Establishing the Capital and the Rise of Political Division — Nathaniel Philbrick — Washington selected the Potomac River as the location for the new national capital, believing it would economically connect Western and Eastern commercial interests, despi
Season 8, Episode 172, Dec 08, 02:09 AM
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- Establishing the Capital and the Rise of Political Division — Nathaniel Philbrick — Washington selected the Potomac River as the location for the new national capital, believing it would economically connect Western and Eastern commercial interests, despite claims of obvious self-interest regarding Mount Vernon's proximity. As Washington worked deliberately to unite the fractured nation through personal tours and diplomatic engagement, political divisions paradoxically hardened and crystallized; Thomas Jefferson and James Madison organized systematic opposition during a "northern tour," strategically recruiting Philip Freneau to attack the Washingtonadministration. Philbrick notes the historical irony that James Monroe, formerly a critic of Washington, later adopted Washington's touring methodology to heal national divisions during his own presidency. Philbrickconcludes that despite Washington's profound contradictions as a slaveholder and politician, his aspirational effort to create a functioning American Union remains his enduring historical legacy.
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