[Pharmboy]

What separated The General from everyone else...he thought of the country before he thought of himself.

[donmeaker]

When handed the manifesto by his officers, he stopped to put on his spectacles. He apologized, saying that he had given his youth, and even his eyesight for his country.

The young officers knew right then it was going to be a bad day.

[Pharmboy]

The Washington Family Crest

The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington pin list

[the invisib1e hand]

Congress was reneging on that pledge.

Hmm. Some things never change.

[Billthedrill]

...he gained something far more valuable: moral authority.

LOL! Yes, and there were times when it drove him nuts. He once complained that he'd walk down the stairs into a party and the conversation would die down. Think that would mess with your head? BTT...

[Inyo-Mono]

Great story, thanks!

[Moonman62]

It’s easy to understand why he’s been compared to Cincinnatus.

[jimtorr]

Bump for almost the only revolutionary in history to give up power and go back to private life when the revolution was over.

[donna]

I remember being taught this in grade school many years ago.

[jimtorr]

Another amazing thing is that this article was printed in a SF bay area paper.

[buschbaby]

Thank you. An incredible story, I am going to read it to my children.

[patton]

It was the single most noble act in our history, I believe.

Of course, if he had known that a mere 80 years later, the union army would pull his pew out of the Falls Church, in order to make a stable for their horses IN HIS CHURCH, he might have chosen differently.

[Bigg Red]

Thanks for posting this. Washington was an incredible gift from God.

I remember reading about this incident before, but I never thought of it in terms of keeping us from being a banana republic. Excellent analysis here.

[aculeus]

Did you ever visit Natural Bridge Virginia? Young Washington carved his initials in the rock and “GW” is still visible.

[NonValueAdded]

And 5 days earlier, Captain John Barry fought the Last Naval Battle of the American Revolution off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, saving the 72,000 Spanish silver coins being transported from Havana to Philadelphia by the duc de Lauzun under escort by Barry's Continental frigate Alliance. This was the money desperately needed to pay the Continental Army.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

[Publius]

At the time of this incident, it was time for the troops to go home, and they hadn't been paid in hard money. They had been paid in Continental Dollars, a paper fiat currency backed with the promise to pay in Spanish Milled Dollars. Unfortunately, the federal government had little in the way of Spanish Milled Dollars -- or anything else. As a result, the Continental Dollar began to get discounted by creditors even though the words "legal tender" (forced tender) were printed on them. During the war patriots had been willing to accept this paper currency because there was a war on. (Loyalists preferred British gold and silver.) Once the war was over, that patriotic sentiment was set aside because there were debts to be paid to creditors, and the troops, who were mostly yoeman farmers, were holding paper money that was now becoming worthless. The Confederation Congress was not up to the job of fixing what was wrong because the Articles of Confederation weren't up to the job.

Robert Morris, proprietor of the Bank of North America in Philadelphia, decided to act. With the assistance of Gouveneur Morris (not a relation) they approached Alexander Hamilton and asked him to approach Washington with a proposal. Washington was to take his army to Philadelphia, overthrow Congress and set himself up as King George of America. The nation's finances would be placed on a firm footing, and America would be ruled by a wise monarch. Many of Washington's officers at the Newburgh encampment thought this was a good idea, and Washington found himself with a budding fascist movement on his hands.

What happened next is described accurately in this article. But there was an aftermath.

In 1785, the Bank of North America collapsed, triggering the events that led to the final collapse of the Continental Dollar. The Pennsylvania Militia revolted and took over Philadelphia, forcing the Confederation Congress to flee to Princeton. Hamilton fulminated that Washington ought to return to the military and put down the rebellion in Philadelphia, but it all blew over rather quickly. What didn't blow over was the collapse of the basic currency unit.

At Newburgh, Hamilton had warned the Morrises that Washington would never go for the coup d'etat proposal. When the Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia years later, Washington was having dinner in one of the better taverns in town with Hamilton and some other members of his old wartime staff. Robert Morris, now disgraced because of the loss of his bank, made himself scarce, but Gouveneur Morris happened to be dining at the same time. Morris asked Hamilton if he could approach His Excellency, and Hamilton, who knew very well Washington's low opinion of the man, smiled and suggested he try it. (Hamilton had a puckish sense of humor and was fond of practical jokes.) Morris clapped Waashington on the shoulder and gave him a loud welcome to Philadelphia. Washington turned and gave Morris a look that would have frozen brimstone, and Morris skedaddled out of the tavern as Hamilton laughed up his sleeve.

[purpleraine]

Xlnt portrayal of this on The Revoluntion series recently on the History channel.

[Captain Jack Aubrey]

This event is recreated in the excellent George Washington TV mini-series starring Barry Bostwick.

See http://www.amazon.ca/George-Washington-Buzz-Kulik/dp/6302985358

[SunkenCiv]

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	Gods Graves Glyphs	Thanks Pharmboy. And thanks purpleraine for that book description in message 33. I think he also came out of retirement to handle the Whisky Rebellion. "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his country." To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. GGG managers are Blam, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
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[trisham]

What a great man.