George Washington: The Most Influential President

There have been a number of great and influential presidents that have run the United States of America. In my opinion, the most important President from the time period of George Washington (1789-1798) through Franklin Pierce (1853-1857) was George Washington himself. As the first President of the country, George Washington was the pioneer for all the presidents who followed him. His resume also set a standard for those who succeeded him; he had military experience before becoming president, serving as an army general and Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Washington used these strong leadership qualities to form the United States Constitution and set the tone of democracy and morality that the United States would continue to follow long after his term of presidency ended. On April 30, 1789, George Washington, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall …show more content…
In everything he said and did, he affirmed the spirit of the American Revolution. His fellow Virginian, Thomas Jefferson said that Washington would “rather be in his grave than in his present situation, meaning his being President; that he had rather be on his farm than to be made Emperor of the world" (Acton Powerblog). President Washington is someone who is well documented for his principles of liberty. His peers noted that Washington possessed certain characteristics which we're not common in a man, which spotlighted that Washington was a great leader. Charles Francis Adams, the son of President John Quincy Adams, declared of Washington: "More than all, and above all, Washington was master of himself. If there be one quality more than another in his character which may exercise a useful control over the men of the present hour, it is the total disregard of self when in the most elevated positions for influence and example" (Acton