Let's be honest. Not every President deserves to be honored, but one most certainly does.
George Washington.
In 1879, Congress declared Washington's Birthday, February 22, a federal holiday - the first federal holiday created to honor an individual's birthday. Nearly a century later, in 1971, the "Uniform Monday Holiday Law" shifted the holiday to the third Monday of February.
The positioning of this date around the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln led to Washington’s birthday becoming commonly known as "Presidents Day," even though Congress never officially changed the holiday's name.
What prompted the change? Curiously, besides the push for consistency in federal holidays, another driving force behind the shift was some lawmakers' emphasis on the economic advantages stemming from increased retail sales during three-day weekends.
Indeed, shifting Washington's birthday to a Monday merely facilitated an extended weekend for Americans to indulge in shopping sprees. Heaven forbid we allow a day to commemorate a remarkable figure without it being entangled in senseless consumerism.
So, let's take a break from surfing Amazon's latest online deals and learn why we (used to) honor George Washington before people started tearing down his statue.
And for that, we begin in Ancient Rome.
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was a statesman in Ancient Rome who lived during the 5th century BCE.
Historical records, although debated as potentially legend, recount the story of Cincinnatus, who, after retiring from service to Rome, found himself twice summoned to wield dictatorial authority in defense of the Roman Republic against external and internal perils. Reluctantly, he answered the call of duty on both occasions, only to willingly relinquish his dictatorial powers once the threats were quelled, opting to return to his farm and live out the remainder of his days in tranquility.
Cincinnatus' actions exemplified the Roman virtue of civic duty and selfless service to the state, earning him enduring admiration as a symbol of virtuous leadership.
America's Cincinnatus
George Washington earns the rightful comparison to Cincinnatus due to his reluctant acceptance of commanding the Continental Army for eight years during America's War of Independence.
Once General Cornwallis surrendered after the Siege of Yorktown in October 1781 and the Treaty of Paris was signed in September 1783, Washington relinquished his command and returned to his home in Mount Vernon. Once there, he hoped to resume his life as a Virginian farmer.
Sound familiar? Cincinnatus-like indeed.
But Washington was not done serving his country. After the original Articles of Confederation proved to be inadequate to maintain the newly formed United States of America, the Continental Congress requested he attend the Constitutional Convention as a delegate from Virginia. He was subsequently unanimously elected to serve as President of the convention.
Once the new Constitution was ratified by the 9th State, New Hampshire, on June 21, 1788, it was determined that Government under the US Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789.
Little known fact: it took until 1790 for the last of the State holdouts, Rhode Island, to ratify the Constitution.
Naturally, this fledgling government required a President, and once more, George Washington heeded the call, dedicating eight years of service as the Nation’s first President before voluntarily relinquishing power in 1797. His action established a precedent that endured until Franklin D. Roosevelt's unprecedented election to four consecutive terms, leading to the passage of the Twenty-Second Amendment, which codified the limitation of serving as President to two terms.
Sadly, Washington didn't have much time to enjoy his retirement as he passed away two years later, on December 14, 1799.
After his death, Washington's good friend Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee was asked by Congress to deliver the eulogy at Washington's national funeral. Lee was a major general in the Continental Army, a member of the Continental Congress, governor of Virginia, and father of the famous Civil War general Robert E. Lee.
Henry Lee had this to say about Washington,
"First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble and endearing scenes of private life: Pious, just, humane, temperate, and sincere; uniform, dignified, and commanding, his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting.
When our monuments shall be done away; when nations now existing shall be no more; when even our young and farspreading empire shall have perished; still will our Washington's glory unfaded shine, and die not, until love of virtue cease on earth, or earth itself sinks into chaos."
Regrettably, in the present day, the adoration of virtue is waning, plunging our world deeper into the abyss of moral relativism. It is imperative that amidst these challenging and dangerous times, we resurrect the reverence for extraordinary figures such as George Washington.