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.).