Washington, George, 1732-1799 to Samuel Powel
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00310 Author/Creator: Washington, George, 1732-1799 Place Written: Mount Vernon, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: February 5, 1789 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; Height: 23.6 cm, Width: 19 cm Order a Copy
Washington writes to Powel, Mayor of Philadelphia, one day after being elected as the first President of the United States. He states that he delivered enclosures previously sent from Powel to his nephew, Bushrod Washington. He predicts that the majority of newly elected government officials will be Federalists, stating that "although the issue of all the Elections are not yet known, they are sufficiently displayed to authorize a belief that opposers of the government have been defeated in almost every instance." He expresses sympathy regarding the insanity of British King George III. Refers to Benjamin Franklin's early diagnosis of George III's mental illness.
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