Chapter 3

George Washington and the Newburgh Conspiracy

Summary
      This chapter is set in an army encampment near Newburgh, New York in 1783, during the American Revolution. The war was over, but the British were still occupying New York City, and 7,000 officers and enlisted men were growing restless, angry, and frightened for their futures because Congress and the Articles of Confederation didn't have nearly enough power or money to pay them all what they were owed. This created a difficult situation for the veterans because in peace time, they would have no leverage against the government, and if the war continued on, civilians would turn against them. Thus, some men tried to find radical solutions to this problem, including the idea of a military nation led by Washington, which, he warned the government, reflected a growing crisis.
      Then, nationalists in Congress came up with a plan to get an impost, or an import tax, passed. They would "fan the fires" of the army, forcing Congress to approve the impost in order to pay the soldiers. General Horatio Gates, a longtime rival of Washington, and his men sent out an anonymous "address to the officers," setting up a meeting for them and stating that, if they didn't want to be poor, hated, and powerless, they had to take action, which Washington had not done, by either not fighting for their country during war time, or fighting against the government during peace time (42). Washington made an unexpected appearance during this conspirator's meeting and told the men not to listen to the traitorous lunatic. He assured them that Congress would keep their promise; they didn't need to worry or take extreme measures. Thanks to his confident words, a major crisis was averted.

Reflection
      It was interesting how vulnerable these officers were, and how easily they were swayed. All it took for them to plot against the government was a simple announcement that played on their "concerns about peacetime policies," their "resentment of the preference given to civilians," and their "fears for the future" (42). They were blinded by their fear until Washington "planted his seeds of doubt" in their minds, opening their eyes to how crazy this address truly was (47). It seemed like he knew exactly the right thing to say in order to gain the trust of his men back, a quality that made him such a great leader. This included his observation that "he had grown gray in their service, and now found himself growing blind," which, according to Samuel Shaw, showed how natural and relatable he was, something more important than anything else he had said.