President of the Day

By what Native American name did Tanacharison call Washington?

Historian Joseph Ellis reports that Tanacharison called Washington "Conotocarius," which means "town taker." The chief relayed that this same name had been bestowed upon Washington's great-grandfather John Washington.

What did Washington think of political parties?

Washington disfavored political parties, believing they would create discord in the country. In his farewell address upon leaving office, he warned the country that political parties "are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people, and to usurp for themselves the reins of government." He warned that partisan politics and different political factions could create a "frightful despotism" for the country.

What was Washington's first career?

Washington first earned a living as a surveyor, obtaining a job through his brother Lawrence's connections. Lawrence had married Ann Fairfax of the wealthy Fairfax family. The head of the Fairfax family, William Fairfax, took a liking to young George and employed him as an assistant to his son George William Fairfax to help survey in the Shenandoah Valley.

What was the Whiskey Rebellion?

The Whiskey Rebellion was an uprising among many grain farmers in western Pennsylvania, who objected to the Whiskey Act of 1791, a tax that had been imposed by the federal government on whiskey. The farmers believed that the federal government had overstepped its bounds by imposing too great a tax burden on farmers. The protest was seen by some as reminiscent of the colonists' protest of the British government's Stamp Act tax on the colonists.

Washington eventually considered the resistance movement serious enough that he led a formidable force of more than thirteen thousand troops to suppress the rebellion. It was the only time that a sitting president actually led troops toward a battle. Washington led the troops to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, but not all the way to face the farmers who were just outside Pittsburgh. The farmers kowtowed to the federal authority and Washington pardoned those in the uprising who swore allegiance to the federal government.

Where did Washington serve as president?

Washington served as President during his first year in office in New York, which was the nation's capital at that time. In 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, which called for the creation of a new capital in what became known as the District of Columbia, where the new governmental buildings could be constructed. Philadelphia served as the temporary location of the capital until 1800 when the District of Columbia was ready for the president. Thus, Washington was the only president who did not reside in the District of Columbia.

From The Handy Presidents Answer Book, Second Edition by David L. Hudson, Jr., JD., (c) Visible Ink Press(R) More than 1,600 things you never knew about our nation's leaders