In 1782, following the American Revolution, Col. Lewis Nicola suggested to General George Washington that the army establish a monarchy and make him king.
It might have happened. Washington was loved by his troops; he had endured a difficult war with his men and they had little love for the Continental Congress, which had given them such inadequate support.
But Washington believed firmly in democracy, and was appalled at Nicola's suggestion: "Banish these thoughts from your mind," he replied.
Washington was born in 1732 in Virginia and served as an officer in the British army during the French and Indian War. In 1758 he was elected to Virginia's House of Burgesses, where he served for 15 years. With the advent of the revolution, he was made commander in chief of the army by the Continental Congress. One of the most famous pictures of him is an inaccurate work showing him crossing the Delaware River standing up in a boat, not a very smart thing to do in a boat.
Following the war, he served as president of the Constitutional Convention, and in 1789 was elected to be the first president of the United States.
