The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon Book

Preface xvii

Introduction: The Founding Father Who Wielded Power Without Ambition 1

Part 1 Rise from Obscurity

1 Soldier for Virginia: An Introduction to Politics 9

2 The Burgess: George Washington, Virginia Politician 46

Part 2 American Hero

3 The Crucial First Year: Boston, 1775-1776 83

4 The War in 1776-1777: In the Depths of Despair 104

5 The Untouchable: General Washington's Great Crisis 140

6 Victory and Glory 182

Part 3 First in the Hearts of His Countrymen

7 Washington and the Politics of Intrigue: To the End of the War 221

8 Soaring to the Pinnacle 245

9 President of the United States: The First Term, 1789-1792 278

10 Endless Crises: Washington's Second Term, 1793-1797 308

11 The Sand Runs Out 351

Reckoning 367

Select Bibliography 375

Abbreviations 379

Notes 383

Index 425

Maps

Washington's Virginia and Western Country ix

Boston and Vicinity x

New York and Connecticut xi

Manhattan Island to Harlem Heights xii

Washington's Retreat Across New Jersey xiii

New Jersey and Pennsylvania xiv

Siege of Yorktown xv