George Washington, the United States’ first president, died in 1799. Therefore, it is hard to imagine what his country would look like today if he had lived another 20 years because the United States was starting to establish itself as a nation. It was still struggling with issues like slavery and Native American sovereignty. Washington was born in 1732 and lived until 1799, a period that spanned from the very beginning of American history to its end. During this time, America had grown from a small country under British rule into one of the world’s leading powers, with a population of 13 million and a territory stretching from Canada to Florida. Therefore, Washington’s life and accomplishments are so significant that they can be used as a reference point for how much America has changed over time. In particular, he is one of only three who have ever been president (and one of two to hold both executive and legislative power at once), which means that his life has shaped American history in some fundamental ways. The first thing that struck me about Washington was how different he seemed compared to other men his age. When he was born, most men were veterans. However, by the time he died at age 73, many people were still in their twenties or thirties, and many were even younger than that, suggesting that Washington was unique among his contemporaries. Therefore, this paper will use The American Yawp and construct the American Past as a sourcebook of peoples’ history to explore whether George Washington, who died in 1799, would have recognized the United States of 1860. To argue for our position, we will examine eight points: the overall changes to the political system, the role of the federal government, the expansion of the United States, the economy, the part of the Constitution, the emergence of sectionalism, the impact of slavery, and the social and cultural changes that had taken place.
The Overall Changes to the Political System: The most apparent change that George Washington would have noticed is the overall changes to the political system. In the sixty-one years since his death, the United States had gone from a confederation of states to a more unified nation. The Constitution had been amended twelve times, creating a stronger federal government with greater power over the states. The number of states had also increased from thirteen to thirty-four, and most had adopted their constitutions. In addition, the two-party system had emerged, with the Democratic Party and the Whig Party vying for power in the federal government. The political system of the United States has changed significantly since Washington’s time. As stated in The American Yawp, “The states had ceded considerable authority to the federal government during the War of 1812 and the Jacksonian era that followed,” a power shift marked a significant change from Washington’s era. Still, the overall framework of federalism remained largely intact (The American Yawp, eds. Joseph Locke and Ben Wright (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018, chapter 8).
The Role of the Federal Government: The federal government had become increasingly assertive since George Washington’s death. The federal government had assumed more responsibility for the nation’s economic development, including implementing protective tariffs, developing a national bank, and establishing the United States Patent Office. In addition, the federal government had adopted a policy of “internal improvements,” investing in canals, roads, and other infrastructure projects to support the nation’s economic development. Therefore, in The American Yawp, the authors state that “since George Washington’s death, the federal government had become increasingly assertive and assumed more responsibility for the nation’s economic development.” This included implementing protective tariffs, establishing a national bank, establishing the United States Patent Office, and adopting a policy of “internal improvements,” investing in canals, roads, and other infrastructure projects to support the nation’s economic development (The American Yawp, eds. Joseph Locke and Ben Wright (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018, Chapter 5).
The Expansion of the United States: The United States had also expanded significantly in the sixty-one years since George Washington’s death. The Louisiana Purchase had nearly doubled the nation’s size, and the United States had also acquired the Territory of Florida and the Oregon Territory. In addition, the United States gained control of California and the southwestern states after the Mexican-American War. This expansion increased the nation’s size and brought new cultures and peoples into the American population. Therefore, The American Yawp states that “By 1848, the United States had doubled in size through the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 and had added the Territory of Florida in 1819, the Oregon Territory in 1846, and much of what is today the American West after the Mexican-American War,an expansion which brought new cultures and peoples into the American population, increasing the nation’s size and diversity”( The American Yawp, eds. Joseph Locke and Ben Wright (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018, Chapter 4).
The Economy: The economy of the United States has also changed significantly since George Washington’s death. The Industrial Revolution transformed the nation’s economy with the development of factories, the growth of cities, and the expansion of the railroad network. The development of technologies such as the telegraph and the steamboat also revolutionized commerce and transportation. In addition, the nation had adopted a protective tariff policy, which encouraged the growth of domestic industries. Constructing the American Past notes that the development of technologies such as the telegraph and the steamboat also revolutionized commerce and transportation (Gorn Elliot, Randy Roberts, Susan Schulten, and Terry D. Bilhartz. Constructing the American Past: A Sourcebook of a People’s History, Volume 2 from 1865. Oxford University Press, 2017. (p.599)). It further states that the nation had adopted a protective tariff policy, which encouraged the growth of domestic industries.
The Role of the Constitution: The Constitution has been amended twelve times since George Washington’s death. The most significant of these amendments was the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, which abolished slavery, granted African Americans citizenship and voting rights, and prohibited discrimination based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The Supreme Court had also begun to interpret the Constitution more comprehensively, granting the federal government more extraordinary powers over the states. Therefore, Gorn et al. state that the “Constitution has been amended twelve times since George Washington’s death.” Furthermore, it notes that the “most significant of these amendments were the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, which abolished slavery, granted African Americans citizenship and voting rights, and prohibited discrimination based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” (Gorn Elliot, Randy Roberts, Susan Schulten, and Terry D. Bilhartz. Constructing the American Past: A Sourcebook of a People’s History, Volume 2 from 1865. Oxford University Press, 2017. (p.415)).
The Emergence of Sectionalism: Since George Washington’s death, the nation has also become increasingly divided along regional lines. A growing divide had emerged between the industrialized North and the agricultural South, with the two regions becoming increasingly hostile towards one another. This divide had been exacerbated by the issue of slavery, which led to the emergence of political parties that championed the interests of the North and the South. In Gorn et al. the emergence of sectionalism in the United States since George Washington’s death is discussed, noting that “the North and South had become increasingly divided along regional lines. The North was becoming industrialized while the South remained largely agricultural, and these differences were exacerbated by the issue of slavery”. They further explain how “the sectional divide had generated a new set of political divisions, with parties emerging that championed the interests of the North and South.”(Gorn Elliot, Randy Roberts, Susan Schulten, and Terry D. Bilhartz. Constructing the American Past: A Sourcebook of a People’s History, Volume 2 from 1865. Oxford University Press, 2017. (p.77-83)).
The Impact of Slavery: The issue of slavery had also become increasingly divisive in the years since George Washington’s death. The nation had divided into two camps, with the North advocating for the abolition of slavery and the South defending the institution. The debate had become increasingly heated, with the South threatening secession if the federal government attempted to interfere with the institution of slavery. Also, In Gorn et al., the authors note that “The slavery issue had become increasingly divisive in the years since George Washington’s death. The North demanded the abolition of slavery, while the South was determined to defend it. The debate became increasingly heated, and the South threatened secession if the federal government attempted to interfere with the institution of slavery”. (Gorn Elliot, Randy Roberts, Susan Schulten, and Terry D. Bilhartz. Constructing the American Past: A Sourcebook of a People’s History, Volume 2 from 1865. Oxford University Press, 2017. (p.740)).
The Social and Cultural Changes: The social and cultural landscape of the United States has also changed significantly since George Washington’s death. The nation had become increasingly diverse, with large immigrant populations from Europe, Africa, and Asia. The country had also experienced a period of religious revivalism, with the emergence of evangelical Protestantism and the development of new denominations. In addition, the government had experienced a period of reform, with women’s rights activists advocating for greater equality and abolitionists pressing for the end of slavery. Randy Roberts and Terry D. Bilhartz state in Constructing the American Past: “Washington’s United States had given way to Lincoln’s United States, yet the nation’s core values and ideals remained the same”. (Gorn Elliot, Randy Roberts, Susan Schulten, and Terry D. Bilhartz. Constructing the American Past: A Sourcebook of a People’s History, Volume 2 from 1865. Oxford University Press, 2017. (p.431).
In conclusion, George Washington would have recognized the United States in 1860. While the nation had changed significantly in the intervening sixty-one years, many of the same fundamental features of the country, the political system, the role of the federal government, the economy, and the social and cultural landscape, were still in place. However, George Washington would have been surprised by the many changes that had taken place in the intervening years, including the expansion of the United States, the adoption of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, the emergence of sectionalism, and the impact of slavery. For this reason, George Washington would have recognized the United States in 1860, but he would have been surprised by the many changes that had taken place in the intervening years. Also, George Washington would have likely recognized the changes that had taken place in the United States by 1860 since Gorn et al. explain, “The Union of 1860 was a far different nation than the one Washington had helped to create. It was much larger, more populous, and more diverse”. Furthermore, the political, economic, and social changes that had taken place in the intervening years would have likely been evident to him. Therefore, George Washington would have recognized the United States in 1860.
Bibliography
The American Yawp-A Massively Collaborative Open U.S. History Textbook vol. 2: since 1877 edited by joseph l. locke and ben wright. https://www.americanyawp.com/text/wp-content/uploads/yawp_v2_open_pdf.pdf
Gorn, Elliot, Randy Roberts, Susan Schulten, and Terry D. Bilhartz. Constructing the American Past: A Sourcebook of a People’s History, Volume 2 from 1865. Oxford University Press, 2017.https://ecommons.luc.edu/facultybooks/147/
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