not as interesting as Jefferson's sex life

In case anyone at all is interested (and why in hell would anyone) here is a very brief abstract of my thesis...please feel free to offer any suggestions you might have (other than just finish)




“My Venerable and Dear Friend”: The Correspondence of John Adams, Esq. and Dr. Benjamin Rush on the Washington Image

My thesis research focuses on the image of George Washington as it has been seen through history and through the eyes of Washington’s contemporaries. I will first examine the image itself; briefly touch on what it has meant throughout the history of the United States and the ways in which Washington himself influenced it. I will then demonstrate the contemporary reactions to the image itself by focusing on two important founders, John Adams and Dr. Benjamin Rush.
Through the writings of Adams and Rush, primarily to each other but also to other contemporaries, I will investigate what the founders thought about Washington and their reactions to his near deification by both history and the American republic they helped to create. While not being able to always be open and direct because of Washington’s influence and immense popularity, Adams and Rush were as honest as they could be about the image of the Founding Father. Much of their writings were the jealous and despairing letters of proud men who were concerned with their own places in history and the immense shadow Washington cast over them. Some of their complaints about the undue influence of Washington’s image, however, have more to do with concern over the contradictions of a republican nation deifying one man and his legacy.
The first section of the thesis project will focus on the secondary literature on the Washington image and its influence in the nation’s history. This is a question of some historic importance as much recent historical scholarship has dealt with the Washington image. I argue that it is necessary to examine the Washington image itself before focusing on the reactions of Adams and Rush to it. This, however, must be as brief and concise as possible as it is not the main focus of my research.
The main focus of my thesis research is to look at the reactions of Rush and Adams to this immense influence of the Washington image. The rest of the project will focus mainly on the primary literature of these two important contemporaries of Washington. Their letters primarily to each other will serve as the backbone of my research. I will compliment their letters to each other with other letters that they wrote to get at their thoughts and motivations as best as history can understand them. Of course there will be secondary literature to aid in the understanding of their motivations and to assist in the answering of historical problems.