If Not Washington Then Who Could Be First US President......

The thing about Washington is that the cult of personality around him was one of the relatively few ties that bound the young United States together. Arguably it's one of the most effective in history, and it galvanizes a nation and creates the whole institution of the presidency. Without Washington, I think you don't have the presidency as we understand it, and I think the strains might have broken the country apart earlier and more permanently than the OTL Civil War.


Or the US might have to carry on far longer under the AoC.

Several of the ratifications - including the crucial one of Virginia - were by narrow margins. Without the support of Washington, and the foreknowledge that he will be the first President, does the Constitution ever get adopted at all?
 
Or the US might have to carry on far longer under the AoC.

Several of the ratifications - including the crucial one of Virginia - were by narrow margins. Without the support of Washington, and the foreknowledge that he will be the first President, does the Constitution ever get adopted at all?

A much more loosely tied US is what I see.
 
Well Washington can be present for everything up until he takes office or is elected, leaving everything intact except the Washington Presidency.

However the only real outcome of that would most likely be an Adam's Presidency, though Jay could gain it as well, with either Adam's maintaining the VP or Rofus King gaining the VP spot. (Based on the EC results OTL)
 
Today, my uncle asked me a question, which I didn't know. He asked if I knew who would have been the first President instead of Washington if he had lived. He said most historians agree on this, something about Continental Congress, most, from Williamsburg Virginia, etc. I've tried to look it up, but all I've gotten is stuff on Ben Franklin. Any ideas?

Since my question pretty much matches up with the thread, I thought I would just post it here :)
 

burmafrd

Banned
The President was conceived with Washington in mind. Everyone at the Congress knew he would be the first president. The office was built with him in mind.

Washington would never have refused if elected. His whole life was built around doing his duty, and he would have felt that was his duty.

Now if Washington had suddenly died after the Constituition was ratified its likely John Adams would have been the first president.
 

mowque

Banned
Today, my uncle asked me a question, which I didn't know. He asked if I knew who would have been the first President instead of Washington if he had lived. He said most historians agree on this, something about Continental Congress, most, from Williamsburg Virginia, etc. I've tried to look it up, but all I've gotten is stuff on Ben Franklin. Any ideas?


Ben Franklin was far too old and sickly by this stage of his life.
 
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