Happy Presidents’ Day from The Free Press. We’re marking the holiday by publishing an essay by one president about another: George W. Bush on George Washington. This essay was first published by “In Pursuit,” a project by More Perfect, a bipartisan alliance of over 40 presidential centers and more than 100 organizations working together to protect and renew American democracy as the nation celebrates 250 years since its founding. Once you’ve read George on George, read the latest installment of Jonathan Horn’s newsletter, This Week in American History. It’s on why we should call Presidents’ Day what it really is: Washington’s Birthday.
—The Editors
As America begins to celebrate our 250th anniversary, I’m pleased to have been asked to write about George Washington’s leadership. As president, I found great comfort and inspiration in reading about my predecessors and the qualities they embodied. Abraham Lincoln’s resolve, Harry Truman’s decisiveness, Ronald Reagan’s optimism, and others reminded me of the challenges America has faced—and of the values that have helped us overcome them.
Few qualities have inspired me more than Washington’s humility. I have studied the corrupting nature of power, and how retaining power for power’s sake has infected politics for generations. Our first president could have remained all-powerful, but twice he chose not to. In so doing, he set a standard for all presidents to live up to. His life, with all its flaws and achievements, should be studied by all who aspire to leadership. Washington’s humility in giving up power willingly remains among the most consequential decisions and important examples in American politics.
After leading the United States to victory over Great Britain in the Revolutionary War, Washington was at the height of his power. Some suggested that he should become king. Instead, General Washington resigned his military commission in 1783. When King George III of Great Britain learned of his vanquisher’s intentions, he reportedly said that if he did, “he will be the greatest man in the world.” What Washington did on that cold December afternoon in Annapolis, Maryland, shaped the foundation and future of American democracy. And he was just getting started.
Washington’s path to greatness wasn’t always easy. His father died when he was 11. Rather than receiving a classical education in London like his older half-brothers, young George had to help his mother on Ferry Farm, where he learned the value of hard work. His father’s death and his own lack of education bred an insecurity. That insecurity, in turn, led to an insatiable hunger for knowledge. Largely self-taught, he became a voracious reader.
