As part of what may become a life-long endeavor, I recently decided that I’d like to read biographies of all the presidents of the United States. Since there’s only so much White Guy stuff I can take, this could take a while. (Ha, inside joke for…um…three of you.)
I started with His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph Ellis. Because if you’re going to do something, you may as well start at the beginning! Also, Leo happened to have it on his bookshelf. I had realized at some point in December that I knew almost nothing about ol’ George other than some mythology (wooden teeth and cherry trees? Wooden trees and cherry teeth?) and some super basic facts. Like: first president! Married to someone named Martha!
Embarrassing.
So I read the biography, and I learned quite a bit. Washington was apparently one of those incredibly strong-willed but passionate people who, through whatever early traumas, force themselves to be the masters of their passions and train themselves to be made of iron so they never yield to anyone else’s demands. He seemed fairly unhappy, although happiness also seemed not to enter into his calculations for life.
He was, unfortunately, maybe kind of a douche?
That, then, is the second part of this goal – to read these biographies, and then offer extremely reductive opinions about the actions and characters of the men who shaped the United States.
So, then – George Washington was kind of a douche.
And Jefferson, I am in the process of learning, was very sensitive and had a… uh… rich inner life. He was totally an INFJ. (I have felt embarrassingly sympathetic toward him while reading about some of his sillier behaviors. Like calling in sick with a migraine to the Continental Congress.)
So yes! Check back with me in 20 years, perhaps I’ll have caught up by then!