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George Washington’s Greatest Act
On December 23, 1783, General Washington resigns his commission and heads home in peace
On this day, December 23, in 1783, General George Washington tendered his resignation as Commander-in-Chief of the American Continental Army and headed home for Mount Vernon as a private citizen.
In so doing, he became one of the only victorious leaders of an armed insurrection or revolutionary movement in world history to voluntarily surrender power. He also confirmed some very longstanding traditions in American democracy for which all Americans — of every color, status, background, and perspective — should be grateful today.
There has been a considerable amount of controversy these last few years, especially this year (2020) over how we should remember our past and how we should view past political leaders, especially the men we know as the Founding Fathers.
For all their accomplishments, the Founders were all white men, and most of them were men of privilege. And they weren’t exactly “woke.” Women didn’t enjoy anywhere near the level of political rights or social opportunities of today. Racial equality? Forget it. In fact, many of our leaders from the founding era, including Washington, held men and women of color as enslaved persons. Progressive activists and proponents of social justice can’t exactly hold up the…
