Biographies

I've given myself a long term project of reading through the biographies of all the Presidents of the United States. It's pretty ambitious and I don't expect to finish anytime soon. I'm being realistic, and realize that I might even abandon it at some point. I'm not trying to read them all straight through and have already started breaking it up with other books in between.

Surprisingly, reading about the life of an upper-class, slave owning farmer from the 1700's is more interesting than I would have thought. I'm reading Douglas Southall Freeman's biography of George Washington. It is seven volumes long and pretty dry, but I enjoy it nonetheless. Even more surprising than my enjoyment of the books is the fact that I can actually relate to the young Washington. For this, much credit is owed to Mr. Freeman for his writing style, but I also think it has to do with where I am in my own life right now.

I'm into volume three, which picks up with a 20 something Washington who has just retired from the military, returned home to marry Martha and settle down in Mount Vernon for a life of farming. He commits nearly 15 years to this way of life before he becomes involved in the revolutionary events that would eventually lead to his presidency. I thought that this would be an excruciatingly boring part of his life to read about, but news from throughout colonial America, quotes from Patrick Henry, stories that describe Washington's ambition, and a variety of other elements that Freeman includes helps keep it interesting.

I also can't help but draw connections between the story of Wasington's life and contemporary politics. There has been a lot of fuss in the news recently about Obama's cabinet appointments and their ties to various industries. I understand the contention that arises when government officials have financial ties to a sector of the economy that they're passing legislation for, and I'm offering no defense for the Obama administration's recent nominations. If he felt compelled to impose strict restrictions on himself for cabinet appointments, then I think he should adhere to them completely. Otherwise, what's the point? I wasn't too fond of Robert Gibbs's line about "making exceptions."

But individuals in power wielding political influence to benefit personally is nothing new. It's been going on since time immemorial. One of Washington's roles in the House of Burgess was to help put forth legislation regarding the expansion of the frontier and what land would be made available to those individuals living in the Colonies. Washington's first job was that of a surveyor and he was forever interested in acquiring more land (having more than 30,000 acres by the time he was 30 is proof). His association with the Burgess certainly allowed him an edge over his peers when attempting to obtain this land. He was also involved in deciding the types of benefits that would be granted to the veterans of the French and Indian War. As a veteran himself, he had a personal interest in being as generous as possible in that regard.

It's become quite common to comment on the fact that our nation's founding fathers were predominately white, upper-class, slave owning men. And for that reason, it may seem like I'm just recycling old ideas here, but it's hard not to notice how little has changed. I do not mean to take away from the ascension of an African American into our country's highest office. I believe it will be regarded as one of the greatest milestones in American history, and I'm proud to have been around to witness it. But looking back at Washington's reason for joining the political realm of Virgina, it is clear that his motives were not entirely altruistic. I don't believe that Washington was an evil man, but he was an ambitious man who set his eyes on obtaining wealth, distinction, and "honor." He may have professed to others that his actions were selfless, but that's hard to believe when he personally benefited as much as he did.

Washington used that term, "honor," a lot and it no doubt had more than one meaning for him. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that at times the words "prestige" or "fame" could be used interchangeably with it. I believe that these qualities are shared by the vast majority of those who have held the seat of the Presidency.