I have heard that there existed a movement in this country to crown George Washington as King of America not long after the revolution ended in 1781.
Of course, Washington declined the offer to be made King.
But, what if he said yes?
If Washington had been crowned King George I of America in 1781 then what would the Royal House of Washington have been like following George’s death in 1799?
Since George fathered no children of his own, the crown would have passed to the children of his next younger brother, Samuel.
(Samuel Washington had already passed away prior to George’s death)
Samuel’s oldest son, I believe, was named Thornton Washington.
Presumably, He would have inherited the crown from his uncle George and would have become King Thornton I.
What would the royal lineage have looked like beyond King George and who would be King (and/or Queen) of America today?
Perhaps we could then crown George’s royal decendant as King/Queen and despense with the election of a president and the political sham known as the American Two-Party System.
I don’t think (or, don’t want to think) that Ben Franklin, Tom Jefferson or John Adams would’ve stood fer it.
Each would have had different reasons, but they still wouldn’t’ve stood fer it.
Please don’t alter my faith.
It still would’ve been kewl, though.
Not ALL kings and queens were tyrants. The English monarchs in fact aren’t that bad. George III was only starting to show the effects of insanity, due to his porphirya (sp?)
I reall hearing something similar. In fact, I recall a TV show (the source of ALL wisdom and knowledge, of course), that Washington’s male lineage died out somewheres around the Civil War, so we would have had to establish a new royal house. No idea how that’s done.
I’ve heard that this is one of those often told complete lies that teachers somehow get in their head. It is true that some Senators wanted to build a throne for Washington, but that idea was quickly done away with.
As for establishing a new ruling house, that’s usually done by
a) winning it in a poker game
b) winning it in a war.
At this time I would like to announce my nomination for King of the United States.
If declared King I will:
a. Reduce taxes.
b. Increase social spending.
c. Take a firmer hand in foreign policy.
d. Throw a HUGE party for all my fellow dopers.
I figure that last one would get me the votes of my colleagues…
I will institute a benevolent monarchy, with a solid lineage and a smart king.
If you make me king, I will parcel out land grants, and create a layer of nobles that will help with regional issues… who want’s to be Baron of the Dakotas? Mayhaps Duke of Manhatten?
Well, there’s always the chance that Washington’s descendants would have been more scrupulous about having babies if they were maintaining a Royal House.
I read in a tabloid (probably National Enquirer) where they traced the person would have been king today to an old blind black man. I don’t remember how they traced it but he was linked to Washington somehow.
The idea of naming Washington King seems to fly in the face of the whole idea behind the Revolution.
Not sure, but the topic of this threat may be related to an urban legend about the tile of the U.S. President. I was told in my high school history class that when Jefferson was president, there was some contention about how to refer to the President: Your Majesty? Your Excellency? My Lord?
Jefferson democratically said, supposedly, “Perhaps ‘Mr. President’ would be most appropriate.”
Actually, they didn’t necessarily have it go through the male line. We wouldn’t have to have the Salic law. Look at England.
Actually, the idea of an elected monarch was popular in the 19th century. King George I of Greece and King Leopold I of the Belgians were both elected to their thrones, as was King Haekon of Norway, as well as kings and queens in France and Spain, as well as that of ill fated Emperor and Empress of Mexico, Maximillian and Carlotta (who was a daughter of Leopold of the Belgians.)
And many kings have been more liberal than some elected officials.
Well, who can forget “King” John Adams? If I remember my US History right (And I probably don’t) John Adams thought the public was too stupid to elect their own leaders, and he thought it should be ruled more like monarchy. That’s probably one of the reasons why he and Jefferson didn’t get along too fabuously.
D’oh! HaAkon, not HaEkon!
Yeah, he was a great-grandson of King Christian IX of Denmark, so his aunts were the Dowager Empress Maria of Russia and Queen Alexandra of England. And he married Princess Maud, the daughter of Edward VII and Alexandra.
Washington’s family tree includes full and half siblings as well as step and adopted children:
Augustine Washington (b. 1693, Westmoreland Co., VA; d. 1743, King George Co., VA)
(1) married Jane Butler - children:
Butler Washington
Lawrence Washington
Augustine Washington
Jane Washington
(2) married Mary Ball - children:
George Washington (b. Feb. 11, 1732, Pope’s Creek, Westmoreland Co., VA d. Dec. 14, 1799, Mount Vernon, Fairfax Co., VA)
Betty Washington
Samuel Washington
John Augustine Washington
Charles Washington
Mildred Washington
George Washington married (Jan. 6 1759) Martha Dandridge (b. June, 1731, died May, 1802)
She had two surviving children from her first marriage, but both predeceased her and Washington. However, after Jackie’s death, General and Lady Washington adopted two of his children and raised them at Mount Vernon. Perhaps we can speculate on a more roman monarchy were heirs can be adopted and need not actually be a blood relation. After all most of these guys admired the early Greek and roman civilizations.
((IMO, however, you could not have gotten Washington to take the kingship if you coated it with chocolate and served it a la mode.))
I saw on “Dateline” (quite awhile ago–three years?) these men who traced the lineage of Washington to a guy who worked in a men’s clothing store in New York. I don’t know how accurate this is.
I think we should just have a friggin’ Reality TV/Gameshow to determine the Presidency, because that’s all these fucking debates are now. The American public cares less for the issues debated than they care for what the candidates wear and how their hair looks and their posture and their body language. Let’s face it people, since the Kennedy/Nixon debates, the Presidential race is all about marketing and product placement more than politics. Let’s just call a friggn’ spade a spade and dispense with the dog and pony show.
P.S. Just don’t let Regis Philbin host “Who Wants to be the President?” 'cause then I would just have to kill myself…or Regis.
It is true enough that many hotblooded Revoluntary War officers had a scheme to take over shortly after the war (this is way pre-Constitution, and the C. Congress was woefully slow and inefficient) and make Washington a military despot of sorts.
Washington stopped this plan cold in its tracks with his famous ‘I have given my eyesight for my country’ speech which evoked the ideals of Cincinnatus. His motive was probably less patriotic than he was old and tired and wanted to go back to Virginia, though - then again, he did concede to being President later.