William Morrow Press
384 Pages
In the course of reading about George Washington’s life, I’ve noticed that there has been relatively little written about his life between the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783 and the beginning of his presidency in 1789. The Return of George Washington by Edward J. Larson attempts to rectify that omission. This book focuses mostly on Washington’s life from 1783 until 1789.
After being one of the most famous people in the world while leading a colonial army against the might of the British Empire, Washington retired to relative obscurity to Mount Vernon. For most of us, obscurity is not what we would call the endless visitors that called on him at his estate. Washington had supposed that this would be his final retirement, taking care of his beloved Mount Vernon with his devoted Martha at his side. Reality soon showed him otherwise.
The new country was foundering under the weak first constitution of the United States, the Articles of Confederation. The weakened central government under this document could not raise money to pay off debt or to improve the nation. Indeed, the states were beginning to splinter off from any centralized government, becoming, in essence, their own, small countries. In order to save the new United States, something had to be done. A Constitutional Convention was called, although it was doubtful if changes could be made in time. George Washington might be their only hope.
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison called for the hero of the Revolution to join them in Philadelphia as they fought to preserve the shaky union. In the summer of 1787, Washington was part of the group that helped to shape a new constitution. While many other historians have focused on other members of the convention, Larson takes the time to uncover George Washington’s actions during the proceedings. While most people gloss over this era as a time that Washington reluctantly comes out of retirement to be the savior of the country, the truth is more complicated than that.
Without a strong government to protect Washington’s interests in lands he had set aside for himself in the west, he would lose his investments. His time as a surveyor rewarded him with prime lands in the wilds of the continental interior. However, squatters, not realizing the land was owned since no one else was nearby, simply settled on some of Washington’s lands. Without a stronger government, there was no power to resolve these incidents in his favor. This was a part of the reasoning for Washington returning to public life after retirement that has been overlooked. Obviously, it was not the only reason, but it did play a part. Part of his personality was duty and loyalty. He felt both for the country that he had helped fight for. It was just an indelible part of him. But don’t think he didn’t do it for the fiscal rewards it meant for him, either.
In The Return of George Washington, Edward J. Larson takes us back in time to the years between the end of the American Revolution and the start of George Washington’s first term as president. There are probably many of us who don’t realize that Washington wasn’t president right away, and that there was a six year gap to be filled. Larson begins to fill in that gap with adroit writing that will not deter the casual reader. I felt this book was a great addition to the reading project. It filled in some of the years that were weaker in other biographies.
Craig Bacon is knocking down this pile of books on George Washington. He’s farther along than the reviews would indicate.
NEXT UP: Franklin and Washington: The Founding Partnership by Edward J. Larson