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    The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789
    Unavailable
    The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789
    Unavailable
    The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789

    Written by Edward J. Larson

    Narrated by Mark Bramhall

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

    ""An elegantly written account of leadership at the most pivotal moment in American history"" (Philadelphia Inquirer): Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward J. Larson reveals how George Washington saved the United States by coming out of retirement to lead the Constitutional Convention and serve as our first president.

    After leading the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War, George Washington shocked the world: he retired. In December 1783, General Washington, the most powerful man in the country, stepped down as Commander in Chief and returned to private life at Mount Vernon. Yet as Washington contentedly grew his estate, the fledgling American experiment floundered. Under the Articles of Confederation, the weak central government was unable to raise revenue to pay its debts or reach a consensus on national policy. The states bickered and grew apart. When a Constitutional Convention was established to address these problems, its chances of success were slim. Jefferson, Madison, and the other Founding Fathers realized that only one man could unite the fractious states: George Washington. Reluctant, but duty-bound, Washington rode to Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to preside over the Convention.

    Although Washington is often overlooked in most accounts of the period, this masterful new history from Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward J. Larson brilliantly uncovers Washington’s vital role in shaping the Convention—and shows how it was only with Washington’s support and his willingness to serve as President that the states were brought together and ratified the Constitution, thereby saving the country.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateOct 7, 2014
    ISBN9780062350923
    Unavailable
    The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789

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    Reviews for The Return of George Washington

    4/5

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    • 5/5
      Really well-written and well-documented account of those years that we gloss over in pop accounts of the birth of the US, making clear how tenuous the nation was under the Articles of Confederation (bringing to this reader's mind how difficult other new democracies have found the road to stability), as well as just how important George Washington--person and legend--was to the US' path.
    • 3/5
      Interesting book on the time between winning the American Revolution and becoming president. Good details on his leadership and influence on the constitutional congress and achieving miraculous agreement and ratification of the constitution. Preventing not only the dissolution of the loose confederation of states but the forming of a new Union where the rights endowed on us by the Creator are recognized by the government.
    • 3/5
      This work chronicles Washington's activities during his retirement from public life between his resignation as commander of the army in 1783 and his election to the presidency in 1789. While nominally called a "retirement", Washington clearly didn't comprehend the meaning of the word. Washington was incredibly active during these years, travelling to his lands on the Appalachian frontier, maintaining contact with the figures he knew during the Revolutionary War, voicing criticism of the Confederation government, and serving as president of the Constitutional Convention. This work reveals how active these years of "retirement" were for Washington and effectively bring the gap between Washington's military service and his presidency. A good read for anyone interested in Washington.
    • 5/5
      Very few people have been the subject of so many books as George Washington so it is hard to find something about him that hasn't been studied to a fair thee well but Mr. Larson has. He has chosen to focus on Washington's life between the end of the Revolution and the beginning of his presidency. This is a very well researched and written book where we see just how active he was in getting our Constitution accepted and why he felt it was so essential to have a strong federal government (as opposed to states rights) . Also, there are many little tidbits like Washington owning the largest whiskey distillery in the country. Very interesting for any history buff both amateur and professional.