4 out of 5]

In all my study of history, I have never previously put Washington's presidency in context. This is a must-read for all of us.