The Long Farewell: Americans Mourn the Death of George Washington

He was not just a public man but the founder of a nation that was far from secure in its identity. Hundreds of funeral processions and memorial services, most featuring empty flag-draped coffins, followed George Washington's death in 1799, and the nation remained in shock long after the official day of mourning on 20 February 1800. As independent scholar Kahler notes, a number of those memorial services and processions were led by John Adams and Alexander Hamilton, whose Federalist contingent was rapidly losing ground against such democrats as Thomas Jefferson. In addition, the extravagant display and a relatively large number of the 300 eulogies that found their way into print attempted to repudiate Washington's leadership position amongst the Masons and that body's association with the radicalism of the French Revolution. The resulting excess, according to Kahler, was not just mourning for the man, but mourning for the unforeseeable future. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Gerald E. Kahler is an independent scholar. He resides in Texas.