How did George Washington's leadership bring stability to the new government?

George Washington was the perfect person to lead our country after the Constitution was adopted as our new plan of government. There were many problems with the plan of government created by the Articles of Confederation. With the new plan, we needed a leader that was very popular with the people.

The American people had a great respect for George Washington. He skillfully guided us through the Revolutionary War as a military leader and was a key factor in our defeating of Great Britain in the war. Because of his accomplishments with the military, people recognized his leadership talents. Everybody knew he would be the first president of our country if he wanted the job. That credibility was very important as the new government began to operate.

After gaining independence, countries often go through a rough period of adjustment. There were people who were going to oppose the new government no matter what it did. When farmers refused to pay the tax on whiskey, in what was known as the Whiskey Rebellion, George Washington made it clear that the law would be enforced. The military was sent to restore order in western Pennsylvania.

George Washington had the ability to see the whole picture and to make decisions based on what he thought was in the best interests of the United States. When Spain and Great Britain began to interfere with our trade and to encourage Native Americans to attack us, there were people who wanted to go to war against these countries. President Washington knew that would be a disastrous event for us. He knew we weren’t ready to fight a war with any country. Instead, he used diplomacy to negotiate treaties with Spain and with Great Britain to resolves these issues we had with them. Pinckney’s Treaty was signed with Spain, and Jay’s Treaty was signed with Great Britain.

George Washington was wise enough to let the American people know how to proceed as he was preparing to leave office. He was concerned about the effect political parties might have on our country. He cautioned the American people to avoid political parties. He also warned against making long-term agreements because he knew the needs of a young country would change. He told us to stay neutral because he knew going to war at our young age as a country could have disastrous effects. He understood we needed to remain on friendly terms with as many countries as possible instead of creating enemies.

George Washington was the perfect person to lead our country after the Constitution was ratified. His experience, his credibility, and his actions brought stability to the United States at a very important time in our history.