Transcripts For CSPAN2 Book Discussion On First Entrepreneur

Now built on private donations. Its a great honor to serve. The teach people all over the world. We ever sense of gun fire engines from Ford Motor Company is a sponsor number of exciting things including this book talk. We always appreciate when they come out. Now we have a very special guest. An old friend. The editor in chief. This is one of the most extraordinary scholarly projects of the 21st centurys to copy, transcribe all the correspondence in a professional manner used by all the stories, and extraordinary collective work and scholarship has been going on since 1968. Funders and partial funders of the project since its beginning. In the recent past we renewed our partnership, i would like to think of friendship, help them create a comprehensive edition of Martha Washington spacers as well as other family papers. And that is really heading up the leadership of the programs as well and to fully encompass the scope they change the project from the George Washington papers project to the washington papers project. We are delighted to have them here tonight to talk about what he does on the side when he is doing all that other stuff. He is extraordinarily prolific. I am not envious at all about this, but he did his phd in 1998 and since then has published six monographs in addition to the edited volumes is the sole editor of in the lords of minions that he has working for him. His extraordinary example of work ethic and discipline and capacious love of writing. Is a wonderful writer and has developed a great popular style in addition to the scholarly style. It is a challenging thing people who are formally trained to walk out of that, to get out of this intense conversations and look at the bigger picture. But if that is enough is just write about George Washington, he writes about world war i in european history and military history. Thats the one in 1944. Was to the middle of the 20th century. An extraordinary range and my do like to welcome them up here. Lets get him appear. [applause] well, what does was trying to say i think his i am ai am a hack writer. But i do try to understand my subject, try to be honest about my subject. Washington is a fruitful subject. As i found since 1996 i began as a student has been 20 years and have been directing your project since 2010. They changed our name very deliberately because we did not want to offend martha. Lest it be suggested that martha was in some sense and auxiliary to george or that she operated in his shadow or that her role was in some way to prop him up and help them to become great colleague emphasized the fact that she was in herself an important person. So we think the Mount Vernon Ladies Association for supporting us in this new expansion we begin in july of last year to publish the full papers in the papers of the washington family which will be a volumes letterpress and comprehensive Digital Edition that will include georges parents, siblings and one of dougs favorite people. Beginning to talk about George Washington is an entrepreneur and to give thanks above all for this work, for what is good in getting it to my good friend jim and Jo Carol Porter they had lunch or dinner and then he pointed out to me to have been nothing written since 1930. There is no doubt about it. Somewhat of an improvement. Of course tremendous debt is owed to mount vernon in the work of my colleagues. Working since 1968, remain on schedule the very beginning. Seventy volumes another 16 volumes to go. These are available not only letterpress the free online. It is important. I have a tremendous debt to finance papers project. We began three years ago. Which is a fascinating, fascinating document for washington, the family, the whole community. Documents the everyday life on the mount vernon state and are acting from mount vernon to dump small the bill for some of the seat of the fairfax familys theyre will be an incredible technological tool. Expanded and all that other account books suggested we not call these washingtons financial papers but his business records. Public records as commanderinchief of the continental army, very scrupulous and careful account very important documents. The genesis of this idea is looking at washington through a different lens, seeing a different aspect of this endlessly fascinating man but also to the washington in the context the family and into the context of his times and nation how did he manage an account . Develop as a farmer and businessman entrepreneur. And he take the lessons that he learned in the principles that he emphasized and how did his lessons resonate down to the stake . It is a fascinating topic. We need to begin looking at washington as an entrepreneur with the washington family. In 1656. His idea was to load of fish up with tobacco and sell back to england and some of their. He had no intention of remaining in virginia. They all the whole future history of our country to the fact that his ship sank. [laughter] is played the attributes. I should the sank. Complains a lot. As you pay for the loss. He is also very adaptable decides that this is the reality. He marries well. I would like to, before i go on emphasized the fact that this is not a matter of the Washington Men looking around the audience and saying wheres the good choice . The women away next to be swept away. It simply didnt happen that way. When were also making choices of their own. We looked way too often. Why did george choose to marry martha . She was very wealthy. One of the washington partly because they understood that they were sober minded, determined, focused men and targeted intelligence find a man to be a good partner, ia good father to the children as they hoped they would have and do it also manage their states. We look at virginia in the 1617 hundreds, they were complacent with future of comfort and wealth. The an equivalent of an aston lose their entire fortune and find themselves impoverished. That was a bit of prosperity and i will get more to that. Focused and landon people at that time. Very assiduous. His son wants to use 38. The grandson likewise died when he was in his 40s. Fascinating character who he far too often see through the prism of mason locke wings. I would venture to guess i got was much more than that. He was very creative, ventured out in to other areas of production. His 1st wife died leaving Lawrence Washington and another child to be taking care of. Yesterday had to go around managing the estate and he knew he needed to find another way. And he found one of the most underappreciated women in American History very often we tend to make the assumption a remarkable woman. The decision to what goes in both directions. She had been strangled before this, in her late 20s. Just at the verge of a womans marriageable age. Married augustine because she saw this man a sober minded very interested in her apart from personal qualities about which we can only guess. He was doing various things. All of that the management of the estate and in the management of her children her 1st porn being George Washington. The decision was made among them being that george would not go to school in england but one says they are mount vernon and receive education through tears. Very clear, very simple principles, George Washington especially super organized. That wasnt just a made a personality trait. That was his mom. I have to make a joke there were two things i cant really say which was worse. Come to haunt his later years, but in the stage of his death, and it was terrifying. The fire sales of gentlemen going out of business. But she was a huge influence on his life. Also the woman who presented them prevented him from going out to see, he resented this is in many ways. The relationship became intense and problematic when iran. The part of this was george had an irresponsible side to him that she was constantly keeping down. Young george had the Great Fortune in addition accounting interest had the good fortune which i am profoundly jealous that he had a good team is job. Through connections with the fairfax family. And lord Thomas Fairfax George William fairfax, george had some sort of relationship with her early on,on, but his connection with the family given this opportunity to work as a surveyor. Surveying gave him an opportunity to apply his own native ability to get in geometry and all the rest but also the experience to learn what its like to lend money money and invest. He had to learn this lesson early on my George Washingtons not aa guy you want to borrow money from them and not pay them back. Believe me. When money was involved the temper increased exponentially. So if you dont pay the have back going to get mad. New line down the judge character not, but he learned how to invest. He earns money as a surveyor policy work with . The land so what is he do . He invests of saves and buys more and more. Also has a surveyor committee develops an understanding of americas and americas potential for americas potential richness and wealth only buried within the soil but geographically the connection of the east coast cities and settlements to the frontier were essential to connecting east to west and how they were potential highways of commerce and trade. Not only goes from east to west north to south. He learns a lot about the relationship between the colonies and Great Britain and the subservient nature of the relationship. Although this is about washington as an entrepreneur i think its important to remember that George Washington was a combat veteran. That ties in to what i will talk about in a moment about washingtons views of piece. Those are your athome were also affected and participants in war comeau what war does to a country into a people this is one element of washingtons character that i saw early on in his taken a while understand. There is a purpose, detail matters. If you are in the service you ignore your peril basic that that the men who served with you must eat, they must have shelter from a musthave clothing in the must be paid. Some silly to say you would be surprised to see how many people did not understand the basic reality. If you do not pay if you do not finance the force while the call money the sinews of war. I learning process of management is important. I mentioned earlier how again los angeles of her own s is frustrating of the narrative goes. The wealthiest widow in virginia. It was back from the french and indian war and says the wealthiest widow of virginia is right down the road. I would emphasize whatever motivations may have been whatever motivations may have been the important things from the very beginning they saw each other as partners. No question saw the marriage is a partnership. They focused beginning managing indoor states. He would a while before you full control. Managing the stick together. Martha did not go off in the corner jeanette the wash dishes while georges managing things. When you would have found a hive of production in end industry and it became even enterprise and is so right with all the work going space on at the same time you hear metal clanking and spinning and weaving and shoes being cobbled how did all that happened but long run it would not work in the long run. One is that it drains the soil and that is very labor intensive. To produce a relatively small amounts of tobacco to upset more than anything else you need to work with the British Colonial system. To produce the tobacco to turn over to british agents to put on the british ships and then they decide where it can and should be solved they figure out what and where it would go. In it we will get is quite as much out of it legally give this much credit. But their use this to purchase purchase british goods. So what is the of called the quality of of your carriage . Not just manufactured goods and luxury goods. And have no productive value whatsoever. What you bring back with your credit . And what happens which washington has learned to fear it is partly to blame and he looked at 1759 spending a fair amount of money i really want some talented artist. [laughter] and i just have to see it to spend a lot of time on it. Looked at the accounts with the expenditures suddenly disappears. And 17622 sarah want to get out with the guys. He doesnt waste a lot of money but he has trouble beginning to learn more discipline. When he witnesses this, what does changing over from tobacco to wheat due . It is transformative to produce . And spins quite a lot of money on that. He sells George Washington rand flowers even with the caribbean. G. Washington brand flowers to be eaten by sailors and breaking their teeth on a. [laughter] but it allows them to reallocate later to specify in slave labor as well as free labor. He allocates to Different Industries are they can become productive and selfsufficient. Huizhou need to go to somebody else to get your tools or food and you can produce this right here mount vernon will be restoring the of fishery and i really excited about that. To see how that would have worked it is important it was profitable in its own right but it becomes an enterprise multilayer. It is an amazing transformation. Washington sells through alexandria. This is the feeling that americans shared in general. I will briefly say that washington shared with his countrymen on the verge called a takeoff. And there was the sense that the british for holding us down. It is the major sentiment with taxation without representation but as armed rebellion as a last resort and then to break free of Great Britain. And tell the blood starts to flow in lexington and concord that Economic Warfare and boycott was the way to break free. There was of vision in of the future involves with implicit resistance to the british and a fascinating series of documents that washington and george mason worked on and i will quote briefly the results are interesting what is the future goal . Is states every little interest which will never happen between the colony should be buried in a terminal of oblivion. To immediately be laid to side is inconsistent with a threatening and gloomy prospect. It set examples of fortitude and frugality and industry to give every encouragement in their power with the improvement of art in manufacturers in america. With great care and attention to other materials to manufacture and he goes on to talk about pageantry to think it is pretty clear based on washingtons but it was extremely important and there is a lot more than i could say about war but i will not go on too much. As they apply his own Management Experience there is just a couple of principles that i would point out as commander in chief. Washington saw a big picture. This would be a difficult war that we have a good chance of losing to strain every nerve and every resource. Is it Worth Winning if you burn down your country in the process if the economy is ruined . Of towns airports or villages are destroyed . And you end up throwing down the of british with the sheep of bashes and facing a future of the impoverished suffering . Washington answers up pretty resounding no to that. So as a primary obligation as commanderinchief to ensure that reemerge to be intact as much as possible with the infrastructure and economy. As commanderinchief the army must not operate in isolation but they must be integrated with a National Effort and this goes from the top. Part of this has to do is communication but in researching ms. Book at a completely different level looking at the ground level washington begins to talk during the revolutionary war with communities of interest talk about selfinterest as the governing principle it rarely is not he believes the patriot loyalist but it is said daily decision based upon your sense of hope and what is happening to your family right now. It sounds like pandering but it is genuinely true that had the women of america decided had to end it would have ended making decisions every day on the ground when it was doing to their business or family and the american army. But his army best joined together in this sense so whenever he forms a camp to open a market it is tangible but also symbolic that is very conscious and deliberate on his part. But also for those that we recognize Property Rights and we isolate the british. To develop that sense of interrelationships of common interest with the people. It is a significant part of Washington Strategy that i can say about that. Returning from the revolutionary war and mount vernon. Washington becomes an advocate of the scientific husbandry. Much of which is imported for Great Britain many of the great expansions during this period with the rest of the state. The based on knowledge the anything can as an early advocate of the internet having known he would have the initiative to advocate because the innovator from Great Britain are advocates for gathering all the information you possibly can with farmers all over europe and america. To classified information the here is another element but slavery should not be simply relegated as the side issue. Slavery was in trouble to the development of washingtons estate. But to help or create washingtons wealth. The relationships with slavery was problematic grew up excepting slavery is what he knew. He began to turn against slavery because of the fundamental principle of labor and work which was a New Discovery for me. People have often speculated why did he turn against it . I said he saw blacks fighting in the revolutionary war to see what the white soldiers did and i have always been skeptical. Looking at the initial ratings they come down to the sense that industry and morality go hand in hand. To see the same sides of the same thing and industrious person is a moral person perkin. A moral person for a work ethic that is called the protestant work ethic. If you deny to enjoy the fruits of the labor immediately undercut any motivation to work efficiently. And is impossible to resist. In never work to the limit of their capaci