Newburgh letter facts for kids
In 1782, during the American Revolutionary War, a very important letter was sent to George Washington. He was camped with his army in Newburgh, New York. This letter, known as the Newburgh letter, was written by Colonel Lewis Nicola. It suggested that Washington should become the King of the United States. Washington was very upset by this idea and strongly disagreed with it.
This letter could have changed American history a lot. Nicola's idea wasn't about Washington becoming a mean ruler or a "tyrant." Instead, he thought Washington could be a king in a special way, like in a constitutional monarchy. This is where a king or queen shares power with a government chosen by the people. The Newburgh letter is also connected to something called the Newburgh Conspiracy. One of the main reasons Nicola wrote the letter was because the soldiers weren't getting paid enough.
Contents
Why the Letter Was Written
Colonel Nicola started his letter by explaining a big problem: he and many soldiers weren't getting paid. The army had been waiting for their money from Congress for months, and some even for years!
The Pay Problem
The reason for this pay issue was the Articles of Confederation. This was like the first rulebook for the United States. It allowed the Continental Congress to create an army during wartime. However, it didn't give Congress the power to collect taxes. Only the individual states could collect taxes. Most states didn't have enough money to pay for the army. Nicola believed this showed a weakness in the new republic, which is a government where citizens elect representatives. He thought a different kind of government, like a "mixed government," would be better.
Nicola's Suggestion
Nicola hinted that Washington, who had led the army through tough times to victory, would be the best person to lead the country in peacetime. After criticizing the republican government, Nicola suggested that Washington become king. He knew that words like "tyranny" and "monarchy" sounded bad to many people back then. So, he suggested that a different title could be used later. He believed that having a king would bring some important benefits.
Washington's Strong Reaction
Washington knew that some people worried he wanted to be like "American Cromwell." Oliver Cromwell was a powerful leader in England who took control after a civil war. Washington wanted to make it very clear he had no such plans.
Washington's Reply
On the same day he received the letter, Washington sent a very clear reply to Nicola. He wrote that nothing during the entire war had made him feel as much pain as hearing that such ideas were spreading in the army. Washington said he didn't know what he had done to make Nicola think he would want such a thing. He called the idea a "calamity," meaning a disaster, for the United States. To make sure everyone knew his reply was real, two of Washington's helpers, David Humphreys and Jonathan Trumbull, officially confirmed the document.
Nicola's Apology
Nicola quickly wrote back to Washington, apologizing for his suggestions. On May 23, he told Washington how sad he was to have upset him. He claimed that nothing had ever bothered him as much as Washington's disapproval. Nicola even asked Washington to point out every mistake he had made. We don't know what Washington replied to this letter or to two other apology letters Nicola wrote on May 24 and 28. However, Nicola and Washington's relationship soon went back to normal.
