Presidents' Day

Today is Washington's Birthday. For some reason this has been amalgamated into "Presidents' Day;" the only holiday we have for an individual now is Martin Luther King Day. Washington had a spotty military career but there was nothing ambiguous about how people thought about him.

In 1789, America’s first presidential election was held. Voters cast ballots to choose state electors. As expected, George Washington won the electors vote unanimously and was sworn into office on April 30, 1789.

A revolution was followed by a vote.

George III asked his American painter, Benjamin West, what Washington would do after winning independence. West replied, “They say he will return to his farm.”

“If he does that,” the incredulous monarch said, “he will be the greatest man in the world.”