George Washington's Legacy

Some people say that George Washington was the best President of the United States of America. Some people say he was the worst. Regardless of opinion, it is very evident that what he did as the very first President has become a legacy that continues to influence the United States of America today. He set the tone of what it meant to be President by being selfless, being a people’s president, and knowing when to ask for help. George Washington had the difficult task of cultivating the uncharted territory of the Presidency. It had never been done before, and he had the power to influence future presidents based on his actions. He had all this power at his finger tips and could have easily used that to his advantage. As Stephen Knott, …show more content…
He wanted to give more people a voice so he could know what was best for the people and what they wanted from him (Chadwick 466). For him to hear those voices outside of the government he would often make tours around the country and have many public appearances in each state (Chadwick 473). He also set up certain dates and times for the American people to visit with him and share their requests at the “executive residence.” He understood that the people needed to know who their leader was on a personal level in order for them to trust and support him (“Presidential …show more content…
He knew that this was a job that he could not do on his own, and that was okay. He often looked to the Senate and his Cabinet for advice on decisions that he had to make (“George Washington and Executive Power”). The Cabinet was never in the Constitution, but George Washington believed that putting his “department heads” in a group that could help him best make decisions was very beneficial to the country (Chadwick 477). George Washington would rarely make a decision on something important without first consulting his cabinet so that he could hear every side of the situation (Parry 531). In doing so he made great progress on the country’s