 | Charles Willson Peale, "George Washington," c. 1780, oil on canvas; 95 x 61 3/4 in. (241.3 x 156.8 cm) Copyright holder unknown. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10028-0198. http://metmus.org. Gift of Collis P. Huntington, 1897. (97.33) |
 | James Peale, "George Washington at Yorktown," c. 1782 Copyright holder and location unknown. |
 | "Apotheosis of George Washington," 19th century, watercolor on glass. Copyright holder unknown. Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE 19735. Morristown National Historical Park, MORR 941. In Francis Russell and the Eds. of American Heritage, The American Heritage History of the Making of the Nation, 1783-1860, 1968, p. 66. 8.4.2 |
 | "General Washington's Resignation," 1799. Alexander Lawson under the supervision of John Barralet. The plow awaits the plowman. Barralet's Washington does not have his hand on his hip; he gestures away from the allegorical scene to a realistic team of oxen, hitched to their plow, in front of an accurate depiction of Mount Vernon. The scene of private felicity in the background is seen as the cause of public prosperity in the foreground: the cornucopia is guarded by the eagle in this Cincinnatus image of Washington. See close-ups of sections of this picture. Philadelphia Magazine and Review, vol. 1 (January 1799), frontispiece. The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19107. In Garry Wills, Cincinnatus, 1984, p. 12. 8.4.2 |
 | Henry Kirke Brown, "George Washington," equestrian bronze, 1853-56. Union Square, New York, NY. Photographer and source unknown. 8.4.2 |
 | Horatio Greenough, "George Washington," 1832-41, marble. One hand points toward heaven in grandeur. Laughter greeted its display. The New York socialite Philip Hone: "Washington was too prudent and careful of his health to expose himself thus in a climate so uncertain as ours, to say nothing of the indecency of such an exposure, a subject on which he was known to be exceedingly fastidious." Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1858: "Did anybody ever see Washington nude? It is inconceivable. He had no nakedness, but I imagine he was born with his clothes on, and his hair powdered, and made a stately bow on his first appearance in the world." Photographer and source unknown. Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, SI Building, Room 153, MRC 010, Washington, DC 20013-7012. In Nathalia Wright, Horatio Greenough, The First American Sculptor, 1963, plate in section following p. 302. 8.4.2 |
 | From_Revolution_to_Constitution20
George Washington taking the Oath of Office. "The first Inauguration of George Washington occurred on April 30, 1789, in front of New York's Federal Hall. Our nation's first President took the oath of office on a balcony overlooking Wall Street. With the ceremony complete, the crowd below let out three big cheers and President Washington returned to the Senate chamber to deliver his brief Inaugural address. He called upon 'That Almighty Being who rules over the universe' to assist the American people in finding 'liberties and happiness' under 'a government instituted by themselves.'" President Washington and Vice President John Adams, Balcony of Federal Hall. Oath administered by Robert Livingston, Chancellor of State of New York, using The Holy Bible from St. John's Masonic Lodge, No.1, opened at random due to haste to Genesis 49:13. Length of Inaugural Address: 1,419 words. Attire: Dark brown suit (made in America), with steel-hilted sword, white silk stockings, and silver shoe buckles. Weather: Clear and cool. Precedents, 'firsts' or other interesting information: The Constitution only prescribes the oath that a President must take; it does not set forth the style or manner of the Inauguration. The nation's first inauguration established many precedents: he kissed the Bible; and he delivered an Inaugural address, all of which have been followed by future Presidents." - Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. Washington may or may not have added the words, "So help me God" at the end of his oath; scholars debate it, and there appears to be no eye-witness documentation that he did. "The complete lack of contemporary evidence, George Washington’s political philosophy of strictly following the Constitution and the concurrent debate over the proper wording of oaths under the new Constitution make it virtually certain that George Washington did not add the words 'So help me God' to his inaugural oath." - Prof. Peter R. Henriques. Most modern-day presidents include these words and think they are following in Washington's footsteps.
US National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Rd, College Park, MD 20740-6001. And US Senate at: inaugural.senate.gov. Prof. Peter R. Henriques, Professor of History, Emeritus, George Mason University, and author of "Realistic Visionary: A Portrait of George Washington"; in “'So Help Me God': A George Washington Myth that Should Be Discarded," History News Network, George Mason Univesity, Jan. 12, 2009, p. 1. We are grateful for much of this information to Raymond Soller of Duluth, GA. |
 | Federalists_and_Unity04
George Washington taking the oath of office: "Washington's inauguration on the balcony of Federal Hall, New York City, April 30, 1789." Amos Doolittle engraving, c. 1790, after a Peter Lacour drawing.
New York Public Library, I.N. Phelps Stokes Collection, Fifth Ave & 42nd St, New York, NY 10018. |
 | Federalists_and_Unity16
Monticello, VA, Thomas Jefferson's home. Engraving, 1851. Benson J. Lossing, "The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution," (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1851). |
“During my 20+ years of teaching that I have attended workshops, without a doubt the UC Davis History Project workshops have been the best. High quality teacher presentations, first-rate professors, and excellent hands-on primary source material to use in your classroom. A++”
Richard Pauly
Teacher
Kennedy High School