"George Washington" by David Stewart

It occurred to historian David Stewart, who has written extensively on the founding of America (books on James Madison, Aaron Burr and the U.S. Constitution) that, when asked by readers who the most important person was in the forming of America, his answer was George Washington."After giving that answer a couple of dozen times, I realized I might be missing the point," Stewart told Steve Tarter.Now Stewart has delivered a book on the single most important figure in the formation of the country.While giving Washington his due: winning elections unanimously when "a unanimous election was no more common in the late eighteenth century than it is today," he also details the fact that Washington managed almost 700 slaves from 1760 on at his Mount Vernon plantation. Of that number, 46 tried to escape, noted Stewart.Yet Washington opposed the importation of slaves as early as 1774 and freed his slaves at his death. But Stewart also notes that Washington's statements and actions about slavery "would always be inconsistent."Stewart's efforts to liberate the man from "the mists of myth" make for a fascinating interview.