Washington’s Choice to Walk Away

George Washington literally could have been an American King, but he chose to

ghost power instead. When he took office in 1789, the country was a total mess and

everyone was terrified he would turn into a tyrant. Since there was no rulebook,

Washington had to invent the presidency from scratch. He created the first Cabinet because

he knew he needed backup, and he refused to get dragged into European wars because

the nation was too fragile. But his absolute mic-drop moment was the end.

After two terms, he just quit. He voluntarily walked away to prove that power belongs to

the people, not a ruler.