Democratic ideals emerged through the introduction of Enlightenment ideas into American society. The combination of a sense of identity and Enlightenment ideas of natural rights and a representative government created a sense of unity among American citizens, thus shaping the movement for independence.
In one famous incident in 1782, Col. Lewis Nicola wrote a letter urging Washington to overthrow Congress and become America's king. ... When King George III heard Washington would resign his commission to a powerless Congress, he told the painter Benjamin West: "If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world."
Adams then proposed calling Washington, “His Highness, the President of the United States, and Protector of the Rights of the Same.”
He served two terms, guiding the new government through the organization of the executive branch, founding the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., opening the west for settlement, and establishing precedents that have influenced the conduct of succeeding presidents ever since.
The four positions of Secretary of War, Secretary of State, Secretary of Treasury, and Attorney General became collectively known as the cabinet, and Washington held regular cabinet meetings throughout his second term
By the end of his life, Washington had come to regard Madison and Monroe ... That's why they took their disputes so seriously. ... Why they might be seen as treasonous requires an understanding of the Founders' view of “factions” and of political ... Washington still had in Jefferson, and in the other Democratic-Republicans, ...
n his farewell Presidential address, George Washington advised American citizens to view themselves as a cohesive unit and avoid political parties and issued a special warning to be wary of attachments and entanglements with other nations.
