Was there a genuine proposal for George Washington to become the monarch of the United States?

In the tumultuous year of 1783, just a year after Nicola's letter to George Washington, a significant event unfolded in the history of the young American republic. This was the Newburgh Conspiracy, a tense episode that tested the resolve of the nation's founding figures.

At the heart of the matter were army officers, including Colonel Lewis Nicola, a 65-year-old Irish-born military veteran who corresponded frequently with Washington. These officers were deeply concerned about back pay and pension promises from Congress, which, in the pre-Constitution era, had no power to tax.

Nicola's letter to Washington on May 22, 1782, threatened open mutiny if the military wasn't properly compensated. This letter, however, was not an offer, but a strongly worded rejection that Washington received.

The Newburgh Conspiracy reached its peak when Washington quashed a potential mutiny by reminding his officers about the principles they had fought for. His response was withering, but it was not the equivalent of being "offered the crown."

It was Colonel Lewis Nicola, a colonial figure, who had proposed making George Washington king. However, his attempt was part of a small, unsuccessful movement during the Revolutionary War period advocating for a monarchy with Washington as king.

The American Army was still considered "on duty" until the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783. The decisive defeat at Yorktown occurred in 1781, resulting in the capture of 7,000 British troops and General Charles Cornwallis. Yet, the Newburgh Conspiracy of 1783 was a more serious threat to the young republic than Nicola's letter, as it was the closest the American army came to a coup.

Denver Brunsman, a scholar of the Revolutionary War and George Washington, noted that Nicola was representative of a group of individuals in the officer corps who were extremely frustrated with Congress. Brunsman also stated that Washington's reaction to the notion of being king shows why he was able to garner the trust of the American people.

During the Newburgh Conspiracy, Washington delivered a stirring address to his officers, effectively giving them a civics lesson. This event serves as a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by the early American republic and the leadership that guided it through those turbulent times.

Was there a genuine proposal for George Washington to become the monarch of the United States?