George Washington: Anguish and Farewell

Summary

The fourth and final volume of Flexner's biography, following Washington through his second presidential term, the Whiskey Rebellion, the Jay Treaty controversy, and his retirement and death at Mount Vernon. Flexner emphasizes the human Washington — irritable, self-doubting, struggling with party warfare and the contradictions of slavery — rather than the marble icon of national myth. Written for general readers, the series helped revive popular interest in the founder.