As in the case of his career as commander-in-chief, Washington’s most important act as president was his giving up the office. The significance of his retirement from the presidency is easily overlooked today, but his contemporaries knew what it meant. Most people assumed that Washington might be president as long as he lived, that he would be a kind of elected monarch like the king of Poland. Hence his retirement from the presidency enhanced his moral authority and set a precedent for future presidents.
Places to Visit
| Place | City Sort descending | |
|---|---|---|
| General Nathanael Greene Homestead | Coventry | Built in 1770, home to the General that George Washington recommended as his replacement if he should be die. |
| Varnum House Museum | East Greenwich | Mansion built in 1773 by James Mitchell Varnum, who became one of Washinton's generals and later elected to the Continental Congress. |
| Hunter House | Newport | Built 1748 - 54 and considered one of the ten best colonial homes existing in the U.S. |
| Colony House | Newport | Completed in 1739, it was the state house of Rhode Island until 1901. |
| Touro Synagogue | Newport | Completed and dedicated in 1763, it is the oldest Synagogue in the U.S.; following the war it served as a meeting place for the Rhode Island General Assembly, Rhode Island Supreme Court and the town of Newport. |
| Redwood Library and Athenaeum | Newport | Chartered in 1747 and opened to the public in 1750, it is the oldest circulating library in the U.S. |
| Trinity Church | Newport | Completed in 1726, it has a pipe organ tested by Georg Friedrich Handel; French Admiral Charles de Ternay is buried in the adjacent cemetery. |
| White Horse Tavern | Newport | Now a restaurant, originally built in 1673 as a residence, and for awhile, the meeting place of the general assembly. |
| Fort Butts | Portsmouth | The earthwork redoubt is still discernable, it was a key position during the Battle of Rhode Island (1778), and provides a panoramic view of Mt. Hope Bay. |
| Benefit Street’s Mile of History | Providence | A street of restored colonial homes and buildings overlooking the waterfront. |
| Old State House | Providence | Built in 1762, the State House was the primary seat of state government until 1901. |
| Gilbert Stuart Birthplace & Museum | Saunderstown | This restored house, built in 1750, was the birthplace of painter Gilbert Stuart. |
Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789–1815 (2009)