Robert Watson- George Washington’s Final Battle The Epic Struggle to Build a Capital City and a Nation

George Washington is well known for leading the Continental Army to victory and governing the nascent nation as it was getting off the ground, but few know the story of his involvement in a debate that nearly tore us apart: the establishment of a capital city. In George Washington’s Final Battle, historian Robert Watson argues that we owe the existence of our nation’s capital in large part to the tireless work and political acumen of George Washington. Washington believed firmly in the importance of having a federal city as capital—rather than a city within a state such as Philadelphia or New York—but this idea was the subject of bitter dispute. It was our first president who negotiated for the location on the Potomac; who oversaw the surveying; raised the funds; chose the architect; and approved the final design. Watson brings this story to life, showing that the capital city that would eventually bear Washington’s name would certainly not have existed as it does today without his influence. George Washington’s Final Battle will fascinate not only historians but also a broad readership interested in the founding period, the American presidency, and the history of Washington, DC. Robert P. Watson is Distinguished Professor of American History at Lynn University and the author or editor of more than forty books, including The Ghost Ship of Brooklyn: An Untold Story of the American Revolution, The Nazi Titanic: The Incredible Untold Story of a Doomed Ship in World War II, and America’s First Crisis: The War of 1812. He is a frequent media commentator and activist who has founded three nonprofit think tanks dedicated to civic education, political reform, and fact-checking political campaigns.