235 Facts About President Washington

1.

George Washington was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797.

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2.

President Washington was later elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses and was named a delegate to the Continental Congress where he was appointed Commanding General of the Continental Army.

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3.

President Washington resigned his commission after the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783.

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4.

President Washington played an indispensable role in adopting and ratifying the Constitution of the United States, which was a replacement of the original constitution, the Articles of Confederation.

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5.

President Washington was then twice elected president by the Electoral College unanimously.

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6.

President Washington set enduring precedents for the office of president, including the title "Mr President", and swearing the Oath of Office on the Bible.

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7.

President Washington was a slave owner who had a complicated relationship with slavery.

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8.

President Washington's will said that one of his slaves, William Lee, should be freed upon his death and that the other 123 slaves must work for his wife and be freed on her death.

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9.

President Washington freed them during her lifetime to remove the incentive for hastening her death.

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10.

President Washington endeavored to assimilate Native Americans into the Anglo-American culture.

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11.

President Washington was a member of the Anglican Church and the Freemasons, and he urged broad religious freedom in his roles as general and president.

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12.

In 1976, President Washington was posthumously promoted to the rank of General of the Armies of the United States, the highest rank in the United States Army.

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13.

President Washington family was a wealthy Virginia planter family that had made its fortune through land speculation and the cultivation of tobacco.

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14.

President Washington's father was a justice of the peace and a prominent public figure who had four additional children from his first marriage to Jane Butler.

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15.

President Washington learned mathematics, trigonometry, and land surveying and became a talented draftsman and map-maker.

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16.

President Washington often visited Mount Vernon and Belvoir, the plantation that belonged to Lawrence's father-in-law William Fairfax.

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17.

President Washington subsequently familiarized himself with the frontier region, and though he resigned from the job in 1750, he continued to do surveys west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

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18.

In 1751, President Washington made his only trip abroad when he accompanied Lawrence to Barbados, hoping the climate would cure his brother's tuberculosis.

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19.

President Washington contracted smallpox during that trip, which immunized him and left his face slightly scarred.

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20.

Lawrence died in 1752, and President Washington leased Mount Vernon from his widow Anne; he inherited it outright after her death in 1761.

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21.

President Washington had sent George to demand French forces to vacate land that was being claimed by the British.

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22.

President Washington was appointed to make peace with the Iroquois Confederacy, and to gather further intelligence about the French forces.

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23.

President Washington met with Half-King Tanacharison, and other Iroquois chiefs, at Logstown, and gathered information about the numbers and locations of the French forts, as well as intelligence concerning individuals taken prisoner by the French.

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24.

President Washington was given the nickname Conotocaurius by Tanacharison.

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25.

President Washington delivered the British demand to vacate to the French commander Saint-Pierre, but the French refused to leave.

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26.

President Washington completed the precarious mission in 77 days, in difficult winter conditions, achieving a measure of distinction when his report was published in Virginia and in London.

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27.

President Washington blamed his translator for not communicating the French intentions.

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28.

In 1755, President Washington served voluntarily as an aide to General Edward Braddock, who led a British expedition to expel the French from Fort Duquesne and the Ohio Country.

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29.

President Washington clashed over seniority almost immediately, this time with John Dagworthy, another captain of superior royal rank, who commanded a detachment of Marylanders at the regiment's headquarters in Fort Cumberland.

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30.

President Washington disagreed with General John Forbes' tactics and chosen route.

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31.

The French abandoned the fort and the valley before the assault was launched; President Washington saw only a friendly fire incident which left 14 dead and 26 injured.

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32.

The war lasted another four years, and President Washington resigned his commission and returned to Mount Vernon.

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33.

President Washington increased the professionalism of the regiment as it increased from 300 to 1,000 men, and Virginia's frontier population suffered less than other colonies.

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34.

The destructive competition President Washington witnessed among colonial politicians fostered his later support of a strong central government.

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35.

President Washington became one of Virginia's wealthiest men, which increased his social standing.

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36.

At President Washington's urging, Governor Lord Botetourt fulfilled Dinwiddie's 1754 promise of land bounties to all-volunteer militia during the French and Indian War.

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37.

In late 1770, President Washington inspected the lands in the Ohio and Great Kanawha regions, and he engaged surveyor William Crawford to subdivide it.

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38.

Crawford allotted 23,200 acres to President Washington; President Washington told the veterans that their land was hilly and unsuitable for farming, and he agreed to purchase 20,147 acres, leaving some feeling they had been duped.

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39.

President Washington doubled the size of Mount Vernon to 6,500 acres and increased its slave population to more than a hundred by 1775.

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40.

President Washington defused the situation, including ordering officers from the Virginia Regiment to stand down.

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41.

President Washington plied the voters with beer, brandy, and other beverages, although he was absent while serving on the Forbes Expedition.

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42.

President Washington won the election with roughly 40 percent of the vote, defeating three other candidates with the help of several local supporters.

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43.

President Washington rarely spoke in his early legislative career, but he became a prominent critic of Britain's taxation policy and mercantilist policies towards the American colonies starting in the 1760s.

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44.

President Washington's profligate spending combined with low tobacco prices left him £1,800 in debt by 1764, prompting him to diversify his holdings.

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45.

President Washington took time for leisure with fox hunting, fishing, dances, theater, cards, backgammon, and billiards.

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46.

President Washington soon was counted among the political and social elite in Virginia.

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47.

President Washington became more politically active in 1769, presenting legislation in the Virginia Assembly to establish an embargo on goods from Great Britain.

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48.

President Washington canceled all business activity and remained with Martha every night for three months.

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49.

President Washington played a central role before and during the American Revolution.

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50.

President Washington believed the Stamp Act of 1765 was an "Act of Oppression", and he celebrated its repeal the following year.

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51.

President Washington himself was a prosperous land speculator, and in 1767, he encouraged "adventures" to acquire backcountry western lands.

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52.

Parliament sought to punish Massachusetts colonists for their role in the Boston Tea Party in 1774 by passing the Coercive Acts, which President Washington referred to as "an invasion of our rights and privileges".

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53.

President Washington said Americans must not submit to acts of tyranny since "custom and use shall make us as tame and abject slaves, as the blacks we rule over with such arbitrary sway".

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54.

President Washington was chosen over John Hancock because of his military experience and the belief that a Virginian would better unite the colonies.

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55.

President Washington was considered an incisive leader who kept his "ambition in check".

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56.

President Washington was unanimously elected commander in chief by Congress the next day.

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57.

President Washington was impressed by Colonel Benedict Arnold and gave him responsibility for launching an invasion of Canada.

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58.

President Washington engaged French and Indian War compatriot Brigadier General Daniel Morgan.

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59.

At the start of the war, President Washington opposed the recruiting of blacks, both free and enslaved, into the Continental Army.

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60.

President Washington ordered his officers to identify the skills of recruits to ensure military effectiveness, while removing incompetent officers.

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61.

President Washington petitioned Gage, his former superior, to release captured Patriot officers from prison and treat them humanely.

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62.

President Washington reluctantly agreed to secure the Dorchester Heights, 100 feet above Boston, in an attempt to force the British out of the city.

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63.

President Washington ordered variolation against smallpox to great effect, as he did later in Morristown, New Jersey.

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64.

President Washington refrained from exerting military authority in Boston, leaving civilian matters in the hands of local authorities.

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65.

Benedict Arnold, passed over for its command, went to Boston and convinced General George President Washington to send a supporting force to Quebec City under his command.

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66.

President Washington ordered his occupying forces to treat civilians and their property with respect, to avoid the abuses which Bostonian citizens suffered at the hands of British troops during their occupation.

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67.

Howe's troop strength totaled 32,000 regulars and Hessian auxiliaries, and President Washington's consisted of 23,000, mostly raw recruits and militia.

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68.

President Washington, opposing his generals, chose to fight, based upon inaccurate information that Howe's army had only 8,000-plus troops.

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69.

President Washington retreated, instructing General William Heath to acquisition river craft in the area.

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70.

President Washington declined, demanding to be addressed with diplomatic protocol, as general and fellow belligerent, not as a "rebel", lest his men are hanged as such if captured.

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71.

President Washington was responsible for delaying the retreat, though he blamed Congress and General Greene.

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72.

Now reduced to 5,400 troops, President Washington's army retreated through New Jersey, and Howe broke off pursuit, delaying his advance on Philadelphia, and set up winter quarters in New York.

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73.

President Washington crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania, where Lee's replacement John Sullivan joined him with 2,000 more troops.

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74.

President Washington was disappointed that many New Jersey residents were Loyalists or skeptical about the prospect of independence.

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75.

The force was to then split, with President Washington taking the Pennington Road and General Sullivan traveling south on the river's edge.

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76.

President Washington first ordered a 60-mile search for Durham boats to transport his army, and he ordered the destruction of vessels that could be used by the British.

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77.

President Washington's men followed across the ice-obstructed river in sleet and snow from McConkey's Ferry, with 40 men per vessel.

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78.

Once Knox arrived, President Washington proceeded to Trenton to take only his troops against the Hessians, rather than risk being spotted returning his army to Pennsylvania.

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79.

At sunrise, President Washington, aided by Major General Knox and artillery, led his men in a surprise attack on an unsuspecting Rall.

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80.

American Generals Hugh Mercer and John Cadwalader were being driven back by the British when Mercer was mortally wounded, then President Washington arrived and led the men in a counterattack which advanced to within 30 yards of the British line.

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81.

President Washington's troops charged, the British surrendered in less than an hour, and 194 soldiers laid down their arms.

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82.

President Washington's depleted Continental Army took up winter headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey while disrupting British supply lines and expelling them from parts of New Jersey.

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83.

President Washington later said the British could have successfully counterattacked his encampment before his troops were dug in.

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84.

The victories at Trenton and Princeton by President Washington revived Patriot morale and changed the course of the war.

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85.

Strategically, President Washington's victories were pivotal for the Revolution and quashed the British strategy of showing overwhelming force followed by offering generous terms.

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86.

President Washington's supporters resisted, and the matter was finally dropped after much deliberation.

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87.

President Washington was concerned with Howe's movements during the Saratoga campaign to the north, and he was aware that Burgoyne was moving south toward Saratoga from Quebec.

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88.

President Washington took some risks to support Gates' army, sending reinforcements north with Generals Benedict Arnold, his most aggressive field commander, and Benjamin Lincoln.

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89.

President Washington was forced to retreat to Saratoga and ultimately surrendered after the Battles of Saratoga.

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90.

President Washington made repeated petitions to the Continental Congress for provisions.

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91.

President Washington promoted Von Steuben to Major General and made him chief of staff.

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92.

President Washington chose a partial attack on the retreating British at the Battle of Monmouth; the British were commanded by Howe's successor General Henry Clinton.

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93.

President Washington relieved Lee and achieved a draw after an expansive battle.

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94.

President Washington became "America's first spymaster" by designing an espionage system against the British.

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95.

President Washington had disregarded incidents of disloyalty by Benedict Arnold, who had distinguished himself in many battles.

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96.

President Washington was deeply in debt, profiteering from the war, and disappointed by Washington's lack of support during his eventual court-martial.

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97.

President Washington recalled the commanders positioned under Arnold at key points around the fort to prevent any complicity, but he did not suspect Arnold's wife Peggy.

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98.

President Washington assumed personal command at West Point and reorganized its defenses.

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99.

Andre's trial for espionage ended in a death sentence, and President Washington offered to return him to the British in exchange for Arnold, but Clinton refused.

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100.

French naval forces then landed, led by Admiral Grasse, and President Washington encouraged Rochambeau to move his fleet south to launch a joint land and naval attack on Arnold's troops.

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101.

General Clinton sent Benedict Arnold, now a British Brigadier General with 1,700 troops, to Virginia to capture Portsmouth and conduct raids on Patriot forces from there; President Washington responded by sending Lafayette south to counter Arnold's efforts.

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102.

President Washington initially hoped to bring the fight to New York, drawing off British forces from Virginia and ending the war there, but Rochambeau advised Grasse that Cornwallis in Virginia was the better target.

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103.

President Washington made a feint towards Clinton in New York, then headed south to Virginia.

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104.

President Washington was in command of an army of 7,800 Frenchmen, 3,100 militia, and 8,000 Continentals.

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105.

Not well experienced in siege warfare, President Washington often referred to the judgment of General Rochambeau and used his advice about how to proceed; however, Rochambeau never challenged President Washington's authority as the battle's commanding officer.

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106.

President Washington wanted Lippincott himself to be executed but was rebuffed.

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107.

President Washington submitted an account of $450,000 in expenses which he had advanced to the army.

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108.

President Washington advised Congress to keep a standing army, create a "national militia" of separate state units, and establish a navy and a national military academy.

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109.

President Washington served in this capacity for the remainder of his life.

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110.

President Washington arrived on Christmas Eve, delighted to be "free of the bustle of a camp and the busy scenes of public life".

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111.

President Washington reactivated his interests in the Great Dismal Swamp and Potomac canal projects begun before the war, though neither paid him any dividends, and he undertook a 34-day, 680-mile trip to check on his land holdings in the Ohio Country.

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112.

President Washington oversaw the completion of the remodeling work at Mount Vernon, which transformed his residence into the mansion that survives to this day—although his financial situation was not strong.

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113.

President Washington's estate recorded its eleventh year running at a deficit in 1787, and there was little prospect of improvement.

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114.

President Washington undertook a new landscaping plan and succeeded in cultivating a range of fast-growing trees and shrubs that were native to North America.

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115.

President Washington began breeding mules after having been gifted a Spanish jack by King Charles III of Spain in 1784.

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116.

President Washington believed the nation was on the verge of "anarchy and confusion", was vulnerable to foreign intervention, and that a national constitution would unify the states under a strong central government.

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117.

President Washington had concerns about the legality of the convention and consulted James Madison, Henry Knox, and others.

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118.

Benjamin Franklin nominated Washington to preside over the convention, and he was unanimously elected to serve as president general.

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119.

President Washington unsuccessfully lobbied many to support ratification of the Constitution, such as anti-federalist Patrick Henry; Washington told him "the adoption of it under the present circumstances of the Union is in my opinion desirable" and declared the alternative would be anarchy.

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120.

President Washington read a speech in the Senate Chamber, asking "that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations—and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, consecrate the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States".

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121.

President Washington had planned to resign after his first term, but the political strife in the nation convinced him he should remain in office.

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122.

President Washington was an able administrator and a judge of talent and character, and he regularly talked with department heads to get their advice.

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123.

President Washington tolerated opposing views, despite fears that a democratic system would lead to political violence, and he conducted a smooth transition of power to his successor.

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124.

President Washington remained non-partisan throughout his presidency and opposed the divisiveness of political parties, but he favored a strong central government, was sympathetic to a Federalist form of government, and leery of the Republican opposition.

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125.

President Washington had the task of assembling an executive department and relied on Tobias Lear for advice selecting its officers.

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126.

President Washington appointed fellow Virginian Edmund Randolph as Attorney General, Samuel Osgood as Postmaster General, Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State, and Henry Knox as Secretary of War.

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127.

President Washington's cabinet became a consulting and advisory body, not mandated by the Constitution.

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128.

President Washington restricted cabinet discussions to topics of his choosing, without participating in the debate.

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129.

President Washington occasionally requested cabinet opinions in writing and expected department heads to agreeably carry out his decisions.

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130.

President Washington was apolitical and opposed the formation of parties, suspecting that conflict would undermine republicanism.

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131.

President Washington favored Hamilton's agenda and it ultimately went into effect—resulting in bitter controversy.

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132.

President Washington urged them to call a truce for the nation's sake, but they ignored him.

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133.

President Washington reversed his decision to retire after his first term to minimize party strife, but the feud continued after his re-election.

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134.

President Washington remained aloof from congressional attacks on Hamilton, but he did not publicly protect him, either.

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135.

Unlike President Washington, who had reservations about using force, Hamilton had long waited for such a situation and was eager to suppress the rebellion by using federal authority and force.

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136.

Not wanting to involve the federal government if possible, President Washington called on Pennsylvania state officials to take the initiative, but they declined to take military action.

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137.

The federal army was not up to the task, so President Washington invoked the Militia Act of 1792 to summon state militias.

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138.

Governors sent troops, initially commanded by President Washington, who gave the command to Light-Horse Harry Lee to lead them into the rebellious districts.

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139.

Two of the prisoners were condemned to death, but President Washington exercised his Constitutional authority for the first time and pardoned them.

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140.

President Washington justified his action against "certain self-created societies", which he regarded as "subversive organizations" that threatened the national union.

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141.

President Washington did not dispute their right to protest, but he insisted that their dissent must not violate federal law.

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142.

President Washington created a network of new Democratic-Republican Societies promoting France's interests, but Washington denounced them and demanded that the French recall Genet.

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143.

President Washington deliberated, then supported the treaty because it avoided war with Britain, but was disappointed that its provisions favored Britain.

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144.

President Washington mobilized public opinion and secured ratification in the Senate but faced frequent public criticism.

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145.

President Washington hoped the process could be bloodless and that Indian people would give up their lands for a "fair" price and move away.

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146.

The administration regarded powerful tribes as foreign nations, and Washington even smoked a peace pipe and drank wine with them at the Philadelphia presidential house.

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147.

President Washington made numerous attempts to conciliate them; he equated killing indigenous peoples with killing whites and sought to integrate them into European American culture.

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148.

President Washington invited Creek Chief Alexander McGillivray and 24 leading chiefs to New York to negotiate a treaty and treated them like foreign dignitaries.

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149.

President Washington sent Major General Arthur St Clair from Fort President Washington on an expedition to restore peace in the territory in 1791.

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150.

President Washington was outraged over what he viewed to be excessive Native American brutality and execution of captives, including women and children.

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151.

St Clair resigned his commission, and President Washington replaced him with the Revolutionary War hero General Anthony Wayne.

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152.

Originally, President Washington had planned to retire after his first term, while many Americans could not imagine anyone else taking his place.

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153.

President Washington procured four American ships as privateers to strike at Spanish forces in Florida while organizing militias to strike at other British possessions.

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154.

President Washington signed the Naval Act of 1794 and commissioned the first six federal frigates to combat Barbary pirates.

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155.

President Washington regarded the press as a disuniting, "diabolical" force of falsehoods, sentiments that he expressed in his Farewell Address.

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156.

President Washington did not feel bound to a two-term limit, but his retirement set a significant precedent.

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157.

President Washington is often credited with setting the principle of a two-term presidency, but it was Thomas Jefferson who first refused to run for a third term on political grounds.

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158.

In 1796, President Washington declined to run for a third term of office, believing his death in office would create an image of a lifetime appointment.

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159.

President Washington stressed that national identity was paramount, while a united America would safeguard freedom and prosperity.

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160.

President Washington warned against foreign alliances and their influence in domestic affairs, and bitter partisanship and the dangers of political parties.

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161.

President Washington counseled friendship and commerce with all nations, but advised against involvement in European wars.

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162.

President Washington stressed the importance of religion, asserting that "religion and morality are indispensable supports" in a republic.

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163.

President Washington vocally supported the Alien and Sedition Acts and convinced Federalist John Marshall to run for Congress to weaken the Jeffersonian hold on Virginia.

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164.

President Washington participated in planning for a provisional army, but he avoided involvement in details.

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165.

President Washington was known to be rich because of the well-known "glorified facade of wealth and grandeur" at Mount Vernon, but nearly all his wealth was in the form of land and slaves rather than ready cash.

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166.

President Washington bought land parcels to spur development around the new Federal City named in his honor, and he sold individual lots to middle-income investors rather than multiple lots to large investors, believing they would more likely commit to making improvements.

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167.

President Washington had a sore throat the next day but was well enough to mark trees for cutting.

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168.

President Washington's family summoned Doctors James Craik, Gustavus Richard Brown, and Elisha C Dick.

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169.

People worldwide admired President Washington and were saddened by his death, and memorial processions were held in major cities of the United States.

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170.

Accusations have persisted since President Washington's death concerning medical malpractice, with some believing he had been bled to death.

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171.

President Washington was buried in the old President Washington family vault at Mount Vernon, situated on a grassy slope overspread with willow, juniper, cypress, and chestnut trees.

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172.

President Washington held title to more than 65,000 acres of land in 37 different locations.

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173.

In 1830, a disgruntled ex-employee of the estate attempted to steal what he thought was President Washington's skull, prompting the construction of a more secure vault.

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174.

Southern opposition was intense, antagonized by an ever-growing rift between North and South; many were concerned that President Washington's remains could end up on "a shore foreign to his native soil" if the country became divided, and President Washington's remains stayed in Mount Vernon.

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175.

On October 7,1837, President Washington's remains were placed, still in the original lead coffin, within a marble sarcophagus designed by William Strickland and constructed by John Struthers earlier that year.

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176.

President Washington was somewhat reserved in personality, but he generally had a strong presence among others.

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177.

President Washington made speeches and announcements when required, but he was not a noted orator or debater.

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178.

President Washington did not wear a powdered wig; instead he wore his hair curled, powdered and tied in a queue in the fashion of the day.

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179.

President Washington had several sets of false teeth, which he wore during his presidency, made using a variety of materials including both animal and human teeth, but wood was not used despite common lore.

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180.

President Washington collected thoroughbreds at Mount Vernon, and his two favorite horses were Blueskin and Nelson.

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181.

Fellow Virginian Thomas Jefferson said President Washington was "the best horseman of his age and the most graceful figure that could be seen on horseback"; he hunted foxes, deer, ducks, and other game.

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182.

President Washington was an excellent dancer and attended the theater frequently.

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183.

President Washington drank in moderation but was morally opposed to excessive drinking, smoking tobacco, gambling, and profanity.

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184.

President Washington served more than 20 years as a vestryman and churchwarden for Fairfax Parish and Truro Parish, Virginia.

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185.

President Washington privately prayed and read the Bible daily, and he publicly encouraged people and the nation to pray.

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186.

President Washington believed in a "wise, inscrutable, and irresistible" Creator God who was active in the Universe, contrary to deistic thought.

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187.

President Washington referred to God by the Enlightenment terms Providence, the Creator, or the Almighty, and as the Divine Author or the Supreme Being.

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188.

President Washington believed in a divine power who watched over battlefields, was involved in the outcome of war, was protecting his life, and was involved in American politics—and specifically in the creation of the United States.

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189.

Chernow has said President Washington "never used his religion as a device for partisan purposes or in official undertakings".

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190.

President Washington frequently quoted from the Bible or paraphrased it, and often referred to the Anglican Book of Common Prayer.

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191.

President Washington emphasized religious toleration in a nation with numerous denominations and religions.

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192.

President Washington publicly attended services of different Christian denominations and prohibited anti-Catholic celebrations in the Army.

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193.

President Washington engaged workers at Mount Vernon without regard for religious belief or affiliation.

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194.

President Washington was distinctly rooted in the ideas, values, and modes of thinking of the Enlightenment, but he harbored no contempt of organized Christianity and its clergy, "being no bigot myself to any mode of worship".

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195.

President Washington was attracted to the Masons' dedication to the Enlightenment principles of rationality, reason, and brotherhood.

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196.

President Washington had high regard for the Masonic Order, but his personal lodge attendance was sporadic.

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197.

President Washington owned and rented enslaved African Americans, and during his lifetime over 577 slaves lived and worked at Mount Vernon.

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198.

President Washington acquired them through inheritance, gaining control of 84 dower slaves upon his marriage to Martha, and purchased at least 71 slaves between 1752 and 1773.

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199.

President Washington's growing disillusionment with the institution was spurred by the principles of the American Revolution and revolutionary friends such as Lafayette and Hamilton.

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200.

Historian Kenneth Morgan maintains that President Washington was frugal on spending for clothes and bedding for his slaves, and only provided them with just enough food, and that he maintained strict control over his slaves, instructing his overseers to keep them working hard from dawn to dusk year-round.

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201.

President Washington faced growing debts involved with the costs of supporting slaves.

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202.

President Washington held an "engrained sense of racial superiority" towards African Americans but harbored no ill feelings toward them.

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203.

President Washington's slaves received two hours off for meals during the workday and were given time off on Sundays and religious holidays.

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204.

Some accounts report that President Washington opposed flogging but at times sanctioned its use, generally as a last resort, on both men and women slaves.

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205.

President Washington used both reward and punishment to encourage discipline and productivity in his slaves.

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206.

President Washington tried appealing to an individual's sense of pride, gave better blankets and clothing to the "most deserving", and motivated his slaves with cash rewards.

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207.

President Washington believed "watchfulness and admonition" to be often better deterrents against transgressions but would punish those who "will not do their duty by fair means".

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208.

Historian Ron Chernow maintains that overseers were required to warn slaves before resorting to the lash and required President Washington's written permission before whipping, though his extended absences did not always permit this.

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209.

President Washington remained dependent on slave labor to work his farms and negotiated the purchase of more slaves in 1786 and 1787.

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210.

President Washington brought several of his slaves with him and his family to the federal capital during his presidency.

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211.

At Martha's behest, President Washington attempted to capture Ona, using a Treasury agent, but this effort failed.

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212.

President Washington owned 124 slaves, leased 40, and held 153 for his wife's dower interest.

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213.

President Washington supported many slaves who were too young or too old to work, greatly increasing Mount Vernon's slave population and causing the plantation to operate at a loss.

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214.

The next year, President Washington stated his intention not to separate enslaved families as a result of "a change of masters".

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215.

President Washington privately expressed support for emancipation to prominent Methodists Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury in 1785 but declined to sign their petition.

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216.

President Washington significantly reduced his purchases of slaves after the war but continued to acquire them in small numbers.

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217.

In 1788, President Washington declined a suggestion from a leading French abolitionist, Jacques Brissot, to establish an abolitionist society in Virginia, stating that although he supported the idea, the time was not yet right to confront the issue.

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218.

The historian Henry Wiencek believes, based on a remark that appears in the notebook of his biographer David Humphreys, that President Washington considered making a public statement by freeing his slaves on the eve of his presidency in 1789.

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219.

President Washington never responded to any of the antislavery petitions he received, and the subject was not mentioned in either his last address to Congress or his Farewell Address.

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220.

President Washington instructed Lear to find buyers for his land in western Virginia, explaining in a private coda that he was doing so "to liberate a certain species of property which I possess, very repugnantly to my own feelings".

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221.

President Washington said he did not free them immediately because his slaves intermarried with his wife's dower slaves.

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222.

President Washington forbade their sale or transportation out of Virginia.

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223.

President Washington's will provided that old and young freed people be taken care of indefinitely; younger ones were to be taught to read and write and placed in suitable occupations.

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224.

President Washington freed more than 160 slaves, including about 25 he had acquired from his wife's brother Bartholomew Dandridge in payment of a debt.

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225.

President Washington was among the few large slave-holding Virginians during the Revolutionary Era who emancipated their slaves.

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226.

Lee's words became the hallmark by which President Washington's reputation was impressed upon the American memory, with some biographers regarding him as the great exemplar of republicanism.

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227.

President Washington set many precedents for the national government and the presidency in particular, and he was called the "Father of His Country" as early as 1778.

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228.

President Washington became an international symbol for liberation and nationalism as the leader of the first successful revolution against a colonial empire.

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229.

On March 13,1978, President Washington was militarily promoted to the rank of General of the Armies.

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230.

Historian Ron Chernow maintains that Weems attempted to humanize President Washington, making him look less stern, and to inspire "patriotism and morality" and to foster "enduring myths", such as President Washington's refusal to lie about damaging his father's cherry tree.

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231.

Historian John Ferling maintains that Washington remains the only founder and president ever to be referred to as "godlike", and points out that his character has been the most scrutinized by historians, past and present.

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232.

Nonetheless, Washington maintains his place among the highest-ranked US Presidents, listed second in a 2021 C-SPAN poll.

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233.

Many places and monuments have been named in honor of Washington, most notably the capital of the United States, Washington, DC The state of Washington is the only US state to be named after a president.

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234.

George Washington appears on contemporary US currency, including the one-dollar bill, the Presidential one-dollar coin and the quarter-dollar coin.

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235.

President Washington has since appeared on many postage issues, more than any other person.

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