Among the 188 commemorative stones inlaid on the Washington Monument, one was donated by missionaries and was engraved with the following text: "Washington, Inhuman." The courage to win the wide, the division of the male in Cao Liu, has raised the three-foot sword, opened the territory of thousands of miles, is not to usurp the title, not to pass on the descendants, and to create the law of recommendation, several than the world for the public, the will of three generations. Its governance respects good customs, does not practice martial arts, and is very different from other countries. ”
This Qing Dynasty's evaluation of Washington has attracted many criticisms from later generations. Many people think that how could the first leader of the United States of America be the leader of the peasant rebel army like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, and how could he be like a warlord like Cao Cao and Liu Bei. However, judging from the political pattern at the beginning of the founding of the United States, Xu Jiji's remarks are not only not wrong, but can be described as hitting the nail on the head.
Portrait of George Washington.
Virginia's "Good Family".
A history of family upbringing in Washington.
Various biographies of Washington written in later generations will take pains to proclaim that George Washington was of noble blood and a well-known family. The most common theory is that George Washington was in fact descended from the famous William de Hertburn family, the founder of the Norman dynasty in England. Regardless of its historical provenance, William de Hertburn lost power in England as a result of regime change before the 13th century.
The first to lead the family to immigrate to North America was George Washington's grandfather, John Washington. Since Britain was under Cromwell's rule at the time, some well-wishers echoed that the Washington family fled Britain because of Cromwell's revenge for supporting Charles I in the Civil War.
Oliver Cromwell, oil on canvas. Written by Robert Walker, National Portrait Gallery
However, it may not be so accurate, and it is only known that John Washington's father, Lawrence Washington, was indeed alleged to be a priest during the English Civil War, but was eventually excommunicated from his diocese for "frequent communions, not only drinking himself daily, but also seducing others into this lewd sin". His father then became a priest in a poor parish in Essex, where he died in January 1652. His mother then took him back to his parents' home, where he had a relative who had worked as a treasurer at the Virginia company. At that time, Virginia's tobacco was popular in England, and John was apprenticed to a London merchant to learn the skills of tobacco before heading to the New World. When he crossed the ocean, although he did not make tobacco**, he acquired a piece of land in the fertile Virginia and began to run a plantation.
Since then, the Washington family has branched out and entered the ranks of the "nobility of the New World". Virginia's unique natural conditions, coupled with cheap labor, allowed the plantation economy to flourish. The New World did not have the deep-seated hierarchies of the British mainland, so John soon became a local celebrity in Virginia, serving as a member of the City Council and the magistrate several times, and even the parish where he lived was renamed the Diocese of Washington.
By the time John Washington handed over the property to his son, Augustine Washington, the entire Washington family owned more than 10,000 acres of land, in addition to a cast iron sand mill and a cargo terminal. George Washington's biological father, Augustine Washington, had two marriages, and six sons and one daughter grew up among his many children. Augustine was not only a farmer but also a businessman, who traveled between North America and the British mainland, so according to George Washington himself, he had a thin impression of his father, and only vaguely remembered him as a "tall, fair-skinned, and kind man."
The authenticity of George Washington's childhood "Cherry Tree Incident" has been hotly debated countless times. In fact, Augustine, who died when George was 11 years old, had far less influence on the future leader of American independence than his eldest half-brother, Lawrence Washington.
Lawrence Washington, who studied in England in his early years, married the daughter of the landowner William Fairfax, and inherited his father's inheritance, became the leading figure in Virginia, and even once held the chairman of the Ohio Company, which chartered the development of 500,000 acres of land west of the Appalachian Mountains in the United Kingdom. Ten years later, Lawrence died of tuberculosis and left no direct descendants, and his wife later remarried to the Lee family, who later became known as Robert Lee during the Civil War, and George Washington, 21, inherited all of the Washington family's shares in the Ohio company.
Lithograph depicting a cotton plantation in North America. **/britannica
At this time, the Anglo-French colonial rivalry in North America was becoming increasingly intense, and the area west of the Appalachian Mountains, which was closely related to the interests of the Washington family, was one of the core areas of the overt and covert contention. In response to the French ** buying off local Indian tribes and deploying gunboats and building forts on Lake Ontario, British Virginia responded by dividing military districts and forming militia groups. George Washington obtained the position of adjutant major of the Virginia North Gorge militia regiment through various connections, and actively participated in the "Seven Years' War" between Britain and France.
Fight for the land.
Washington threw itself into the Seven Years' War and the War of Independence
Although he fought for the British Empire in the Seven Years' War and even had to pay out of his own pocket to recruit troops, Washington, a lieutenant colonel in the militia, himself was paid only fifteen shillings a month, and the actual salary was 12 shillings and six pence, while the actual monthly income of a lieutenant colonel in the British regular army was more than twenty times that of Washington (£15).
Such a disparity in wages, coupled with the title of "temporary worker," made Washington disheartened for a while. In a letter to his family, he felt sorry for himself, saying that he had lost a series of battles and perhaps had no military talent at all. However, against the backdrop of the worse performance of the British regular army, the war-hardened Washington was regarded as an "immortal" by the Governor of Virginia.
Although Washington did not bargain in the previous confrontation with the French regular army, it also curbed the harassment of a small group of Indians and a few drunken ruffians who indiscriminately put their guns indiscriminately. At the end of the Seven Years' War, Washington not only became the commander of the Virginia militia, but also reached the pinnacle of his life by marrying Martha, a wealthy widow. With Martha's 18,000 acres (and 84 slaves) on his way, Washington became one of the richest men in Virginia.
Washington's wedding to Martha. **/britannica
It seemed to Washington that with the end of the Seven Years' War, the western part of North America, controlled by the French, would open its arms to him, so Washington wrote to his landbroker and ordered: "Buy some of the most valuable lands in the King's Territory (on the banks of the Ohio River)." I believe that, although there is currently a ban on the sale and settlement of land, it may be recognized in the course of time. ”
Unfortunately, the British royal family did not want to share the spoils with colonial upstarts like Washington. In October 1763, the British issued a proclamation on the disposition of the territories acquired during the "Seven Years' War": these vast lands would be placed under the direct jurisdiction of the Crown, and in the future, the contract colonies developed by companies in the future would eventually be included in the Crown Administration, and even the Crown would have to obtain special approval for the Indians.
Since "the king regards the minister as a mustard", then don't blame "the minister regards the minister as an enemy". With the rise of anti-British movements in Boston and other places. Washington also participated in the "great righteousness" of fighting for "national independence" as a veteran of a hundred wars. Of course, before leaving for Philadelphia, Washington promised his wife that he would "do his best to avoid this job," but once in Philadelphia, he put on his proud military uniform. After being elected commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, he even more generously offered to raise 1,000 Virginian soldiers out of his own pocket to rush to Boston to fight.
When Washington took over the "Continental Army", although on the surface the overall situation of the war was in favor of the North American militia - they besieged the only strength of the British Army on the North American continent in the city of Boston - but after arriving at the front line, Washington found that his troops were ragged and disorganized, and the ammunition stock of the whole army was a total of 32 barrels of explosives, each soldier only had 9 bullets, and all the troops were only enough to fight for 10 minutes.
On the basis of the experience accumulated in the "Seven Years' War," Washington unified the Continental Army and formulated a series of rules and regulations to strictly enforce military discipline. Obviously, in the eyes of the Continental Congress elites, Washington is just a "professional manager" hired by them, and only needs to complete the "tasks" assigned to them.
Just as Washington was negotiating with the "financiers" in the rear, reinforcements from the British mainland came one after another. Washington lost a series of battles, losing Long Island in August, abandoning New York in September, Shirahara in October, and even losing the fortress "Fort Washington" that he had built in November. In view of the strength of the British army, the Continental Congress fled Philadelphia and moved to Baltimore after the adjournment. All signs seem to indicate that the end of the North American revolution is imminent.
PUBG. Washington battled wits and courage with the British army and the Continental Congress.
The winter of 1776 was unusually long and cold. In addition to the psychological burden, the Continental Army also had to endure the hardships brought about by the bitter cold. The troops were newly defeated in Pennsylvania, and everything was scarce. There were no tents, blankets, winter clothes, shoes and socks; Many of the soldiers were still wearing summer clothes and were barefoot. Typhoid fever, pneumonia, malnutrition and lack of medical care have left the sick and wounded on the brink of death. Some British newspapers even predicted that Washington and its army were about to "fall apart."
Washington himself wrote pessimistically in a letter home on December 17: "Our survival now depends entirely on the army's ability to recruit new blood quickly." If not, I think we're going to lose this war. We expected the disgruntled residents of New Jersey to hold on to faith and perseverance, but instead of resisting, they took refuge in the protection of General Howe, the commander of the British Expeditionary Force. Just as Washington was "angry" with the residents of New Jersey, an uprising was brewing that swept the area.
New Jersey, like New York, was a former Dutch colony in North America, which eventually changed hands during the Anglo-Dutch War. Located between the two largest cities in North America, New York and Philadelphia, New Jersey is not only rich in products and population, but also a transportation hub in North America. The Pennsylvania-based "Church of the Faith" and New York merchants were quite influential in the region. Therefore, although William Howe, believing that the rebellion was coming to an end, ordered his soldiers to spend the winter on December 13 and stop attacking the Continental Army, he still ordered the "Hessian mercenaries" and other troops to enter the heart of New Jersey, establish various outposts, assist the "royalists" to restore British rule, and accept all residents to renew their oath of allegiance to the British.
After the British army entered New Jersey, they began to search and plunder. The main reason why the British army went out to loot was that all the supplies of the army had to be transported across the Atlantic Ocean, and it was impossible to make ends meet. In December 1776, the British army had been fighting for four months, and most of the soldiers' uniforms and shoes were damaged, and the wounded soldiers needed to rest and recuperate, while the British army's supply lines continued to lengthen, making food supply difficult.
Out of desperation, William Howe ordered the garrisons to gather their own food and fuel for the winter in early December. As a result of this order, the British army's collection of supplies soon developed into arbitrary looting, and quickly provoked fierce resistance from the residents of New Jersey. In the midst of this tug-of-war, on December 12, the Continental Congress passed a resolution granting Washington full authority to command the war, and Washington had to give the Continental Congress the degree: "Some may say that it is too dangerous to delegate this power to someone else." I can only answer that the emergency requires the use of strong medicine. I would also like to sincerely declare that I have no desire to seek power. ”
George Washington (center) is surrounded by members of the Continental Congress.
Washington, who was in power, led his troops across the Delaware River on December 26, catching the British team by surprise. In the aftermath of the war, Washington was treated like a hero. However, from the siege of Boston all the way, Washington knew very well that compared with the British, the "Continental Congress" was not only a hill in terms of factional struggle and power struggle, but also surpassed in deducting military expenses and limiting the power of generals, so since the garrison in New York, Washington began to cultivate its own political team, and after the Battle of Princeton, it also formed its own staff team - "assistant in front of the tent".
The so-called "front account assistant" refers to the confidential secretary who handles documents for the military commander, and is equipped with generals at all levels in the British army. And Washington's "front assistants" are not only as many as many, but also have to be changed from time to time. Through this bureaucracy, which can be called the "Washington shogunate", Washington has successfully recruited a group of young talents from the New World, such as Hamilton, who served in the army in New York, and it was by becoming Washington's "former assistant" that he entered the New World**.
While cultivating power within the Continental Army, Washington was also actively engaged in the diplomatic field of the New World. On July 31, 1777, Washington recruited the Marquis de Lafayette from France with the rank of major general, officially opening the door to comprehensive military cooperation between the United States and France.
Washington's growing power has left the Continental Congress in the back like a thorn in the back. Some people create **, Washington has self-respect, but in fact it is cowardly and incompetent. It was winter, and the Continental Army was in desperate need of finding a place to stay to survive the winter in order to recuperate and recuperate. At that time, there were several towns that could be stationed for the winter, such as Yorktown, Lancaster, Carlisle and other places, the conditions were quite good, and the food and supplies of the troops were much more convenient. Once in these areas, however, the Continental Congress could confiscate Washington's military power, and Washington decided to establish a temporary winter camp in Forge Valley, 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
Valley Forge Winter Camp is portrayed in American history books today as a "melting pot of revolution," and even Mrs. Martha's frontline laborers are portrayed as positive, cheerful. In fact, Washington used this period of time beyond the reach of the Continental Congress to complete a series of diplomatic and political consolidations.
Washington at Valley Forge, oil on canvas. **/national gallery of art
Washington has fully wooed Lafayette in the army and replaced another Frenchman, Thomas Conway. Washington knew very well that at this time, the British and American armies had entered a stage of stalemate, and France, which had never been willing to swallow the bitter fruits of the "Seven Years' War," would sooner or later be involved in it.
Washington, on the other hand, took every opportunity to knock on a well-known colleague – Horatio Gates, who had just won the Battle of Saratoga. Washington first held accountable why the other side directly passed the report on the Battle of Saratoga to the Continental Congress, and then took a copy of the instrument of surrender signed by the British, accusing Gates of being too merciful and only disarming the British troops without sending them all to the prisoner of war camps.
Of course, these lawsuits could not impress the elites of the "Continental Congress," so a pamphlet entitled "General George Washington's Letter to Friends in 1776" was soon published in London, in which Washington sang the high tune of "Anglo-American goodwill" in Washington's tone, and then Washington quickly "refuted the rumors" that this was obviously a vicious fabrication. But the implication of this incident has long been in the ears of those who care - Washington in Valley Forge is not without the possibility of falling to the British army.
As a result, in December 1777, the "Conway Cabal" was officially exposed by the "Continental Congress", and the "foreign adviser" Thomas Conway tried to stir up the dissatisfaction of the conference and drive a wedge between Washington and Gates. Fortunately, Washington and Gates were united, and Conway felt that the conspiracy was about to be revealed, so he had to hang up the crown.
Disarmament turmoil. Washington's unknown political ambitions.
With the support of France, the American Revolutionary War ended with the victory of the Battle of Yorktown, commanded by Washington. But just as the Continental Army was triumphing, a political storm was quietly brewing:
In May 1782, Washington received a long, beautifully worded letter from Colonel Lewis Nicholas, who had served as commander of Fort Mifflin. In the letter, this man listed all the ills of American society at that time, and blamed the republican system for all problems. He accused a republic of being incompatible with national prosperity, and suggested a constitutional monarchy like England's.
Washington before Yorktown. Written by Rembrandt Peele, National Gallery of Art
Washington felt between the lines that Nikolai was on the "persuasion table" and wanted to put him on the throne of the king, and it also saw that Nikolai was just the spokesman of a faction, which wanted to make the army a *** foundation and establish a military ** political system. But Washington, unsure whether it was "fishing for enforcement," wrote Nikolai in a reply on May 22: "What baffles me is what I do to encourage you to make such a request to me." I believe that this request is pregnant with what could be the greatest disaster for my country. If I hadn't lacked self-knowledge, you wouldn't have found anyone who disagreed with your plan more than I did. ”
From an economic point of view, Washington's involvement in the American Revolutionary War was undoubtedly to fulfill the long-cherished wish of the family and the large Virginia landowners to expand their territory in Ohio and other places. With Britain officially recognizing the independence of the North American colonies, its borders are bounded by Canada and the Great Lakes region in the north, Florida in the south, the Atlantic coast in the east, and the Mississippi River in the west, with a total area of more than 2.3 million square kilometers, more than double the size of the early days of the Revolutionary War.
So, does Washington itself have political ambitions? The answer seems to be no. After the formal peace between Britain and the United States, on October 18, the Continental Congress decided to disband the army, and all officers and soldiers ceased to serve on November 3. Washington himself issued a "Farewell Order to the Continental Army" on November 2: "With the independence and sovereignty of our country already established, it is almost impossible to ,......describe in words the prospect of happiness that unfolds before us."In such a privileged country, whether you are engaged in business or farming, if you are diligent and diligent, you will be able to earn a prosperous livelihood. It was not until November 25 that British troops withdrew from New York City and boarded ships from the south to evacuate North America. Therefore, some people say that if Washington is really greedy for power, it can completely secretly obstruct the dissolution of the Continental Army.
After leaving the Continental Army, Washington himself spent some time in Philadelphia. Together with the Treasurer's auditor, he reconciled the accounts of income and expenditure from the beginning of the war until his retirement, and eventually found that he had paid £14,500 in advance for the Revolutionary War, including miscellaneous expenses for secret information and labor expenses. Although this incident is only a small detail, it reflects two major problems: first, Washington, the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, is not easy, because of his refusal to receive a salary, Washington has actually been "losing money and making money" in the past few years; Second, the road to the pinnacle of power is often paved with money, and the North American continent, which has just ended its Revolutionary War, has its biggest financial shortcoming.
After the end of the American Revolution, new domestic contradictions intensified. The lives of the broad masses of the people in the lower classes are poor, there is a shortage of goods, inflation, the depreciation of paper money, and the large number of taxes, and the people are struggling to make a living. Many were in debt and imprisoned. Among these poor people, there is no one more difficult than the demobilized soldiers. A veteran of the Continental Army named Daniel Shays rose up in Massachusetts and responded to the uprising of 15,000 people. They smashed the courts, burned the debt files and tax books, and opened the prisons to release poor peasants imprisoned for debt. For a time, the storm of uprisings burned all over the four northern states, and the history was known as the "Shays Uprising".
With regard to the development of the "Shays uprising", Washington has always taken a cold and onlookist attitude. Obviously, he was glad that he did not listen to the demagoguery of Lewis Nicholas and other "persuasives", otherwise he would not only be roasted on a fire when he was crowned king, but would even be bled by Jefferson and others to water the so-called "tree of freedom". However, it is indeed necessary for Washington to thank Shayce, a former veteran of the Continental Army, and it is precisely because of his revelation that the Federation has to re-attach importance to Washington and other former generals of the Continental Army. Although Washington did not win the throne, he still became the first in American history with the help of "former assistants" such as Alexander Hamilton who he trained in the Continental Army.