I am a student wrapping up my BA program to become a Social Studies teacher in the next year. As part of my history degree, I am required to write a historiography as my senior thesis. Though I am excited about the project, historiography is a new field for me. I have always enjoyed research papers, but I am having trouble focusing my ideas in this type of paper. I don't consider myself dumb, but I feel like I'm just not getting this concept down. Below, I've covered where a bulk of my research has been focused and where I hope for it to end up. I am not asking for HW help, but a nudge in the right direction or even if someone experienced in this field could mentor me through this process, I would be happier than a pig a shit.
I always found it fascinating that George Washington the man never wanted to represent the US as a king, however, in death, he was almost instantly deified. Part of my essay wants to cover the writings of Weems, McGuffy, Jared Sparks and their role in propagating the legend of Washington and how his legend became a beacon of light for many Americans in their evolution from the Revolutionary era and into the modern age. Even the art inspired by him (The Apotheosis of Washington in the Capital Building, and Greenough's half naked statue of Washington) are to me, somewhat odd.
In my research, I had come across an amazing essay from Curtis Nettels (1947) which focused on how the power of his myth slowly burned out by the time of WWI and asked a similar question to what I am focusing on. In many regards, he was absolutely right. Nonetheless, since his essay, the Cold War took place (some would say it never ended), Watergate, the War on Terror, and the Trump presidency have brought a whole slew of new ideals to the table in regards to the office of the President. Not only has the role evolved, the image has too.
With all of this information at hand, what place has the modern deconstructivist world have for Washington? In a recent book by Erica Dunbar, Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge, George Washington is seen as a ruthless slave captor, afraid of his wife's displeasure, and unwilling to let something, let alone a person, go. Dunbar has no qualms of taking Washington down from his throne. Also, considering the popular backlash many memorials have received in the past few years, is Washington's namesake next?
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