#2 George Washington 

On top of simply having been our first president, George Washington did some pretty great things during his lifetime that makes him worthy being in this polls top 5. Just to name a few of these accomplishments…

• The U.S was recognized as a free and independent country in 1783 after having signed The Treaty of Paris. Afterwards, instead of seizing power, George Washington chose to resign his position as commander-in-chief to go back to farming on his land (Anirduh). I think that everyone can learn something from this kind of humility.
• Washington has been the only president that the electoral college has unanimously elected (Anirduh). If that doesn’t speak volumes then I don’t know what does. He also was the one who established that a president should not run for more than 2 terms (even though he was offered a third term) which later became the 22 Amendment to the Constitution.
• Washington’s famous Farewell Address remains one of the most influential speeches in American history and is used as a reference all the time. In his address, Washington stressed the importance of staying unified as nation and warning that there will come time when enemies, foreign and domestic, will try to make you lose your faith in the nation (Frazier). It is interesting to read this now just as the midterms are about to come up because a good case can be made that a lot of people have indeed lost faith in this great nation.

Citation

Anirduh. “Anirudh.” Learnodo Newtonic, 12 Sept. 2018, learnodo-newtonic.com/george-washington-accomplishments.

Frazier , Joshua. “George Washington’s Farewell Address Translated Into Modern English.” George Washington’s Farewell Address – Modern Version, nibleycitycouncil.com/farewell_address_today.html.