Immediately following the War for Independence, the United States would be a third world nation by modern standards. The economy was in shambles, the countryside had been ravaged by years of war, and the nation received no aid from Great Britain. The nation faced its first real crisis...it faced its first depression. However, the nation was full of hope as President Washington began laying the groundwork for what would soon become the most dominant global democracy of all time. The policies that Washington enacted while President in the White House were directly linked to decisions he made at Mount Vernon. Interestingly enough, it would be these policies that would resurface 136 years later under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Both men would be seen as true innovators for their time, and continue to be studied to this day. These two men are the sole reason that the United States was able to survive two of the deepest economic depressions this country has ever witnessed.
Although separated by nearly 140 years of history, Presidents Washington and Roosevelt were true innovators for their time. Following the War for Independence from Great Britain, the last thing many Americans wanted was a centralized government similar to the monarchy in England. However, Washington understood that the only way the nation would be able to survive as a nation was to secure the financial issues. The nation had just won independence from the largest power on the history of the world. The United States was founded by men who understood not only how to deal with problems in the near future, but also the long term. George Washington was the apex of this society. Raised in the colonies in the gentry class, Washington lived a rather pleasant life in comparison to his fellow colonists. His service during the French and Indian War as well as the War for Independence were invaluable in his decision making abilities as President. However, it was his relationship with his homestead of Mount Vernon that molded Washington into the brilliant President we all think of today.
George Washington lived in a time of war. However, his most important policies were economic in nature. The young nation had just defeated the strongest standing military since the times of the Roman Empire, but President Washington understood that if the country failed to pay its debts or struggled to acquire a steady flow of capital, the likelihood of survival were less than if the nation was physically attacked by a power such as England, France, or Spain. For Washington, operating a successful plantation required the same focus. The decisions Washington made for the well-being of Mount Vernon were calculated maneuvers that would provide the best opportunity for success in the future. Mount Vernon was an 8,000 acre estate that paid huge dividends for the President, and it was this experience that led to Washington being the ideal man to become the first President of the United States.
In a similar fashion, Mount Vernon also represented everything that George Washington envisioned when he aspired to build his government. Set near the banks of the Potomac River, it is surrounded by beautiful gardens that were planted by and maintained by the first President himself. The main house is in a typical Georgian style, but magnificent in its simplicity. The city of Washington, D.C. is similar in its layout, as the residence of the President is centrally located in the city and accessible from all directions. The White House, just as Mount Vernon, is the seat of power, but is modest in its grandeur.
Similar to President Washington, President Franklin Roosevelt uses the power of experience and government to pull the United States out of the Great Depression following the stock market crash of 1929. Roosevelt, a former governor of New York and military man himself, was able to construct a plan in the New Deal that would send the United States into unprecedented economic growth. Just as Washington calculated all of the decisions being made at Mount Vernon and in the capital, Roosevelt's New Deal would be the catalyst that would allow the United States to become a hegemon following World War II.
The programs of the New Deal put many Americans back to work in government funded projects. Two of these organizations were the Civilian Conservation Corps, which hired 250,000 Americans to help on local rural projects and the Tennessee Valley Association, which built dams and power stations. Roosevelt also put more restrictions on spending and investment with the creation of the Security and Exchange Commission in 1934. The SEC was created to regulate the Stock Market, which had been the catalyst of the Depression. All of these government programs were created with the intentions of getting the nation back on its feet. While the policies of President Washington and President Franklin Roosevelt are not completely identical in nature, they do share a critical point of emphasis: propelling the United States into new territory following an economic downturn. Both of these men should be forever linked by their policies and their efforts to prolong the life of this nation of democracy.
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