It's Washington’s Birthday, Not Presidents’ Day

[DesertFox]

People ask why a few of us presidential junkies would like to see Presidents’ Day changed back to Washington’s Birthday. The technical explanation has to do with a misguided law called HR 15951 that was passed in 1968 to make federal holidays less complicated. The real answer is simply this: George Washington is our greatest president, and too few American children know why.

George Washington earned the respect even of his former enemy, King George III, by doing something exceedingly rare in history: When he had the chance to increase personal power, he decreased it — not once, not twice, but repeatedly.

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[DesertFox]

Too few people appreciate the leadership Washington provided at a crucial period of American history. It isn't normally grasped what a towering figure he was in his day -- not physically, but morally. Everybody looked up to him, even sages such as Ben Franklin, and looked to him to lead. He had a moral authority that wouldn't appear in another public figure until Robert E. Lee.

[DeclinetoState]

This is confusing, but I'll make it as simple as I can:

George Washington was born February 11, 1731 (O.S.: Julian calendar, which did not start the new year until March 25). He was born February 22, 1732 (N.S.: Gregorian calendar, which was adopted by England and the British colonies in 1752, and which moved the start of the new year to January 1).

The adoption of the Gregorian calendar occurred in the same year, but not at the same time, as the changing of the start of the year to January 1. In short, 1752 was a very strange year.

[Riverboat]

George Washington earned the respect even of his former enemy, King George III, by doing something exceedingly rare in history: When he had the chance to increase personal power, he decreased it — not once, not twice, but repeatedly.I finished another book about George Washington at the beginning of the month. Here's a passage that magnifies your comment:

The actual resignation of his command,. . . took place in Annapolis, Maryland, on December 23, when he formally handed back to Congress his commission as commander-in-chief, which they had given him in June 1775. He said he would never again hold public office. He had his horse waiting at the door, and he took the road to Mount Vernon the next day.

No one who knew Washington well was surprised. Everyone else, in varyhing degrees, was astonished at this singular failrure of the corruption of power to wrok. And, indeed, it was a rare moment in history. In London, George III questioned the American-born painter Benjamin West what Washington would do now he had won the war. "Oh," said West, "they say he will return to his farm." "If he does that,' said the king, 'he will be the greatest man in the world." - George Washington - Paul Johnson. (Yes, THAT Paul Johnson!)

I've probably read more books about Washington and the Founding Fathers than most of the members here, so I think I'm on solid ground when I declare that he was the greatest American who ever trod the earth.