I have a Bachelor of Science degree in history. I have a Master’s degree in history. I have a Master’s degree in Social Studies Education. I taught American History for thirty-six years at Mitchell High School as well as taught American history for Dakota Wesleyan University and the University of South Dakota as an adjunct professor. I’ve read widely in the subject, especially presidential history.
Clearly, George Washington is the greatest American. He had his personal blemishes, for example he owned slaves and had a terrible temper, but every human has their flaws. He took command of a rag tag group of amateur soldiers, more at home in the fields or in their shops and made them an army that defeated the greatest military force on the planet at that time – the British. Washington wrote the book on guerilla insurrections; harass the enemy, live off the land, blend in with the civilian population, try to avoid taking on a superior force face-to-face and never ever give up. General Washington’s win/loss record was 3-9-1. If he were a coach in the NFL, he’d have been fired. Indeed, the Congress thought about replacing him. Benedict Arnold had more success than Washington militarily, at least until his leg was grievously wounded and he turned traitor. Horatio Gates turned the tide of war in America’s favor and that led to the French alliance which was crucial to winning the war. Nathaniel Greene was a better general and in fact, Washington designated Greene as Washington’s successor should George be killed or captured during the war. Washington’s great asset was his character. He knew what had to be done. He knew how to keep men motivated and how to share their hardships and lead by example. Washington knew the power of the press, public opinion and propaganda. He used all three to keep the revolution going for eight long years until final victory. At the end, after being offered full executive power either as a king or a dictator for life, he gave up his commission and went back home to Mount Vernon, Virginia.
As the first president, Washington’s great achievement was being the first. Setting the example, being the template for future presidents to follow (the two-term tradition as an example) is what we remember about President Washington. George Washington was the necessary president but not a great one. He is, however, the greatest American ever.
Abraham Lincoln is the greatest president, but he had greatness thrust upon him. A one term Congressman from the Whig Party in the 1840’s, Lincoln had spent the past twenty years as primarily a corporate lawyer for the railroad getting rich in the process. The railroad was not his only client of course but today Lincoln would have been branded as a tool of the special interests and as “woke” because of his views on slavery. It was because he was a moderate on abolition (Lincoln did not advocate the end of slavery only a restriction on its expansion) that he was nominated by the relatively new Republican Party for President in 1860 (the Republican Party came into existence in 1856 with former General and one time Senator from California John C. Fremont as its first presidential nominee).
Abraham Lincoln, the Republican nominee, ran in a four-way race for president. He faced fellow Illinoisan Senator Stephen Douglas as the Northern Democrat nominee, sitting Vice President John Breckinridge as the Southern Democrat nominee and John Bell as the Constitutional Party nominee. The other three candidates split the vote and Lincoln was elected president. At that time, while elections were held in November, as they are now, presidents were inaugurated on March 4th. After Lincoln was elected but before he took the oath of office, the southern states began to secede from the Union one by one.
In his inaugural address Lincoln said, “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.” Lincoln assured the South that he was not going to abolish slavery. He was merely not going to allow it to extend into future new territories. They went to war.
During the war there were peace feelers and proposals, all either objectionable to the North or rejected by the South. The Emancipation Proclamation was just such a proposal. If it would have worked, it would not have freed anyone, but it would have ended the war. The Proclamation was issued in September of 1862 and said if a State was still in rebellion on January 1, 1863, their slaves would be freed. The Proclamation was very specific. If a rebellious state came back to the Union prior to January 1, 1863 all would be forgiven and individuals could keep their slaves and the institution of slavery.
There were already slave states in the Union; West Virginia (which broke off from Virginia during the war), Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland and Missouri. The Proclamation did not pertain to them. The Proclamation only freed people who were already slaves in still rebellious states. It did not outlaw slavery itself. That was done with the 13th Amendment, initiated by Lincoln but ratified after he was assassinated.
Lincoln initially wanted to send any freed slaves back to Africa and during the Civil War suggested relocating them to Panama instead of Africa. Eventually it was the savagery of the war, the incalcitrant attitude of the South and finally the brave service of 170,000 Black men in the Union Army (of whom 68,000 died) that convinced Lincoln to end slavery once and for all.
It is because of the leadership of George Washington we became a country. In addition to his Revolutionary War exploits and before he became president, Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention and helped guide the delegates to form the governmental system we have today. It is because of Abraham Lincoln we remained a country and lived up to the values expressed by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. It is right and proper we set aside a day in February to honor their births; George Washington born February 22, 1732, and Abraham Lincoln born February 12, 1809. We honor their lives, their service and acknowledge our collective debt as a nation to these men; one the greatest American and the other our greatest president.