George Washington Dbq Essay

George Washington led the continental army during the American Revolution in a remarkable win against the British. His excellent work in the war would lead him to become the first president of the United States of America. Washington began his military career during the French and Indian war and didn’t do a great job; his first mission was a complete embarrassment. Washington really came to light during the American Revolution, he was selected to lead the continental army. Washington and his men would define all odds and defeat the British. After the war ended he was selected to be the first president of America's new government. During his presidency Washington would create precedents that future presidents will follow for years to come. Washington

The first example of Washington's success as president is source C, the political cartoon shows both Great Britain and France asking for the United States' help in their war against each other. However Washington made the tough decision on staying neutral in the French and British conflict. This may seem like a simple decision, but it was the complete opposite. Washington had a lot of pressure to choose a side to support because many American citizens wanted to help the French and many wanted to help the British. Additional pressure came from his cabinet of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton who had strong opinions on this topic. Hamilton wanted to help the British, while Jefferson wanted to help the French. So if Washington decided to help either county it would have resulted in outrage. Therefore he thought it would be best to stay neutral in this European conflict. Another example of Washington's success as president in source D, the video talks about the actions Wahsington took at the end of his political career to set up future presidents for success. One of his tips was, “ political parties are bad”. Washington warned that if political parties continue to grow and gain popularity the country will begin to split apart and become divided because each political party has very different viewpoints on different topics. For example what the economy will be based on and what countries America should create alliances with. A second tip was, “ steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world”. He was worried that these alliances will create enemies for the United States that they do not need. Since they are a fairly new country with a weak army and navy. Both of the sources above indicate that Washington did not crack under pressure and did what was best for his country at all times. As one can see Washinghtons success as a political