There
can be only one—one first, and George Washington is that one, that
first for our country. There is no better start to our discovery of him
than the following words by Congressman Henry "Light-Horse-Harry" Lee, a
contemporary of our first elected president.
"First in war—first in peace—and first in the hearts of his
countrymen, he was second to none in the humble and enduring scenes of
private life; pious, just, humane, temperate, and sincere; uniform,
dignified, and commanding, his example was as edifying to all around him
as were the effects of that example lasting. To his equals he was
condescending, to his inferiors kind, and to the dear object of his
affections exemplarily tender; correct throughout, vice shuddered in his
presence, and virtue always felt his fostering hand; the purity of his
private character gave effulgence to his public virtues. His last scene
comported with the whole tenor of his life—although in extreme pain, not
a sigh, not a groan escaped him; and with undisturbed serenity he
closed his well-spent life. Such was the man America has lost—such was
the man for whom our nation mourns."
By comparison, the following composition is wholly inadequate. Lee's
eulogy so beautifully and completely captures the spirit of Washington
that, really, it is highly recommended readers conduct their own
research, just to further and better know George Washington, but also personally ratify Lee's prose.
That said...
George Washington was born in the New World—in Virginia to be specific.
So he wasn't a British transplant, though his father was. Now here's an
interesting tidbit: Washington's father passed when he was only 11. And
the interesting part is that it kept Washington from being sent to
England for a formal instruction, resulting in his having achieved only
an elementary equivalent education. But that didn't make him stupid. On
the contrary, Washington was both intelligent and intuitive, and would
go on to demonstrate that throughout his military assignments as a young
man.
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| Washington leads the Pennsylvania expedition |
It was during the Seven Years War,
of which the Colonial American part was also known as the French and
Indian War, that Washington really began his education and found in
uniform a comfortable skin. Throughout the conflict, he had successes
and failures, but from each he learned more about strategy, logistics,
command style, British methodology, and how geography impacts battle
plans. He gained a high reputation from fellow commanders as courageous
and, perhaps more importantly, regard from the men in his commands.
But it was almost 20-years later, during that brutal winter at Valley
Forge, with heavy losses to disease, cold, and hunger, that Washington
fired up his "BA" reputation as a Revolutionary general. His position
was simple, taking a page from the ancient Roman playbook, that "the
victor is not victorious if the vanquished does not consider himself
so." Facing superior forces in every way, Washington pushed his men. His
toughness on troops and emphasis on training were never looked down
upon by his forces. Indeed, he was respected for them—and credited by
historians as the reasons for the survival of Colonial forces at Valley
Forge—and on to victory when the Red Coats thought they had the
Rebels by the military throat.
And then there was Yorktown—and the British surrender. Washington would
soon become the first elected president of the new United States of
America. And he understood politics. Washington hated the idea of
political parties, believing they undermined republicanism. He also
tended to side with the counsel of Alexander Hamilton, who was the root
of the Federalist Party and the idea of a fiscally strong and
nationalistic government. Agree or not, it helped strengthen the budding
U.S. during a vulnerable time.
George Washington set the standard. It is by his example that all
successive presidents are judged. His leadership style established many
forms and rituals since used by our government, including an
advisory cabinet, delivering an inaugural address, even serving only two
terms. Most important, however, he led the first successful revolution
against a colonial empire in world history. He is an icon of liberty and
independence.
Therefore, submitted for your approval on this 223 anniversary of
Washington's first oath of office for President of the United States...
1. Determine the most appropriate brand-positioning attribute.
George Washington led the Continental Army throughout it's difficult
times, through hardships unknown to most of us today, to defeat superior
forces, with superior supplies, and superior training and experience.
His courage was an inspiration to his men; his perseverance was an
inspiration to Congress, and his moral compass an inspiration to the
world. On his shoulders stands a nation sired by his conviction.
2. Devise a distinctive way to articulate the brand position.
How Americans referred to Washington as early as 1778 would become his
positioning tagline. He set so many precedents for our nation's
government, and the office of the presidency in particular, and only
after his military leadership to Revolutionary victory. He is...
The Father of His Country
4. Establish graphic standards.
Representations of Washington abound. They did in his time as now. Pick
one. There are depictions of Washington as a warrior, a statesman, a
gentlemen farmer, and even one sculpture renders him as Zeus. But if
there is one image of Washington that absolutely stands out, it is
Washington crossing the Potomac. This captures all that Washington
was—the man standing tall and courageous in the face of adverse weather,
against a superior enemy, providing the statuesque pose of the leader,
not just of an army, but of the nation to come. That is Washington.
5. Consistently and uniquely execute the branding program.
Washington was keenly aware that everything he did set a precedent, so
he was careful to give appropriate but not too much pomp and ceremony of
office. He wanted to differentiate his office from European royalty and
courts, making sure that the titles and trappings of the presidency
were suitably republican. To that end, he preferred the title "Mr.
President" to other, more majestic names suggested
When he left office, he stressed the necessity and importance of
national union, the value of the Constitution and the rule of law, and
the evils of political parties. Interestingly, Washington also
recommended morality as a crucial thread of popular government. In his
farewell address he said,
"Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds
of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect
that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."
Perhaps, in short, he was saying, "in God we trust."
Early Christianity used more than a couple of symbols. Emperor
Constantine saw a vision of the Chi Rho (the first two letters of Christ
in Greek). which inspired him to take up God's standard and spread the
church across the known world. The fish is a popular sign even today.
But very early on it was code among a persecuted people. Eventually,
Christianity settled on the cross as reminder to the faithful of
Christ's sacrifice for all sins, and a death from which Jesus rose. This
remains the most common Christian symbol today.
