THE MAKING OF A NATION #28 — September 4, 2003: New Nation -
George Washington
By Harold Braverman
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VOICE ONE:
THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a program in Special English by the Voice of America.
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The United States Constitution went into effect March Fourth,
Seventeen-Eighty-Nine. The Constitution was the new nation's plan of
government. There was much to be done to make it work. The machinery of
government was new, untested. Strong leadership was needed. It was
provided by the man chosen to be the new nation's first president:
George Washington.
I'm Harry Monroe. Today, Kay Gallant and I tell the story of George Washington.
VOICE TWO:
Many historians believe there would never have been a United States
without George Washington. He led the American people to victory in
their war for independence from Britain. He kept the new nation united
in the dangerous first years of its life.
Washington had a strange power over the American people. His name still
does. During his lifetime, he was honored for his courage and wisdom.
After his death in Seventeen-Ninety-Nine, he became almost god-like.
People forgot that he was human, that he had faults and made mistakes.
For well over one hundred years, Americans found it difficult to
criticize George Washington. He represented the spirit of America --
what was best about the country.
VOICE ONE:
Recent historians have painted a more realistic picture of Washington.
They write about his weaknesses, as well as his strengths. But this has
not reduced his greatness and importance in the making of the nation.
The force of Washington's personality, and his influence, was extremely
important at the Philadelphia convention that wrote the new
Constitution. Had he not agreed to attend, some say, the convention
would not have been held. Later, as the first president, he gave the
new nation a good start in life.
VOICE TWO:
Washington was able to control political disputes among officials of
the new government. He would not let such disputes damage the nation's
unity.
Washington often thought of the future. He wanted the first government to take the right steps.
He said, some things may not seem important in the beginning, but
later, they may have bad permanent results. It would be better, he
felt, to start his administration right than to try to correct mistakes
later. . .when it might be too late to do so. He hoped to act in such a
way that future presidents could continue to build on what he began.
VOICE ONE:
Washington had clear, firm ideas about what was right and what was
wrong. He loved justice. He also loved the republican form of
government.
Some people had difficulty seeing this part of the man. For Washington
looked like an aristocrat. And, at times, he seemed to act like one. He
attended many ceremonies. He often rode through the streets in a
carriage pulled by six horses. His critics called him 'king'.
Washington opposed rule by kings and dictators. He was shocked that
some good people talked of having a monarchy in America. He was even
more shocked that they did not understand the harm they were doing.
VOICE TWO:
Washington warned that this loose talk could lead to an attempt to
establish a monarchy in the United States. A monarchy, he said, would
be a great victory for the enemies of the United States. It would prove
that Americans could not govern themselves.
As president, Washington decided to do everything in his power to
prevent the country from ever being ruled by a king or dictator. He
wanted the people to have as much self-government as possible. Such
government, Washington felt, meant a life of personal freedom and equal
justice for the people.
VOICE ONE:
The Eighteenth century has been described as the age of reason and
understanding for the rights of people. Washington was a man of his
times. He said no one could feel a greater interest in the happiness of
mankind than he did. He said it was his greatest hope that the policies
of that time would bring to everyone those blessings which should be
theirs.
Washington was especially happy and proud that the United States would
protect people against oppression for their religious beliefs.
He did not care which god people worshipped. He felt that religious
freedom was a right of every person. Good men, he said, are found all
over the world. They can be followers of any religion. . .or no
religion at all.
Washington's feelings about racial oppression were as strong as his
feelings about religious oppression. True, he owned Negro slaves. But
he hated slavery. "There is not a man alive," he once said, "who wishes
more truly than I to see a plan approved to end slavery." By his order,
all his slaves were freed when he died.
VOICE TWO:
From the beginning, George Washington was careful to establish a good
working relationship with the Congress. He did not attempt to take away
any powers given to the Congress by the Constitution. By his actions,
he confirmed the separation of powers of the three branches of the
government, as proposed in the Constitution.
The Congress, too, was ready to cooperate. It did not attempt to take
away any powers given to the president by the Constitution. The
Congress, for example, agreed that President Washington had the right
to appoint his assistants. But Congress kept the right to approve them.
VOICE ONE:
Washington asked some of the nation's wisest and most able men to serve in the new government.
For Secretary of State, he chose Thomas Jefferson. At the time, Jefferson was America's representative to France.
While Congress was considering Jefferson's nomination, Washington heard
of threatening events in France. He learned that a mob had captured the
old prison called the Bastille. Washington was worried. The United
States had depended on France for help during its war for independence.
And it still needed French help. A crisis in France could be bad for
America.
The information Jefferson brought home would prove valuable if the
situation in France got worse. Washington also thought Jefferson's
advice would be useful in general, not just on French developments.
VOICE TWO:
For Secretary of the Treasury, Washington chose Alexander Hamilton.
Hamilton had served as one of Washington's assistants during the
Revolutionary War.
For Chief Justice of the United States, he chose John Jay. Jay helped
write the Federalist Papers, which are considered the best explanation
of the Constitution ever written. Two delegates to the Constitutional
convention were named Associate Justices of the Supreme Court: James
Wilson and John Rutledge.
For Attorney General, Washington wanted a good lawyer and someone who
supported the Constitution. He chose Edmund Randolph, of Virginia. It
was Randolph who proposed the Virginia Plan to the Philadelphia
convention. The plan became the basis for the national Constitution.
Randolph refused to sign the document, because he did not believe it
could be approved. But he worked later to help win Virginia's approval
of the Constitution.
VOICE ONE:
President Washington named his assistants, and the Congress approved
them. The president was ready to begin work on the nation's urgent
problems. And there were many.
One problem was Spain's control of the lower part of the Mississippi
River. American farmers needed to use the river to transport their
crops to market. But the Spanish governor in Louisiana closed the
Mississippi to American boats.
There also were problems with Britain. The United States had no
commercial treaty with Britain. And Britain had sent no representative
to the new American government.
Equally urgent were the new nation's economic problems. Two major
issues had to be settled. One was repayment of loans made to support
the American army in the war for independence. The other was creation
of a national money system. Both issues needed quick action.
Finding solutions would be the job of President Washington's Treasury
Secretary, Alexander Hamilton. Alexander Hamilton will be our story
next week.
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VOICE TWO:
You have been listening to THE MAKING OF A NATION, a program in Special
English by the Voice of America. Your narrators were Harry Monroe and
Kay Gallant. Our program was written by Harold Braverman.
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