George Washington, our first president and the man whose birthday we celebrate today, strengthened and defended the principles that have always defined the American story. Our shared memories are full of men and women who defended the principles of liberty, prosperity, and beauty, both in their personal lives and on the national stage, but his contributions to the American cause are hard to understate. After he was elected president in 1789, many of his fellow countrymen expected him to hold that office for life, to become a sort of elected monarch.