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Twice impeached Trump was the worst US president in history for many reasons. #1) Trump committed an act of treason against the US by inciting a violent insurrection on January 6, 2021. #2) Trump’s incompetence regarding his management of the US response to the Covid-19 pandemic between January 2020 and July of 2020. Thousands of US citizens died as a result Trump’s failure. If Trump had a proper immediate response to the pandemic the way that the South Korean government did then thousands of US citizens who died would still be alive today. #3) In April of 2019 Trump vetoed the resolution to end US military support of Saudi Arabia's GENOCIDE of thousands of innocent civilians in Yemen! Trump was using the US military to support GENOCIDE in Yemen! #4) Trump violated the Emoluments Clause of the US Constitution for his entire 4 years in office, then in 2019 Trump verbally mocked the US Constitution. The foundation of the USA is the US Constitution, that is why the presidential inaugural oath includes to swear to protect and defend the US Constitution. In January 2017 Trump publicly swore an oath on a bible at his inauguration ceremony to protect and defend the US Constitution. In 2019 Trump mocked the US Constitution by publicly saying the words "phony emoluments clause". #5) Trump misogynistically and adulterously said of women: "Grab them by the pussy."! Trump committed adultery with Stormy Daniels and then tried to cover it up. Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, was in prison for crimes related to Trump's cover-up of his adulterous scandal with Stormy Daniels. Most Republicans claim to be the moral party and/or the majority Christian party, but hypocritically enthusiastically want to give an adulterous Donald Trump, another 4 years in office. If a US president who was a member of the Democratic Party did the terrible things Trump has, of course, the Republican Party leaders would be screaming for his removal from office. #6) Trump committed the crime of obstruction of justice. #7) Trump committed crimes of trying to tamper with elections, especially in Georgia. #8) Trump's attempted abuse of power regarding Ukraine. #9) Trump committed tax fraud in New York State, which is partly why Trump hides his tax returns. #10) Trump practiced corrupt nepotism as he appointed unqualified members of his family into positions of power in the executive branch of government. There are many other horrible things about Trump. Here are some of them: Donald Trump is a dumb corrupt businessman which is why he hides his tax returns. Donald Trump is not a self-made man, he benefited from nepotism. His daddy Fred Trump gave him millions of dollars to start businesses many of which have failed! Donald Trump's failed businesses are many but include: Trump Airlines, a Trump Casino, and Trump University. With his failed Trump University, he defrauded hundreds of students. In Trump's many construction projects he failed to pay some of his contractors. Trump committed fraud with his non-profit in New York State which is why Trump recently transferred his residence to Florida. Donald Trump is too stupid to write his own book which why he hired a ghost writer to write "The Art of the Deal". When Trump was in high school, he hired another boy to take his SAT college entrance exam. Trump claims that he is smart, but he refuses to show us his college transcripts. Donald Trump's daddy bribed a physician to write that Donald Trump had bone spurs and therefore could dodge the Vietnam War draft. Donald Trump and his dad also practiced racism in who they would rent properties to in the 1960s and 1970s. That is just scratching the surface of the long list of horrible things about Donald Trump.
He was opposed to parties but almost always sided with Hamilton, which is what led to the creation of a political faction in the first place in the form of the Jeffersonian Republicans, and in turn the Federalists under Hamilton.
@@sjrem751 Let us just say that America has been stuck in a struggle between either becoming a nation that seeks its own path or one that should rise to become the new world empire after the British fell,
@@alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723 yeah they've been asking themselves that question for over 100 years by now, theyre just approaching being an "empire" In a different way
@@iammrbeat well it's true. Oftentimes people will use historical reletavism to excuse, deny or ignore the objective moral evils of things like slavery. You never once made the attempt to excuse or justify Washington's actions BECAUSE of their context. I respect any educator who can make the case for the importance of a figure, any figure, without creating a flowery, abridged narriative.
But not mentioning that he actively went around the Virginia slave freeing law, by forcing his slaves to cross the state line before they could gain freedom. Gross.
@@samwill7259 I have nothing against Mr. Beat, I think the video was very good. I even gave it a like. But I just can't help but get a little upset that the most damning point on Washington's slavery stance wasn't brought up.
I’m just going to list a bunch of fun facts about George Washington since we’re here: George Washington would regularly walk in the streets of Philadelphia during his presidency among the people to separate the boundaries of leader and common citizen. George Washington was extremely peculiar in his body language and enjoyed being in control of himself, meaning he hated being touched and small talk. George Washington encouraged his subordinates to criticize him. George Washington donated thousands of dollars of his own money to the creation of the first Jewish and Catholic churches in the U.S., being a strong advocate for religious tolerance and the freedom to worship. He also allowed his slaves to freely practice their own religions on Mount Vernon. George Washington was 6 foot 4, towering over his men in the field of battle. George Washington never wore a wig, he powdered his hair white and even put a covering in his collar so that the powder didn’t stick to his shirt. George Washington aimed to establish a peaceful coexistence with the Native American peoples, signing the Pickering Treaty in 1794 in hopes that his countrymen would respect the boundaries and cultures of the indigenous Indians after his death (unfortunately this would not last). These more peaceful and respected views of the natives could be taken from his experience in the Seven Years’ War and knowledge of how war with their tribes would play out. George Washington was the first to sign the Constitution of the United States. George Washington comprised his cabinet of members from both sides of the rising political spectrum in America (Federalists and anti-Federalists) to hear both sides of the argument. George Washington’s personal motto was _”Deeds, not words.”_ and boy, did he ever live up to it. George Washington was proclaimed to be one of the greatest military strategists in history by Prussian Kaiser Fredrick Wilhelm II. George Washington commanded a desegregated army to the extent where a quarter of his northern force was comprised of African Americans fighting for their freedom. George Washington envisioned the U.S. as an asylum for all people of the world to live in, openly expressing his support for foreign immigration. George Washington was a Freemason. George Washington wore civilian clothing during his presidency, an act that appalled the European monarchs who always dressed in military honors, dresses, or other royal clothing that costed more than a suburban house. George Washington was given the key to the Bastille by the French revolutionary government, it can be found in Mount Vernon on display. George Washington despised holding power, repeatedly stating how he would rather be in his grave than be proclaimed emperor of the world. George Washington was posthumously promoted to General of the Armies in 1976, a six-star rank, by means to secure that he would not be outranked by any future military personnel. George Washington’s face was plastered everywhere in the young nation during his presidency and especially after his death. Think North Korea and China except the people actually _want_ his face in their house. George Washington stopped a potential coup d’etat against the Second Continental Congress, which would have granted him full power over the government as a despot. George Washington regularly exposed himself to enemy fire, most famously during the Seven Years’ War when French and native soldiers were firing at his soldiers in all directions in a forest. Washington led his men out of the battle, his clothes covered in bullet holes but not a single wound on him. One of the French-aligned natives who was present even approached Washington after his inauguration, congratulating him and telling the President that he had fired at him point-blank during the battle several times and missed all of the shots, convincing the native warrior that Washington was protected by the gods. George Washington is the only slave-owning president who freed all of his slaves. The ideal cause of the Revolution caused him to question the morality of chattel slavery and by the 1780’s and 90’s, he openly stated how he no longer wanted to own people, participate in the slave trade, or separate families, even supporting policies of gradual emancipation and putting an end to the Atlantic slave trade. He even stated that all of his slaves were to be given proper education to pursue respectable fields of work and his estate would provide housing for the elderly. After his death, then-First Council Napoleon Bonaparte held a personal eulogy praising George Washington and ordered all of France to hold ten days of mourning, even the British Royal Navy flew their flags at half-staff upon learning the news. The entire modern world of presidents and republics are all drawn back to the legacy of George Washington’s example.
You forgot one: Washington actually signed a law as President in 1794 that slapped restrictions on the slave trade (slaves could no longer be exported for foreign sale IIRC). John Adams made the enforcement even more aggressive, and then Thomas Jefferson helped abolish the Atlantic slave trade entirely in 1808. So, it is absolutely NOT true that Washington and the Founding Fathers did not work against slavery at least in some forms. They got the ball rolling and set the stage for the rise of the abolitionist movement. Did Washington have flaws? Yes, but he was still a man who tried to do right and was MILES ahead of most other revolutionary leaders in morality (unlike Mao, Robespierre, etc.).
I’m not 100% sure about this, but I’ve heard a rumor that wasn’t really him on stage! Apparently, they might’ve hired an actor to play his part in Hamilton!!!
Yes Washington owned slaves as most Presidents did until Lincoln. He let his slaves go on his deathbed. It’s a historical fact that is well known and frowned upon. But knowing that, Washington is one of my favorite Presidents as well for being non partisan and humble for stepping down after 2 terms of the presidency.
In addition, Washington's will stated that the slaves of the mount Vernon estate would be freed after his wife's death. Washington also personally frowned upon slavery. In the Summer, I was able to visit Washington's estate.
He actually does seem pretty solidly Hamiltonian in policy, just I guess reluctant to too firmly or loudly admit it, but he was still generally a uniter.
I think the most influential and impressive decision of Washingston's life was to resign his post as Commander of the Continental Army after the war ended. As illustrated by Napoleon several years later, Washington could have easily used the complete loyalty and devotion of his troops to simply seize unilateral power and declare himself Emperor. But instead, he gave it all up and went back to his farm. If someone even slightly more unscruplous or power-hungry than Washington had been faced with the same decision, things might have turned out completely different.
The US was so blessed to have Washington. Many South American, Asian, and later African revolutionaries couldn't bring themselves to his level and actually back down from power.
@@robertortiz-wilson1588 they couldn't back down from "power" because the imperialist governments were still threatening them. America was at peace and knew they weren't going to be assassinated by their former colonists.
my favorite fact about president George Washington is that he really admired Cincinnatus and the way he took up power, to defend Rome and then gave up power once his duty was done and went back to his farm. The fact that a deed done by a man 2200 years ago had such a profound effect on Washington which we could argue even lead to the voluntary 2 term limit until FDR is simply too wild to believe.
People like Cincinnatus are whis learning Roman history as an Italian is frustrating af. You read about Cincinnatus or Marcus Aurelius and other political figures so rightous that they make you feel genuine admiration then you watch current politicians and the only thing passing through your mind is "wtf happened". I mean the US also doesn't have politicians like Washington and Hamilton anymore but at least it's not corruption land, if you think Trump is bad wait untill you read about Berlusconi.
my favorite part about Washington and Lincoln is that both men knew what was right despite not knowing it. Lincoln was racist and still freed slaves, Washington was a sexist who married arguably the first feminist, its like both men were guided by humane principles despite being men of their era
How was lincoln racist? Is it the statement about him preserving the union while not freeing slaves? Cause I saw that as him directing it to ask audience who could car less of dishes being freed *basic Americans at the time*. If he didn't care for it then he could've prevented it but that was the whole point of the war
"Lincoln was racist". Yes and no. Most 19th century people would be considered racist or at the very least problematic to an extent today. But it wouldn't be fair to not consider how much Lincoln evolved throughout his career on race issues, being far ahead of many people of his time.
Actually Hamilton and Jefferson made political parties during his,lifetime so he saw what happened and he probably forgave them and don’t make alliances wouldn’t work because every county needs Allie’s for trade he was a great man but deep down he was a farmer not a politician so he wouldn’t understand the necessity of making alliences second he was right about political parties because q00 years after him America was torn in half by Union and confederate who probably considered themselves political parties but in modern day there will always be different people who like different things and the same goes for his time so it was kinda necessary he didn’t understand that not that I’m critiquing him I still love this man very much but he didn’t think things through enough but at least he forgave Hamilton and Jefferson and don’t crest alliences is a very bad idea because most wolf and furniture we have today comes from China things we have are shipped for other countries all over the world plus he needed alliences too his alliance with the French was why he won the war he met Marquis Lafayette a French Marquis who he loved like an adopted son and who helped him,pay,off his war debts and buy weapons and at Yorktown the French fleet helped him trap the British so without his allience with France he wouldn’t have won also large scale wars like world,war 1 were much bigger than his war si alliences were necessary
@@TheMagnaficent I'm not sure that Washington forgave Hamilton and Jefferson. Washington and Jefferson especially did not have a good relation in the last years of the former's life (Martha flat out hated Jefferson).
There are reasons to dislike George Washington that aren't slavery. That said, if more American presidents strove to be more like Washington... maybe America would be a better, fairer, more balanced place now.
It's a pretty big one. Plus the starting a war wasn't nice. The whole starting a revolution just to stay rich and murder Native Americans and steal their land is also really, really bad.
@@aetherkid the French and Indian War/Seven Years War started for a variety of reasons and was going to happen one way or the other. Nobody started the American Revolution and American War of Independence to "stay rich." I don't know where that asinine idea originated from, but I know a lot of leftists unfortunately love to propagate it. I'm not saying you're a leftist but you're spreading a dumb and harmful lie. The Founders pledged their lives and fortunes towards the Revolution. They knew that each signature on the Declaration of Independence was signing their execution warrant for treason if they losted the war. Many actually did in fact end up going broke during and after the revolution. Native Americans had been slaughtering each other over hunting and settlement land for centuries before Europeans turned up and did the same thing but better. Natives also practiced slavery long before Europeans showed up. That's not a justification anything, it is however the truth of History that gets purposely overlooked so fake moral crusaders can paint everything including themselves as black and white.
I would love to see you talk about Theodore Roosevelt. A larger than life figure and my personal favorite president. I think there is enough material there for a very entertaining and educational video.
@@iammrbeat Sagamore hill is an amazing place to visit if you ever get the chance, surprisingly modest for what you would imagine, one room that holds Teddy’s personal belongings is blocked off for entry but you can look inside it has some really cool stuff, including a katana that was given to Roosevelt by the emperor of Japan after his brokering of the Russo-Japanese war peace deal.
What's extremely unfortunate is that his legacy on slavery is beginning to trump all of his other legacies to the point that many are either forgetting about his contributions or are becoming dismissive towards them. Because of that, people are beginning to consider stripping his position of honor in the American mind, all based on a single part of his legacy.
Plus, people forget at the time, slavery was very common and not seen as inhumane. Although I do think slavery is a terrible institution, but people forget that it wasn’t seen as bad back then
@@brendan594 yeah it isn't a very good argument as literally everyone did it so condemning him is condemning literally everyone not in like Vermont or another place with 0 slaves.
can't seem to understand why people think that someone's "good" history-making actions should trump them OWNING OTHER PEOPLE AS PROPERTY. who gives a fuck if they started america, or if that's "just how people acted back then", that doesn't change anything, they had HORRIBLE attitudes towards other human beings and treated their slaves HORRIBLY, and therefore we shouldn't hold them up as important figures. thanks.
Black guy here. Most would expect Lincoln to be my favorite but he is actually my 2nd. Washington, as mentioned in the video, did so much more for America. Lincoln still a g tho.
I’m related to someone who taught Washington the art of surveying before he got his license. I’m also part Cherokee. He really was a good leader. He kept the spirits of the colonies from collapsing. Also what most ppl don’t know is at the end of his life, he realized slavery wasn’t good, but he didn’t live long enough to do anything about it. If he had lived longer, he could have done a lot of good to our nation.
He purposely exploited loopholes in slave law to keep his slaves past their release date. He knew it was wrong his whole life. He was a murderer and a monster.
Well not a murderer bc he never killed a slave of his, or a monster. The reason ppl owned slaves back then was that’s what their dads, and their dads, and their dads before that all the way back to pre Grecian times and Egypt times. It’s not only white ppl. U know the first colonist who had slaves from the early 1600s, was a black man? He got the idea from a Native American tribe, where they enslaved other native Americans for them trying to raid their settlements. See, we are all terrible ppl.
We tend to forget that Washington lived in a world that had a lot more in common with that of Julius Caesar or Pharaoh, than it does to our own. When Washington need to go somewhere, he walked, or rode, or sailed. When he needed to communicate long distance, he had to send a messenger or go their himself. He used fire and candles to heat and light his home. And just like Caesar and the pharaohs, he grew up in and lived in a world of Kings, and Priests, and Slaves. What's truly remarkable isn't that Washington owned slaves, it's that he ever realized it was wrong at all. Virtually _no_ writer from Caesar or Pharaoh's time had even _considered_ that slavery is immoral. Not Plato, not Socrates, not Confucius. Washington helped create a world where slavery is a thing of the past. To condemn Washington for owning slaves is to not appreciate the wonderful Progress we've made as a species, and how that Progress came about.
I don’t think condemning his actions for owning slaves lessens or makes anyone unappreciative for how he was vital in the establishment of our country. You can acknowledge what someone did and still condemn other actions. No one is perfect, and context shows that was standard practice for the times. Having the thought of freeing slaves vs actually freeing them are two different things. He didn’t free them and actively sought to make sure his slaves didn’t establish residency in PA due to abolition laws. Washington was a great president, and absolutely vital to our country. But I’d bet a large amount of people wouldn’t give him credit for just having thoughts with no actions towards slavery. Nor do I believe he is owed any credit for having those thoughts
Exactly, also we have to remember that in world history slaves were not only black people, there were white Caucasians, Asians, Hispanic, etc. slaves. The idea of making only the black skin people slaves came from the British. This is so they can be easily identified by outside skin color, instead of just the brands aka tattoos of slaves as identification in Roman times, the Romans & Egyptians used to use that can be easily hidden. So, most white people you see today are descendants of slaves as well.
As a surveyor, George Washington is a badass. I had a chief years ago who had surveyed in many states, including Virginia. He resurveyed some rural land a few decades ago, and according to the taxmaps and county records, it was previously surveyed by Washington. Incredible story to tell.
Boy, the brainwashing really does a job here! I'll give you more insight on how Washington screwed people over. Just ask! However. He still had some morals and values! Now, those forefathers, wow!
He could’ve been king but turned it down many politicians and even presidents wouldn’t do the same Washington is true hero his impact on American history cannot be stated enough
Heck, he didn't even HAVE to become a king, he could have simply become a dictator (like other revolutionary leaders including Lenin, Mao, Franco, Mussolini, Cromwell, etc.). Nope, he builds an actually functioning republic and then retires. Straight up legendary when judged by history.
Old George had started having issues with slavery before the war ever started; it wasn't as a result of his war experiences. He stopped buying slaves in 1772, and in spite of a great increase in his slave population from births over deaths, he refused to sell any without their permission (which they never gave, meaning he couldn't have been that horrible an owner).
Thats what greed does, regardless how questionable your business plan may be youre like eff it. Plus Lincoln isn't as guru as they perceive him since he wanted to send them back to Africa
@@ricechido1089 You need to take that in context. Lincoln supported the colony idea, which was a very popular opinion amongst abolitionists, because he genuinely thought that was what American Slaves wanted. That because of the hardship and horror they faced in America, they'd want to return to their homeland. In meeting with Frederick Douglas, he rightly explained that the slaves were still American and that they wanted to stay here so shit could change for the better. Lincoln heeded the man's words and never mentioned the colony idea again.
@@bullseye5202 Agree. Despite his personal feelings, Lincoln was a pragmatist that was keenly aware of the political realities of his day. Even hinting that blacks were equal to whites in those days would have been absolute political suicide. And for all practical purposes, Lincoln's policies were actual suicide because he always knew that his assassination was a real possibility! He did as much as he could do as soon as he could do it. The 13th and 14th Amendments were no small feat!
Exactly! Lincoln was neither saint nor sinner. He was indeed a pragmatist politician. Any discussion about ending slavery, in any era, is incomplete without first discussing the totality of the real world implications of ending an entrench social/economic institution that had existed for thousands of years. A handful of founding fathers were not going to change it, and attempting to do so would have most certainly derailed the founding of the republic. Lincoln needed precisely the right political moment. The issues were so complex and so contentious that they could only be temporarily resolved with various tricks and compromises from 1787 - 1861. 600,000+ American died in the bloodiest confrontation in our history and that still... still... did not completely settle issues that linger on to this very day. It's ludicrous for anyone to suggest that Washington freeing his slaves would have made any difference. It could have actually made things worse!
George Washington was a great inspiration for Indian freedom fighters who wanted to achieve independence and freedom through revolution. It is also said that American Revolutionaries shared a close alliance with Mysore Empire of Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali. Overall, George Washington was a great statesman and a great revolutionary who fought against colonialism.
@@aetherkid I know he had owned slaves, but we should look at his positive aspects. We should not blame Washington for the things that were done by Jackson, Buchanan and all those people.
@@revolutionaryape7568 like... Being part of a war to create a country with the explicit goal of furthering the slave trade and conquering Native American land?
@@aetherkid b.s if you think the only goal of the U,S was to spread slavery, your Crazy. I can’t believe some people think that. If you want the goals of the nation, read the federalist papers, the U.S Declaration of Independence and constitution. And btw there is nothing wrong with conquering native land. Also one more note, should people who drive gas cars during global warming be considered evil and worthless? Because I mean global warming is kinda worse then slavery isn’t? Or should you a possible person who drives gas be understood for your time and economic dependency on a car as well as a thought that the institution would die out eventually. That kinda sounds like another institution, doesn’t it?
@@ToastieBRRRN Roosevelt was the only one who served more than 2, Washington set the precedent of two terms, but it wasn't part of the Constitution til much later.
The thing with Washington is that it’s hard to top him anyway. When you create a country and set a bunch of precedents for future leaders while also being a chad general, there’s almost no way to out do him. Teddy is the second best president and closest to tying with George. The one main thing he did better was that he had an amazing mustache.
Thanks for sharing! I'm not an American but I do seem to enjoy American politics and American Presidents are quite fascinating. Regrettably, no one seems to have any ability to understand context anymore and I'm glad you mentioned historical relevance. Their flaws should be understood and learned from. They don't need to be judged by today's standards when today's standards didn't exist then.
GW is definitely the goat for sure. While he's not my favorite president of all time (that would be dwight d eisenhower) he's definitely very close to it. Great video
@@theleftistvortex Mr. Beat isn’t a huge fan of Lincoln. He thinks Lincoln was a good president but Lincoln isn’t a top 10 greatest presidents according to Mr. Beat. Watch his presidential tier list and his top 10 favorite presidents video.
I’m losing my patience with my fellow liberals. The fact is that there is a country called the United States of America that struggled with itself about slavery. The founding “fathers” owned slaves. But they also had a vision about a country where the citizens governed themselves and democracy was the foundation of how political decisions were made. The American form of government is self-correcting. In the mid-1860s the struggle about slavery turned into a war. It turned into the Emancipation Proclamation. It turned into a country that still struggled with the status of black citizens. It continues to struggle. But I don’t see how we can “cancel” George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other visionary leaders because they embodied the struggle that the rest of the country struggled with. Tell me who we can revere if we cancel George and Tom?
It's not necessarily cancelling historical figures. With that logic, history textbooks and classes have been "cancelling" people like Hitler and Stalin. This is more to show how racism has been deeply rooted within US history and that allows us to realize and criticize that.
@@onlyrxby Taking down a statue of Hitler and destroying it - good. Taking down a statue of Robert E. Lee and putting it into a museum that explains his role in the insurrection called the Civil War - good. Taking down a statue of Jefferson - not good. Talking about his flaws and criticizing his double-standard regarding liberty is perfectly reasonable. He was still a “founding father”.
I'm finishing a biography of Robert E. Lee. When Lee met with Grant at Appomattox, Grant offered terms that surprised him. Grant "paroled" Lee and his soldiers. He let them keep their personal weapons and horses, ostensibly for use for farming that spring. Lee felt those were honorable terms and agreed to surrender. But the new president and secretary of war decided it was better to consider mid- to high-level officers in the Confederate military to be traitors and try them. What followed was an interesting period of legal wrangling. It seemed that the laws at the time defined "traitor" as someone who colluded with a foreign power. The contention of Lincoln and other Union leaders was that the Confederate States of America never existed and therefore was not a foreign power. So legally these "rebels" were not traitors. And thus began the ambiguity that has followed the US to this day. Lincoln wanted to end the rebellion and so he did. The rebels surrendered and many sincerely turned the page and rejoined the Union. Slavery was abolished but not racism or terrorism toward people with dark skin. The myth of the "Lost Cause" gave comfort to many in the South. Statues that venerated the rebel leaders were openly erected in places of public worship. I've come to the place that I analogize this to a husband and wife whose marriage went on to the rocks because the husband had an affair and told his wife he wanted a divorce. The wife refused and said she would fight to save the marriage. Eventually the husband decided to come back home but only grudgingly. They lived under the same roof and occasionally were friendly but never really in love. The husband yearned for his mistress and hung up a lot of pictures of her in the spare bedroom. Maybe Lee was not legally a traitor. In the spirit of reuniting the Union and moving forward, amnesty was granted to the leaders of the CSA in the late 1860s and there was no further legal action for waging war against the Union. As Lincoln said, "with malice toward none and charity toward all..." A marriage can be saved through repentance and forgiveness. A married couple can put the transgression of the marriage vows behind them. Perhaps the memory will fade as good years mount in the future. But the wife in my analogy will never live comfortably with a shrine in her home -- and shouldn't have to. The husband should not venerate the mistress. He should put that episode behind him and do his best to be a good husband and partner going forward.
I feel like Rhode Island founder Roger Williams is similar to Washington except that Williams was even more ahead of his time. I think he is one of the most underrated Early Americans
He's one of the most self made men ever. You could gripe about having a wealthy background but at a point, that stops being a factor. He was placed into militia and worked hard at it. Without a substantial education, still wanted to learn and became a great leader from his intense study.
@@simonhoel2704 hey Simon. Much of what you buy comes from modern day slavery where people are shackled, beaten, raped and killed. The metal used in the batteries on your computer or smartphone you used to make your comment was hand dug in colbalt mines by adults and children with no protective gear. Do you toss and turn at night over this? Native Americans had slaves. There were prosperous black slave owners. Both those groups supported and fought for the south in the civil war. The Bible condones slavery. The prophet Muhammad owned and sold slaves yet billions of people follow those religions. Slavery has been the norm in human history and still exists in larger numbers today. Society today lives passively and quietly alongside modern day slavery just like you. Virtue signalers like you cherry pick through history on which person upsets you. If you're honest with yourself you don't care about slavery in general. It's those certain individuals that upset you. In more modern history we have MLK. He had affairs with dozens of women. He participated in orgies. He witnessed woman getting raped and did nothing. Yet he's greatly admired. Not to mention that he was a major plagiarizer when he went for his doctorate. One more thing if you were from the 1700s and was wealthy and has a plantation you'd be a slave owner. If Washington was alive today he wouldn't have slaves. See how that works. Quit using our modern lens to judge people from 300 years ago.
Exactly. Even worse tho is those kind of people are winning cuz in NYC, a statue of Jefferson was taken down for that precise reason. Not to mention all the recent protests and riots where a number statues of the founders were vandalized and ripped from their pedestals.
26:25 This is not a good argument in favour of Lincoln being racist. He was in a debate with Stephen Douglas and tried to get the crowd on his side, it was more of a populist move rather than his genuine belief. Its what politicians often do. If you wanted to find something about him that makes him racist, it was rather his support for deporting freed slaves back to Africa.
Even then it could be argued that it was seen as morally right to send back the people to land of which freedmen's ancestors were stolen from - problem is they see Africa as monolithic hence doesn't really "return" them back.
He didn't "believe" in slavery, he just didn't know how to solve it. That's the real answer. That's why he actually signed legislature which actually led to the civil war years later. (which was actually kinda irresponsible)
The presidency is far too complex anymore for any one person to be able to handle all of its duties with as much grace and professionalism as Washington had in his time. I think that's important to remember when comparing presidents from the early USA to the modern age.
“President Washington advised against political parties and said let’s all just work together. And that lasted, you know, 10 minutes.” -My AP Government teacher
Good video, I do feel that it is important to remember just how much Washington contributed to our country, but it is also important to remember that Slavery is wrong and we can judge that. However that should only be part of how we look at him because nothing exist in a vacuum.
shove your slaver apologia back up where it came from. the first and last thing anyone should think of is that he was a POS slaver and the world would have been better the sooner he died. this is true for ALL slavers. there is no atonement there is no redemption they are the worst people to ever live.
Right on, Mr. Beat. Washington is in my top three, along with John Adams and Theodore Roosevelt. Washington was indeed a man of his time and I wholeheartedly agree with what you said about historical relativism. But he also showed a great amount of wisdom and forethought, and took every decision he made quite seriously as he knew everything he said and did would be scrutinized in future generations. A very wise man, and flawed like all the rest of us. And also quite the ladies' man.
Teddy Roosevelt was also a great President and Bill Clinton doesn’t get enough attention either. Obama could also be considered a good President but too recent for history to judge and he almost made some bad decisions.
George definitely deserves credit for what he did, but I would argue Abraham Lincoln’s achievement was far more significant. Preserving the Union, something which inspired little loyalty or positivity in the South, while pushing for what was an incredibly radical, yet objectively morally good policy of complete emancipation, was a task of such monumental difficulty that I’m unconvinced anyone but Lincoln could have achieved it. Both are the GOATs nonetheless.
I wouldn't say he was radical. He only wanted to ban the slave trade when he was campaigning, and didn't abolish slavery until the North was starting to lose.
Technically, Lincoln only banned slavery in the Confederacy, and there was hardly anyone who obeyed the Emancipation Proclamation given the state of rebellion. While it was an important statement, it was still only just a statement with little to no practical effect. Furthermore, slavery remained completely legal in the border states of Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware until the ratification of the 13th Amendment in late 1865 after Lincoln's death. On top of that, Lincoln's first priority was always to force the Confederacy back into the Union over ending slavery. Still, Lincoln always favored the abolition of slavery and would've pursued it as President even if the Civil War never happened, although he would've likely found it much more difficult to achieve without first defeating the political opposition in a literal war.
My other problem with Lincoln is that he essentially bent the constitution as far as it could bend without snapping it. Suspending Habeas Corpus was really bad imo.
I agree with you that what Lincoln managed was truly incredible. However, it's important to remember that Washington was also essential for preserving the Union in its infancy. No one else could unify the country like him. His presidency was also very revolutionary in and of itself. So much so that we take it completely for granted today. Think of all the other military revolutionaries of South America, Asia, and later Africa who in the end couldn't bring themselves to step away from ever more power despite it being better for the country and the people in the long run. Washington is a legend among men in history.
When people say “there’s no context where a person who owned slaves is a good person” they usually say this from their slave built phone wearing slave made clothes. Like adding a middle man makes it okay. In 200 years people will be saying the same thing about them as they are about George Washington today
Mr beat forgot which group of people he's talking to, we're living in a time where no matter how much good someone does people they are only going to see them for the negatives
It's because if I was the first US president, I would have Freed the slaves, guaranteed civil rights, done the new deal, and given universal suffrage because as the President I can do whatever I want. That's my problem with some of the criticism of Washington, there is a bit of hindsight bias and a lack of historical context.
@spiderdog07 Um, no, he couldn't do any of that only Congress can. Not to mention he whole reasoning for being elected was to unify the already fragile country, but based on what you said you would've done you would've made sure America ended before it even got to the 19th century.
it’s my belief that mr washington was a super genius and could see what america would turn to before i did. He also specifically said during his farewell speech that partisanship would "open the door to foreign influence and corruption". He never knew just how right he would be. also believed political parties would split it up. Right again George.
I 100% agree. I have about two "favorites." There's definite favorite, and there's a favorite outside of the definite. Washington is easily my definite favorite. My other type of favorite, would be one I am in to. One I consider a good president, and more of a recent one. This would be basically anyone that's not Lincoln or Washington.
Technically, Washington was born on February 11 under the Julian Calendar in use by the British Empire at the time. When they adopted the Gregorian Calendar in 1752, Washington adjusted his birthday accordingly.
That is something I agree with 100%. I've had liberal friends say Obama was the best president and conservative friends say Trump was the best president, but nobody will ever top Washington. I could name lots of reasons, but pretty much all of them were covered here. If it wasn't for Washington, we probably wouldn't even have the United States.
I'm a firm believer you can't really judge someone from the past based on their morality in that time period. Being a slave owner (which was acceptable at that time) did not take away from the kind of good leader Washington was.
George Washington was absolutely in the top 5. He was a great man of his time. If he had wanted to be king no one would have been able to stop him. The fact that he gave us a republic and not a monarchy is astounding. That is impossible to argue against. I wish people didn't shit on warren G Harding so much though The man didn't get much of a chance to do anything. He himself was not proven to be corrupt it was only the people around him. It makes me really sad that Warren G Harding didn't get the chance to prove himself.
@@lmperlum Warren G Harding was really liked by the American people when he was elected. He was a lot kinder of a man than his predecessor and a lot more competent than his successor. His predecessor Woodrow Wilson was not just racist. He was racist by the standards of the time. He suppressed free speech and screened a KKK movie in the white house. Wilson wanted everyone to believe that the confederacy were the good guys in the civil war... Warren g Harding was no transformative leader but he did try to bring America together again. He even had some ideas that sound pretty progressive. The man gave speeches about how he wanted to end lynching. He was surrounded by corrupt people because politics of the time was very corrupt not really his fault. The teapot dome scandal happened and then he had a heart attack. I don't think he was past his 2nd year in the white house. He really didn't get a chance. His vice president then took over Calvin coolage. Coolage bragged that he did nothing and got lots of sleep in the white house. He slept though his entire job except for when he woke up once to bust a union and then he went back to sleep. Of the 3 men I would say Harding was the best president of the 1920s. He does not deserve all the hate people pour on him. At least he had some good ideas.
My favorite president is Lincoln. I personally like him due to the fact he helped abolish slavery. But you're opinion is completely valid! Thank you for the nice video.
@@abdurrahmanqureshi3030 How? I believe that freeing 4 million slaves is a very good thing. Though he had his flaws, just like every other president, I think he did the most good. (By the way, who's your favorite president?)
I have aways liked George Washington, I admire his humility. Your assessment was spot on about what I knew about him. My fave president is TR, Teddy Roosevelt. The meaning of life is friendship be good to them and enjoy them. or 42. Also I think you should keep your money, teachers don't make enough.
Great video, Mr. Beat. I absolutely love history and knew a lot of this. I just like to watch your videos and really like Pres. Washington. I often wonder what he and our founding fathers would think of America if they saw it today. If they’d be horrified or if they’d be happy to see we’re still chugging along.
You'd see a mixed response. On one hand, they'd like how we're still standing after all this time and on top of that, one of the world's biggest superpowers. On the other hand, they'd be disgusted with various policies and issues whether it be the PATRIOT Act, the war on terror, LGBT+ rights, the war on drugs (remember that the Founding Fathers were used to even the hardest of drugs being as easy to purchase as candy), women in politics, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
I want to echo Ben. Probably both. They would likely be most surprised at how little the Constitution had been amended. ONLY 17 AMENDMENTS SINCE THE BILL OF RIGHTS?!? WHAT?!? They would most admire are diversity and innovation.
@@robertortiz-wilson1588 Many people in our country don't have the same views. People are tearing down statues of Lincoln. He was not a perfect man but he did more for Black People than anyone maybe MLK or Grant, but still.
I wished I would have lived at this period to witness the French and American revolutions ! So many historical figures like Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, or Lafayette, and seeing the establishment of 2 democracies, with their mistakes, how they went over it and their lessons !
Also, I totally agree with you! Although, I definitely wouldn't want to live there for too long. I know I'd eventually miss modern medicine, modern plumbing, and other modern conveniences lol. However, if I could somehow have conversations with absolute Heros and Legends like Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, Hamilton, Lafayette and so many others, I could never pass that up.
I can do that, Thomas Jefferson was an irredeemable slave owner responsible for countless beatings murders and rapes. Andrew Jackson was the same but he also committed multiple genocidal acts against American Indians. that the only part of their history that matters anyway.
@@iammrbeat Hutchinson! Actually watching your videos on the presidents ( recently ) got me into history! I didn’t know we had memorials for certain presidents. Your content has taught me new things. Win win!
@@iammrbeat I feel like a bad Kansan. For the last year I’ve gone to Abiline for antique shopping and I always say “ I need to check out the Eisenhower Museum..” safe to say I will do that this year LOL.
This was a really neat video and a bit different from what you normally post 😊 It would be cool if you did more videos like this in the future where you highlight the life of someone influencial
Wonderful video! George Washington is my second favorite President of the United States! I’d say personally though that my all-time favorite President is John F. Kennedy. Appreciate your exceptional analysis of my favorite Founding Father!
I went to Mt. Vernon in the 8th grade which was about 4 years ago. It's a really nice place. I'll always remember it as the place one of my assigned group mates got food poisoning and threw up next to some tree where 30+ people saw him.
with the whole slave thing, 1. it's not like he believed slavery was good his whole life 2. he was basically taught that it was ok 3. there isn't one person who agrees with EVERYTHING a president that they like agrees with, presidents make big mistakes sometimes🤷♀
While I think he was our best my favorite is Zachary Taylor. He hated political parties and wanted to serve the country, not a party. Didn't play dumb politics and was against the expansion of slavery.
Lincoln is my personal favorite, with Kennedy coming second. Washington comes in as a very close third for me. He is tied with Teddy (my 4th favorite) as the most badass president we've ever had, and tied with both Lincoln and FDR as one of our most influential presidents. Washington will always hold a special place in the eyes of many American's, and maybe some people around the world as well.
That siblings that were mentioned as “step,” where they actually half siblings, like Lawrence Washington? Fairly certain he was an older half brother, not step
For the sake of being holistic, while I talk about how much I like Washington, I still do mention the part where he owned slaves as a reminder that he wasn't perfect and that as great as he is, his owning of slaves was still morally inexcusable. However, without Washington there would be no United States, which is exactly why he's also still my favorite President in US history like he's yours too.
While we see slavery as inexcusable, they would see abortion for convenience as beyond a joke for anyone who even pretends to consider slavery as inexcusable. They would know such people were incurable consummate hypocrites without a shred of self-awareness or ability to reason over any subject, but trapped in a state of constant self-flattery permanently sealed off from reality, that prevents anyone from breaking through their self-delusion.
Saying George Washington is your favourite president is like saying pizza is your favourite food or vanillia is your favourite flavour. Feels basic and safe, but not massively wrong
I think my favorite (non-founding father) president is a tie between Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. As for my favorite president, it’d obviously be Washington, though Jefferson and Madison are a close second and third.
As a black woman, being a slave owner automatically disqualifies Washington from the chance at favorite or best President in my book…I absolutely acknowledge his importance and achievements, BUT I give “best” award to Lincoln. Period. ✊🏾
@johnobama6629 first off, *They're. Second, damn near everyone you read about in history is dead. Doesn't invalidate the conversation. Third, who doesn't care about modern slavery? It's literally illegal nearly everywhere. You're not saying anything profound, kid.
Slavery has existed since the beginning of mankind. It still exists today. Many of your products that you buy originate from there. These people are beaten shackled raped and killed yet society passively lives alongside it. The Bible condones slavery. The prophet Muhammed owned and sold slaves yet billions of people still follow these religions. Did you know there were prosperous black slave owners and the indigenous had slaves. Both those groups fought for and supported the south in the civil war. The first legal slave owner in the colonies was a black man named Anthony Johnson, he was a former slave himself. Washington became conflicted over slavery during his lifetime. In his will he not only freed them but left them money. He was brought up in this world with slavery. His father died when he was 11 and that is when he inherited slaves. Let's bring up some more current history. MLK is a man that is greatly admired. Yet he had major flaws in his character. He had affairs with dozens of women. He actively participated in orgies. He also witnessed women getting raped and id not intervene. When he went for his doctorate he did some major plagiarizing. Judging people through the context of THEIR time and not OUR time is important. Same thing will happen to us. I wonder what people in 300 years from now will look back in horror at some of the things we did during our time.
I agree with you George Washington is my idol though he did own slaves, he released them after his death which is something not every US did. Also the many good he did probably outweighs the few bad he did.
