Show 1 Irta JI r XU 11 0 lly WW i es tl l ro i Q 74 apat j T 1 1 Washington's services fully entitled him to be called first In war first In peace and first In the hearts of his countrymen countr men but these distinctions due to his part In the Revolution He and andas andai as President of ot the newly formed re- re republic re republic public have haye overshadowed o a phase of ofhie his life that deserves careful consider consider- consideration Mica atlen Few ew persons are aware are of service lie he rendered In developing de the Internal commerce of ot the country and ot of his foresight In the problem of se securing se- se securing curing union among luong the states states Henry Leffmann writes In the Record At the end of ot the Revolution the common danger that had been so patent In holding the several states In united action was removed and the contemporary history Indicates a rather dangerous disposition on the part lart of some of the portions of the country to go 0 It a alone alone a procedure that would have ha led to an easy re con quest by frt Treat Great at Britain The most powerful Influence In the course of nations Is tle tie economic one The sev sev- several several several eral states composing the origInal did not have ha e entirely con con con- cor Interests Interest and naturally obey obey- obeying obeying In ing t their Impulses showed showell an un- un un willingness to surrender local advantages advantages advantages for the lie general good Perhaps as striking an Instance of ot the opera opera- operation operation tion of this law lav will be found In the attitude of the people of ot the area now included In the state of Vermont The I treaty of ot peace with Great which acknowledged the Independence of the United States enumerated each state as sovereign and granted also the territory west of ot New v Hampshire Many of the residents of ot this area however regarded their best Interests to be with Canada because the outlet to the sea was through the waters that led to the St Lawrence river rI Rail Rail- Railroads Railroads roads were of ot at that time Among the leaders of the party that declared against entering the United States was vas Ethan Allen Alien the famous patriot and his two brothers Active resistance to Inclusion of the state was threatened but It came to naught and the Green Mountain state wu was w duly admitted as the fourteenth state Problem Faced Young Nation During the Revolution many efforts were made to bring about a closer union of ot the several states Finally n a co couple of or years before the close ot of the war the Articles of ot Confederation Confederation tion were ere adopted They did not sat sat- satIsfy satisfy satisfy many of ot the leaders Including such as Washington Hamilton Wilson and Madison but were the best that could be obtained at that time Ume Mean Mean- Meanwhile Meanwhile Meanwhile while the pioneer spirit so characteristic tic Uc of ot the Colonials was urging move move- movements movements movements ments towards and be beyond ond the moun moun- mountaIn mountain tain tales range and the problem of ot the Mississippi valley alley was becoming se- se serious serious se serious rious French colonization had been active from the north especially In Inthe inthe Inthe the region of ot the Great lakes lales but by bythe bythe the Treaty of ot Paris In 1703 which closed the Seven Senn Years war France had lost all Its Canadian posses possessions lons Spain was In possession of ot territory In Inthe inthe Inthe the Gulf region The Mississippi l riv riv- river river river er Is the only outlet to the lie sea ca for the vast ast valley that It drains and find It was obvious ob that lint any nn considerable settlements settle settle- settlements settlements ments by American pioneers In this valley alley would find necessity either cither ot of using the river rl or of ot sending theIr prod prod- produce produce uce over o the mountain range to the lie Atlantic ports These matters ot of course did not attract much atten attention tion between l 1775 75 and 1783 for In those years the dominant note was war var but with the coming of ot peace domestic questions came to the front and grave c di arose It Lt seems Indeed from Crom the contemporary litera litera- literature literature literature ture that many Americans regarded their particular state as is In alliance rather than as In union with the others Saw Routes In Advance When Washington began to urge hIs plan plans fur the water slack s system on the Potomac the people of the James section became Jealous They that state aid ail should be be- given hn to a project In an nn entirely section It II became necessary for Cor the Hie friends of ot the Potomac project to support one for th the Improvement of the James Ja river and ond the James River myel Improvement company was duly or- or organized or coincident with that of ot the company Each company ot of was based on a definite amount shares By an act of the Virginia leg leg- legislature legislature a block of ot shares hare was voted to him The Washington stock went to the endowment of ot an Institution that had hind been established before the Revolution and after It had hat been re- re renamed re re- renamed renamed named Liberty hall This became Wa Washington college and Is now Wash Wash- Washington Washington ington and Lee university During Durin the Interval between 1783 and 1789 1759 when he was not In public life Washington made a journey through the Mohawk valley and In a letter r expressed the view that that route would constitute the best line for tor connecting the region re on ot of the Great lakes with willi tidewater He onI I did not live to see the construction ot of the Erie canal and the subsequent rise ot of the port of ot New York to commercial domination |