Volume 4 of Chief Justice John Marshall’s biography of George Washington covers the mature years of Washington’s presidency, including the partisan battles over Jay’s Treaty, the emergence of the first party system, and Washington’s decision to step down after two terms — setting the precedent that defined the American presidency for a century and a half. Marshall, a Federalist who admired Washington deeply, writes with evident authority and conviction.
As both biography and political history, this volume illuminates the founding decade through the eyes of a man who was present for much of it. Download this free EPUB for a primary-source account of Washington’s presidency from his most eminent biographer.