The person that I admired the most is the founding father of our country, George Washington. He united the chaotic local militias together as one force, the Continental Army, against the all-mighty British soldiers during the American revolutionary war. Despite not being the most remarkable talent at commanding an army, Washington led his troops through his unwavering will, charismatic personality, and profound unifying strength. One of the most prominent examples of his commitment to the revolutionary cause is his courage to continue fighting despite the tremendous losses he endured before the Battle of Saratoga turned the tide in favor of the Continental Army. If Washington had given up earlier in the war due to these setbacks, then there wouldn’t be the subsequent victories in Yorktown and, ultimately, the triumph of the American Independence.

Earlier, we mentioned that he also led his army through his charismatic personality and profound unifying strength. There are two great examples that we can point out that prove just that. The first example is the plot to forfeit and surrender West Point to the British troops and the ensuing betrayal of Benedict Arnold, one of Washington’s most trusted generals during the revolutionary war. Despite the severity of this betrayal and the possible damage to the American revolutionary cause. Washington carried on with his work leading the army and did not let this incident affect his judgment and trust in other generals. Provided if Washington had used this incident to question the faithfulness of his other generals, it could have led to an enormous decrease in morale of the Continental Army. The second great example that we can point out about his profound unifying strength is that when the war has finally ended, the continental congress’s treasury was in shambles. The newly formed country does not have enough money to pay its soldiers for their service in the revolutionary war. Due to this lack of veteran pensions, rumors of a possible revolt against the newly formed government were floating around, also known as the Newburgh Conspiracy. If this had happened, it would have been a catastrophe.

Therefore, at age fifty-one, he stepped in once again for the union to help mediate this conflict. Washington first issued an order restricting any unpermitted meetings and called for a general assembly of the officers. He then pulled out a letter from the Continental Congress addressing the army from his pockets, and before he could read the letter, he also pulled out a pair of spectacles from his breast pocket and said the most famous pre-speech ever. In an apologetic tone, he said: “Gentlemen, you must pardon me. I have grown old in the service of my country and now find that I am growing blind.”. Those officers who heard it were stunned, and they realized that Washington had given up and has sacrificed so much more than any of them could even compare. With tears, these officers unanimously vowed to express confidence in the newly formed country. And with that, George Washington resolved a potential revolt and saved the union without sacrificing any human blood.