George Washington, after retiring from the presidency…

George Washington, after retiring from the presidency in March 1797, had returned to Mount Vernon with a profound sense of relief.

He has devoted much time to his plantations and other business interests, including his distillery, which had produced its first batch of spirits in February 1797.

As Chernow (2010) explains, his plantation operations were at best marginally profitable.

The lands out west yield little income because they are under attack by natives and the squatters living there refuse to pay him rent.

Most Americans assume he is rich because of the well-known "glorified façade of wealth and grandeur" at Mount Vernon.

Historians estimate his estate was worth about a million dollars in 1799 dollars, equivalent to about eighteen million dollars in 2009 purchasing power. (Chernow, Ron (2010). Washington: A Life. New York: Penguin Press)

By 1798, relations with France have deteriorated to the point that war seems imminent, and on July 4, 1798, President Adams offers Washington a commission as lieutenant general and Commander-in-chief of the armies raised or to be raised for service in a prospective war.

He reluctantly accepts, and will serve as the senior officer of the United States Army between July 13, 1798, and December 14, 1799.

He will participate in the planning for a Provisional Army to meet any emergency that might arise, but will avoid involvement in details as much as possible; he will delegate most of the work, including leadership of the army, to Hamilton.