This is probably a toss up between George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. I used to really love Thomas Jefferson as well, but as I’ve learned more about him, his life, and his beliefs, I no longer find him worthy of being in my top historical figures. He did do a lot of good things, but his views on slavery, the way he treated and took advantage of his enslaved, and fathering children with the women is just despicable.
I am aware that George Washington was also an enslaver and did treat his enslaved poorly. I do believe that he was considered less harsh for his time, but that doesn’t excuse any abuse of human beings. His wisdom and the way he approached governing was extraordinary and he set us up better than almost anyone else that could’ve been chosen as the first president. Several other founding fathers would’ve set up family dynasties for president and that would’ve led us back into a royally type situation that we wanted to escape in the first place. I think he had some great ideals and really did a lot for democracy as we know it. I wish he had been more vocal and active against slavery though. That is a huge strike against him.
I’ve always thought Benjamin Franklin was awesome and witty and even invented cool things. I haven’t read up on him in years, though, so maybe he’s more problematic than I remember. I do remember hearing that he was quite the ladies man, but I’m not so sure if that’s real or folklore at this point. Maybe I will spend some time reading up on him soon to relearn some things and maybe learn new things!
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