President George Washington

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PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON

George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was the first President of the United States (1789–97), the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He presided over the convention that drafted the current United States Constitution and during his lifetime was called the "father of his country". While in power, his use of national authority pursued many ends, especially the preservation of liberty, reduction of regional tensions, and promotion of a spirit of American nationalism. Upon his death, Washington was eulogized as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen" by Henry Lee. Revered in life and in death, scholarly and public polling consistently ranks him among the top three presidents in American history; he has been depicted and remembered in monuments, currency, and other dedications to the present day. (More from Wikipedia)

Some of the historically inaccurate lyrics in "Now that the Buffalo's Gone" have been corrected over the years, and other changes reflect more contemporary matters; for example, "A treaty forever George Washington signed" is a reference to a treaty that was actually signed by Washington's agent Timothy Pickering – that lyric is now: "A treaty forever your Senators signed". On Buffy Sainte-Marie's website, she says of "Now that the Buffalo's Gone": "This song was on my first album and I'd have thought it would be obsolete by now. But governments are still breaking promises and stealing indigenous lands, and I still believe that informed people can help make things better."

(August 2013)

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Alexander Hamilton was one of the Founding Fathers of our nation and was also the founder of the country’s first political party in the modern sense, the Federalist Party. In honor of his being the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury during the administration of President George Washington, his portrait has graced the front of the $10 bill since 1929. Before Hamilton became such a hit, that was about to change in the recent drive to put a woman on some of our folding money – word now is that President Andrew Jackson will soon be removed from the $20 bill.

Previously, Alexander Hamilton had become an aide-de-camp of General George Washington and had a key military role in winning the Revolutionary War. Succeeding administrations were from the Democratic-Republican Party, in opposition to the Federalist Party. I think it was on 60 Minutes when I heard that those who sought to downplay Hamilton’s legacy included John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe; these men were the second through fifth Presidents.

(September 2016)