"For many Americans at the end of a(nother) brutal presidential election, the search for a historical precedent that represents an alternative to Donald Trump's crude notion of presidential power is appealing... The urge to underscore the contrast and to heroize founders like Washington may be even stronger in the wake of the election."
"But it overlooks a crucial truth: he was, in fact, a tyrant. As an enslaver of over 600 people, he actively, aggressively, and persistently sought wealth through tyrannizing others. Washington did nothing, ever, outside the context of slavery..."
"In the bitter crucible of Valley Forge, as Washington worked to reshape the Continental Army, he wrote that he wondered about the wisdom of hiring Black men as waggoners... slaves could not be sufficiently depended on."
"As president, Washington's model of taking and then relinquishing power inspires us still, but his legacy in the context of slavery and tyranny complicates the narrative of moral rectitude and leadership."
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