I recently heard a rumor that George Washington was offered to become king of America, but refused instead wanting a Presidency; is this rumor true or is it just just that, a rumor?
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1There are always people with big mouths and bad ideas; there certainly was a discussion about how the President was to be addressed in official statements. He rejected being called "Your Majesty", as he was not a king. This may be the origin of the tale you have heard. Instead he went with "Mr. President", a more democratic moniker.– Peter DiehrOct 8, 2016 at 21:14
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2 Answers
An elaboration on my comment; the bad idea came from my distant cousin, John Adams!
answered Oct 8, 2016 at 21:19
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IIRC, Mrs Washington wanted to be called "Lady Washington" - but I'm a mere Brit, stepping on the hallowed ground of Republicanism! grin Oct 9, 2016 at 23:50
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I can't now find where I read that she desired it, but according to this she was known as "Lady Washington". Oct 10, 2016 at 2:31
No, this is completely a myth.
There were many presidents prior to Washington, just not one that encompassed the entire United States. Some states had presidents that represented them during the revolutionary period (1774-1778) but prior to the formation of the U.S. federal government.
The idea of a rejection sounds good to modern readers, but the idea of a king was never entertained by the U.S. forefathers. They had, much to their credit and patriotism, more sense than that. The myth comes probably from correspondence with Lewis Nicola, at a much later date. Some letters he wrote to Washington eludes to the idea, but does not state it or spell it out.
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I wouldn't say completely. It wasn't a forgone conclusion that the American system wouldn't immediately degenerate into a monarchy. Hence King George III's famous quote about Washington peacefully ceding power... "If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world." [paraphrase] Jul 24, 2017 at 18:23