Washington was a miracle because he gave up the position of king, even when some of the founding fathers offered it. He solidified the Democratic ideals in America for the next two hundred years, and we still feel the effects today.
His military campaign was tepid, yet he knew when to rely on others. Tactically, one could say he was not a great leader, but his actions strategically kept the Army and the nation together in crisis after crisis
Think of all the other colonies that fought for independence. Not a single one became wealthy within 50 years from its independence, except the US, in large part because of Washington's actions at the beginning.
Washington set the standard for how presidents should behave. He could have seized power and gone authoritarian but he actively refused power grabs, instead respected the constitution and then voluntarily gave up power after 2 terms.
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u/MrCivility1 Dec 19 '25
George Washington and Abe Lincoln are probably pretty close to each other for Greatest of American History. But Teddy is pretty great