Newburgh letter
On May 22, 1782, the Newburgh letter was sent to George Washington who was camped at Newburgh, New York; written for the army officers by Colonel Lewis Nicola, it proposed that Washington should become the King of the United States.[1] Washington reacted very strongly against the suggestion, and was greatly troubled by it.[2]
The letter could in many ways have been a turning point in American history. Nicola's proposal, while never fully formed, would not be suggesting tyranny (he rejected how others equated monarchy and tyranny) but instead a constitutional monarchy. The letter can be considered part of the Newburgh Conspiracy and the first grievance that Nicola highlights is the lack of adequate payment for troops.
See also
- List of George Washington articles
- Bibliography of George Washington
- President of the United States
- Prussian scheme
References
- ^ Nicola, Lewis. "To George Washington from Lewis Nicola, 22 May 1782,". Founders Online. U.S. National Archives. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ^ Washington, George. "To Lewis Nicola from George Washington, 22 May 1782,". Founders Online. U.S. National Archives. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
External links
- Image of Nicola's letter (American Memory, Library of Congress)
- Text of Washington's response
- Full text of letter to George Washington from Lewis Nicola, 22 May 1782
- Full text of Washington's unequivocal response to Lewis Nicola's proposal of a constitutional monarchy for the US, 22 May 1782
- Nicola's reaction to Washington's firm repudiation of Nicola's proposal of a constitutional monarchy for the US, 23 May 1782
- Nicola again writes to Washington to explain his motives for his first letter (and his uncertainty as to what he had written in the second one), 24 May 1782
- Nicola writes Washington again in distress over the "ill fated representation" he had sent him, 28 May 1782
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