Washington: A Life

An adjutant is a military officer who acts as an administrative assistant to a senior officer. In Washington: A Life, Washington’s early appointment as a district adjutant helped launch his military career and gave him vital exposure to the logistics, discipline, and politics of colonial defense. This role positioned him within Virginia’s elite militia structure and deepened his ties to imperial authority while fostering leadership habits that would later define his command style.

The Articles of Confederation were the first constitution of the United States, ratified in 1781. Chernow highlights their weaknesses—such as the lack of a strong executive and federal taxing power—as central to Washington’s frustration in the post-Revolutionary years. These structural flaws underpin his growing call for a stronger central government and help explain his eventual decision to re-enter public life and preside over the Constitutional Convention.

Assumption refers to Alexander Hamilton’s controversial proposal that the federal government assume state debts incurred during the Revolutionary War. In the biography, the debate over assumption is central to the political rift between Hamilton and Jefferson, and it directly implicates Washington in early tests of executive neutrality and national finance. Chernow uses this conflict to illustrate Washington’s tendency to consult broadly, defer to reasoned opinion, and ultimately back national consolidation over sectional interest.