The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon

by John Ferling

Overview

Perhaps the most revered American of all, George Washington has long been considered a stoic leader who held himself above the fray of political infighting. What has gone unnoticed about the much-researched life of Washington is that he was in fact a consummate politician, as historian John Ferling shows in this revealing and provocative new book. As leader of the Continental Army, Washington's keen political savvy enabled him not only to outwit superior British forces, but--even more challenging--to manage the fractious and intrusive Continental Congress. Despite dire setbacks early in the war, Washington deftly outmaneuvered rival generals and defused dissent from officers below him, ending the war with the status of a national icon. His carefully burnished reputation allowed Washington, as president, to lead the country under the guise of non-partisanship for almost all of his eight years in office. Washington, Ferling argues, was not only one of America's most adroit politicians, he was easily the most successful of all time--so successful, in fact, that he is no longer thought of as having been political.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608191826
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	07/01/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	464
Sales rank:	437,022
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

John Ferling is Professor Emeritus of History at the State University of West Georgia. A leading authority on American Revolutionary history, he has appeared in many documentaries and has written numerous books, including Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War for Independence, Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, The First of Men: A Life of George Washington, Setting the World Ablaze: Washington, Adams, and Jefferson in the American Revolution, and the award-winning A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic.
John Ferling is professor emeritus of history at the University of West Georgia. He is the author of many books on the American Revolution, including The Ascent of George Washington; Almost a Miracle; A Leap in the Dark; Whirlwind, a finalist for the 2015 Kirkus Book Prize; and, most recently, Apostles of Revolution: Jefferson, Paine, Monroe, and the Struggle Against the Old Order in America and Europe. He and his wife, Carol, live near Atlanta.

JOHN FERLING, Professor of History at West Georgia College, is writing a biography of John Adams. He is the author of The Loyalist Mind (1977), A Wilderness of Miseries: War and Warriors in Early America (1981), and The First of Men: A Life of George Washington (1988).

Table of Contents

Preface xvii

Introduction: The Founding Father Who Wielded Power Without Ambition 1

Part 1 Rise from Obscurity

1 Soldier for Virginia: An Introduction to Politics 9

2 The Burgess: George Washington, Virginia Politician 46

Part 2 American Hero

3 The Crucial First Year: Boston, 1775-1776 83

4 The War in 1776-1777: In the Depths of Despair 104

5 The Untouchable: General Washington's Great Crisis 140

6 Victory and Glory 182

Part 3 First in the Hearts of His Countrymen

7 Washington and the Politics of Intrigue: To the End of the War 221

8 Soaring to the Pinnacle 245

9 President of the United States: The First Term, 1789-1792 278

10 Endless Crises: Washington's Second Term, 1793-1797 308

11 The Sand Runs Out 351

Reckoning 367

Select Bibliography 375

Abbreviations 379

Notes 383

Index 425

Maps

Washington's Virginia and Western Country ix

Boston and Vicinity x

New York and Connecticut xi

Manhattan Island to Harlem Heights xii

Washington's Retreat Across New Jersey xiii

New Jersey and Pennsylvania xiv

Siege of Yorktown xv

Editorial Reviews

Ferling (history, emeritus, Univ. of West Georgia; Almost a Miracle) attempts to shed new light on the myth that George Washington was above partisan politics, instead showing that Washington was not only very partisan but probably one of America's best politicians. In fact, Ferling argues, he was so skilled at portraying himself as the impartial "father of the country" that most historians have overlooked his political savvy. Ferling seeks to remedy the situation with this "political biography." He traces Washington's evolution from a self-serving and insecure young man driven by a quest for recognition and wealth into a seasoned political veteran who could maneuver, cajole, and cut backroom deals as adroitly as any modern politician. One example is his handling of the Hamilton-Jefferson battles over the country's economic structure. Although Washington showed sympathy toward both sides and urged conciliation, it becomes clear by studying his behavior and writings at the time that he supported Hamilton's vision of a strong central government. Ferling has done his research and offers some new insights, but ultimately most of the history he presents is familiar. Recommended for readers interested in taking a fresh look at Washington's political life.
—Robert Flatley

Library Journal

Historian Ferling (Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence, 2007, etc.) unveils the canny politician behind America's first president. In a revisionist view, the author argues that Washington, generally thought of as a selfless Olympian figure who was above politics, was actually "a master of political infighting . . . one of the very best politicians in American history." Reminding readers of the president's godlike status at his death in 1799-people wore black armbands for 30 days-Ferling examines the career of this soldier, legislator and president, finding him burned with ambition for renown and success from an early age. Born with a meager inheritance and determined to enter the planter aristocracy, Washington kowtowed to the rich and powerful for a chance at winning glory as commander of Virginia's army in the French and Indian War, laying the groundwork for his postwar political ambitions. After 16 years in Virginia's House of Burgesses, where he cultivated other assemblyman as supporters, he took command of the Continental Army at no salary, burnishing his reputation as a self-denying warrior and emerging after the War for Independence as America's most powerful man. Ferling's bright narrative offers considerable evidence of Washington's savvy politicking in these later years. He sought a canal linking the Atlantic to the Ohio country that would cause his own lands to soar in value; after 1783 he twice declined to hold public office, knowing full well that the nation would demand that he leave the quiet of Mount Vernon to assume the presidency; as president he argued for locating the nation's capital in an area where he owned property. Never questioningWashington's greatness, Ferling insists that seeing him as an artful self-promoter and master politician only enhances his reputation as an adept leader who knew exactly what he was doing. In fact, writes the author, Washington "was so good at politics that he alone of all of America's public officials in the past two centuries succeeded in convincing others that he was not a politician."A fresh take on a monumental American.

Kirkus Reviews

Sensing that such biographers as James Flexner and Joseph Ellis have accepted the above-politics thesis, Ferling inspects the evidence of Washington's political activities…while illustrating the substance behind Washington's image as the indispensable man, Ferling pointedly grounds that image in the political soil from which it sprang.” —Booklist

“Ferling has done his research and offers some new insights…recommended for readers interested in taking a fresh look at Washington's political life” —Library Journal

“Never questioning Washington's greatness, Ferling insists that seeing him as an artful self-promoter and master politician only enhances his reputation as an adept leader who knew exactly what he was doing…a fresh take on a monumental American.” —Kirkus

“Once in a while a book comes along to remind us that history has no gods, that the past is less fossil than textbooks suggest and America more vibrant than a mere list of principles. John Ferling's Ascent of George Washington is just such a book: a fresh, clear-eyed portrait of the full-blooded political animal that was George Washington…In John Ferling's eminently readable, landmark interpretation, we cannot help but marvel at the man.” —Marie Arana, Washington Post

“The Washington who emerges from the nearly four hundred pages of well-crafted narrative is a man who became first in the hearts of his countrymen by looking out for Number One… Washington was a complex personality, as John Ferling's study makes clear, and it provides readers with a fuller portrait of the figure who was the First of Men of his time.” —Virginia Magazine of History and Biography

From the Publisher

The author claims not to have written a biography of the first U.S. president, but rather an examination of his politics. Much of the book's language comes from letters, speeches, and newspapers of the eighteenth century, making the vocabulary and style seem stilted and foreign. One can, however, still learn a great deal about Washington's military mind, his demeanor, and how his contemporaries viewed him. Norman Dietz narrates as many nonfiction lovers prefer: no frills or embellishments, just words off the page. His pace never varies from medium-slow, allowing listeners to hear and understand every word. As some audio readers also prefer, his plain-vanilla narration gradually moves to the background, allowing the focus to stay on the vast amount of historical information. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2009 - AudioFile