George Washingtons 1789 Road Trip Across the New United States

Published: Dec. 23, 2021, 8:40 a.m.

b'In the fall of 1789, George Washington, only six months into his presidency, set out on the first of four road trips as he attempted to unite what were in essence thirteen independent states into a single nation. In the fall of 2018, Nat Philbrick, his wife Melissa, and their dog Dora set out to retrace Washington\\u2019s route across the country. By following Washington as he attempted to bring the country together, traveling as far north as Kittery Point, Maine, and as far south as Savannah, Georgia, Philbrick hoped to gain some historical perspective on our own politically divided times.

Washington accomplished an extraordinary amount to bring this unruly collection of states together in support of the creation of a federal government, of a tax plan, of a Federal City \\u2013 what would become Washington, DC. Without this road trip, America may never have made it, and today\\u2019s leaders could stand to learn from George\\u2019s methods.'