DBWI: President George Washington? (Or, Lets Re-Write American History!)

Most people seem to think that, had George Washington continued to lead the American Forces in the ARW, that America would have lost, and therefore would have remained ruled by Britian. As we know, Horatio Gates replaced washington, and lead the Americans to independance.

But despite what the textbooks say, I can't help but think Washington to would have lead America to independance. He was basically scape-goated after he was replaced as a reason to explain the failures of the revolution up to when Gates took over.

After the war, Gates became the first President of the USA. What if Washington had done the same after he won the war? How would American history have turned out?

OOC: I'm starting with the idea that we change the beginning of American History, and than work our way up to the present.
 
well Gates may of been an ok general but he was a shitty President, between the Pennsylvania supremacy act (OCC: where Pennsylvania said it has the right to veto or not fallow federal law as it see fit and made Benjamin Franklin President of Pennsylvania) and the Hamilton coup it was one big disaster hard to see how any one (even Washington) could do worse
 
Perhaps, but Washington? I could see making Franklin or Jefferson or even Arnold President. They had acumen and drive. All honour unto Washington's personal integrity, but they guy was clueless. A great orator, if you read some of his battle speeches, but his military career was a disaster. Plus, his habit of disregarding rules when he though the end justified it is not a good thing in a founding politician. Yes, Gates shamefully sold out the soldiers and devalued the war debt by fiat, and his dealing with the protest ('coup' is really too modern a concept) was ruthless beyond belief, but could you see the utter disaster that would be Washington actually trying to honour the government's obligation to the military? He would either have to turn himself into a dictator at swordpoint or destroy the federal government trying. Beyond that, what policies would he have had? Let's face it, he wasn't exactly deep.

Maybe nobody could have held the 'union' together (what an idea, anyway - might as well try to hold the German states together based on nothing but language and economic ties), but Washington would certainly not have been the man to do it. Now, Franklin - that man's political savvy gets underestimated. Plus. he is supposed to have loathed Gates, so with someone else at the helm he might have been content to be elder statesman and advisor. It might not heal the Virginia-Pennsylvania-Massachusetts rift, but it could help a little.
 
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