Oh, no he didn't

Journey Location: Finished "The Ascent of George Washington."

In 2013, American politics has never been as nasty or divisive.

Turns out, that's not true. Political divide was so rabid during George Washington's presidency that some cabinet members hated each other so much they tried to get other members removed and future presidents took potshots at one another in the press. A few examples:

• Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson urged Washington to remove Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton from office over Hamilton's plans to fund the new nation.
• Washington ended his relationship with James Madison around this time as Madison refused to endorse Hamilton's funding plans. He later cut most ties with Jefferson, as well.
• Many newspapers wrote that Washington was secretly aiding Great Britain in its fight against the French, which took the U.S.'s side during the Revolutionary War vs. Britain.
• Hamilton accused Jefferson of being power hungry and driven to begin an evil political party. He also called Jefferson "a cowardly assassin," someone who did not fight during the Revolutionary War and hinted of a sexual relationship between him and a female slave.

Makes today's political arguments sound like a G-rated Disney movie.

For Washington's part, he did what he could to restore peace within his cabinet, often writing letters to both Hamilton and Jefferson to end their bickering. (It appears the letters didn't work. Washington also nearly always sided with Hamilton over Jefferson, and for that matter, nearly everyone else).

So when we, as Americans today, talk about how divided the country is and how our leaders have never been this divided, let's remember no one is accusing no one of sleeping with a slave (well, if there were slaves today - but you get my point.).

And the Oscar goes to...

Journey Location: Chapter 9, "The Ascent of George Washington."

It's getting hard to root for George Washington.

I understand he was our first president. I know he fought as commander of the Continental Army for  eight years. I get that he's on the dollar bill. So I really want to like him.

But so far, I wouldn't have trusted him with one of my dogs if I lived back then.

Throughout the Revolutionary War, he never stopped taking credit for others' successes and he never took blame for really anything. In fact, according to the book, he didn't have much influence behind the British surrender at Yorktown, and therefore, America's independence. It gives much credit to the French's force and their strategy.

John Adams and Benjamin Franklin even credited other forces for the win (another general in one case, and luck in the other). With the book's subtitle being, "The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon," I'm guessing that's the point. Washington knew how to stretch successes (even when they weren't his) into fame and deflect his setbacks as failures by others.

Although not known as a great speechmaker, Washington understood and was a fan of theater. In fact, Adams, according to the book, said Washington was the best actor he saw in his 25 years of public service.

For better or worse, sounds like Washington would fit perfectly with some of today's politicians.

Washington the jerk

Journey location: Chapter four of John Ferling's "The Ascent of George Washington."

George Washington was a jerk.

The nation's first president could be unfair, dishonest and yes, a jerk - at least early in his military and political life.

As a colonel in the Virginia army in 1756, Washington ordered soldiers to confiscate goods from civilians, blamed others for his own military mistakes and took credit for the success of others. Later, he organized a land scheme that robbed land from other soldiers and lied about the value of land so he could purchase it cheaply.

And that's why I've been engulfed with John Ferling's "The Ascent of George Washington." When you think of Washington today in 2013, you think of the dollar bill, the Revolution and Mount Rushmore. We are taught to think of only good things. The book gives you another side of Washington - a more political, self-serving and calculating side of our nation's No. 1.

This side is a particularly interesting contrast coming from just finishing reading about Lincoln in "Team of Rivals." (Editor's note: The idea for reading a book about each president in order came while reading "Team of Rivals," which is why this blog begins with Lincoln and not Washington. John Adams will be next after the conclusion of "Ascent.") Where Lincoln was humble, honest and ready to listen to others, Washington early in life was nearly the exact opposite.

But Washington's character changes as he is appointed by Congress as commander of the Continental army. Ferling notes, "Gone was the pleasure-seeking, consumer-oriented planter. Gone was the man who, in an earlier war, had abandoned his men repeatedly to look after his person interests. Gone was the man who had been too busy with private pursuits to tend to his obligations in the assembly. The times and the cause demanded that he recast himself. He became General Washington, the self-denying and unstinting warrior who was focused on the national interest and on victory."

Washington was a jerk. Was being the key word.

Lincoln and Stanton: Lessons on grudges

Journey location: Finished Team of Rivals

We've all watched historical tragic movies and hope by some miracle that things will turn out differently. Flight 93 is a great example. No matter how much you hope the passengers will retake the plane from the 9/11 terrorists, you know in the back of your mind, they will come painstakingly close yet their lives will end in tragedy.

That's the feeling I got yesterday while finishing "Team of Rivals."

I never knew the reason Lincoln decided to attend Ford's Theater the night he would be shot was because the National Republican had already reported he would attend. "I supposed it's time to go though I would rather stay. It has been advertised that we will be there and I cannot disappoint the people."

Don't go. 

Hours later, the 16th president would be dead.

The sense of sadness that would engulf his current and former cabinet members was deep. The sadness illustrated one of Lincoln's greatest characteristic: his egoless personality. I was particularly struck by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton's reaction. The book says he was uncontrollable and the mere mention of Lincoln's name would cause him to break down and weep bitterly.

When I read this, I was taken back to their first meeting years before Lincoln would run for president. He had traveled to Ohio to serve as an attorney on a case. Upon seeing Lincoln, Stanton snubbed the future president, telling a law partner, "Why did you bring that ... long armed Ape here...he does not know any thing and can do you no good." With that, the men left Lincoln behind.

Years later, Stanton was unconsolable about Lincoln's death. Stanton learned to love the political genius and kind nature of Lincoln. I don't mention this story just to expand my thoughts on how kind of a person Lincoln was. Up until Lincoln appointed Stanton war secretary, the Civil War was not going well for the Union. Imagine if Lincoln was an ego-driven leader. What if Stanton never took over the War Department? Would the north and the south still be two separate entities 150 years later?

In finishing Team of Rivals, I was a bit sad. It was such a good read that I didn't want it to end. Of course, it was more than that. Lincoln was dead, and tragedy and death would soon reach his friends and cabinet members in many ways.

Still, there's a lesson in the ending for us all. If Lincoln's death brought such grief to so many who once thought of him too simple or even too dumb to be president, it makes you think grudges are quite pointless. Where would we be as Americans today if Lincoln believed in keeping grudges.

More importantly - where would we be if we didn't believe in keeping them in our personal and professional lives?

Their Final Term - The story begins

Do you know how long Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address was? Before reaching it in Doris Kearns Goodwin's "Team of Rivals," I would have guessed it spanned thousands of words and took up multiple pages.

I also would have been wrong.

The speech was about only four paragraphs, and in fact, was so short, that it left the crowd gathered to hear it in November 1863 speechless. Lincoln initially took the crowd's reaction to mean the speech was a failure. In fact, they loved it, but were moved at how the nation's 16th president summed up the battle and its ties to the nation's founding so succinctly.

A lot can be learned about living life from Lincoln's own life, and the short Gettysburg Address is just one example. Lincoln never spoke just to be heard. He never wilted under pressure. He was always willing to tell a story or a joke - even during the worst periods of the Civil War. Wouldn't life be better if everyone operated that way? Meetings would be shorter. More would get done. Life would be fuller. We could focus on matters that, well, matter.

Their Final Term

Last year, I began reading "Team of Rivals." While it has taken me longer to finish than I'd like to admit, it hasn't been the book's fault. In fact, reading the book and learning stories about Lincoln, his cabinet and the country during his lifetime, has inspired me to read at least one book about each past president.

Yes, even presidents like John Tyler, Millard Fillmore and Chester Arthur. Be honest: some of you can admit to not knowing they were presidents.

The mission to read at least one book about each president will take time. Some of it will be painful. Some of the reading will fly by. But my personal goal is to increase my knowledge of our commanders-in-chief, relate their days' issues to ours and share this process with all of you.

I understand that I've started this journey a bit out of order. But hey, that's life. Once I finish "Team of Rivals," I'll start with our first main man - President Washington. If you have ideas for the best Washington book, shoot me an email - chadprevich@hotmail.com - or leave a comment. So far, "The Ascent of George Washington" is the leader.