Synopses & Reviews
This is George Washington in the surprising role of political strategist.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;In andlt;iandgt;George Washingtonand#8217;s Journeyandlt;/iandgt;, T.H. Breen introduces us to a George Washington we rarely meet. By nature shy and reserved, the brand new president decided that he would visit the new citizens in their own states. He decided that only by showing himself could he make them believe themselves part of a new nation. Washington made four grueling trips to all thirteen states. He displayed himself as victorious general (he wore his regal uniform and rode his white stallion) and as president (grand dinners, military parades, arcs of triumph, and ballsand#8212;he liked to dance) in order to move and persuade the citizens of the new nation.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;He travelled by open carriage on terrible roads, in awful weather, staying and eating at lousy inns. The president drew on his immense popularity, even hero worship, to send a powerful and andlt;iandgt;lastingandlt;/iandgt; messageand#8212;America was now a andlt;iandgt;nationandlt;/iandgt;, not a collection of states. He drew the nation to him in order to persuade.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Breen takes us on these journeys. We see the country through Washington's eyes and listen through his ears. We understand why George Washington is the indispensable Founding Father.
Review
and#8220;It is hard to think that anything new could be said about George Washington. But Breen has done it. Tracing Washingtonand#8217;s republicanized versions of royal progresses through the new nation at the beginning of his presidency was an inspired choice of subject, and Breen has developed it beautifully. In clear and accessible prose he has given us new insights into the acute political skills of our first president and the state of country in the 1790s.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;In this vivid and insightful book, T.H. Breen takes readers on a revealing journey with the greatest of eighteenth-century Americans. More than any other founder, Washington passionately believed that only a strong and united nation could sustain liberty. By touring distant and disparate states, the first president built a connection with ordinary people that helped the new nation survive its difficult early years. Breen eloquently reminds Americans of how much we gain from remembering Washington's commitment to a more perfect union.and#8221;
Review
"George Washington's vision for the future of the United States was not fully formed when he became President in 1789. It took two dramatic journeys, to New England and the South, for that vision to come to fruition and become truly continental. Tim Breen's chronicle of those journeys is at once informative and inspiring, revealing a hope for unity and prosperity in the symbol of one remarkable man.
Review
and#8220;With the deft touch of one of Americaand#8217;s master historians, TH. Breen convincingly shows Americaand#8217;s greatest founderand#8212;George Washingtonand#8212;as a genius of political stagecraft who made the office of the Presidency into the peopleand#8217;s office, and helped a divided and scattered people see and feel the purpose of their great Union. A surprising and compelling bookand#8212;and refreshingly relevant.and#8221;
Synopsis
"An absorbing portrait...Breen's superb chronicle offers glimpses into Washington's love of his country and its people, and his willingness to meet them on their own terms to secure the unity of the new republic." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
This is George Washington in the surprising role of political strategist.
T.H. Breen introduces us to a George Washington we rarely meet. During his first term as president, he decided that the only way to fulfill the Revolution was to take the new federal government directly to the people. He organized an extraordinary journey carrying him to all thirteen states. It transformed American political culture.
For Washington, the stakes were high. If the nation fragmented, as it had almost done after the war, it could never become the strong, independent nation for which he had fought. In scores of communities, he communicated a powerful and enduring message--that America was now a nation, not a loose collection of states. And the people responded to his invitation in ways that he could never have predicted.
About the Author
Timothy H. Breen is the William Smith Mason Professor of American History Emeritus at Northwestern University. Breen received his PhD in history from Yale University. He also holds an honorary MA from Oxford University. Breen is the respected author eleven books of American history, including andlt;iandgt;George Washingtonandrsquo;s Journey: The President Forges a New Nationandlt;/iandgt;.