The "First" President... of the Continental Congress

Philadelphia, the United States of America

July 1st, 1778

George Washington looked out the window of his office longingly and sighed. All he wanted and asked for was to retire in peace and let the others take care of the governing, but unfortunately, he was pretty much thrown into the executive position despite his protests. He had to admit that the title "President George Washington" had a nice ring to it, but he never cared about titles or honors. He fought in the Revolutionary War because he believed it was the right thing to do, freed his slaves because he was convinced by God, and went back to his farm because he wanted to live a simple life. Unfortunately, the other members of the Watchmen Society (and even the delegates of Congress who weren't aware of Samuel's secret) had other ideas. He and the others reached a compromise; Washington was to serve as the first president until the first general elections, then he was allowed to retire to Virginia. Despite his reluctance, he knew that he would be hunted down and badgered until he caved in, so he conceded and accepted the position from Congress dutifully.

It had been three months since he was sworn into office (he recited the same presidential oath that was used in the other history during his inaugural ceremony) and he was still getting used to his new duties. While he rarely used his executive powers (as he believed himself to be a more ceremonial president than an "actual" president), there were numerous pressing matters that he had to deal with daily. From diplomacy to internal security, there were many things he had to do to make sure the nation was up and running for the next president to take over smoothly. He had sent a delegation to Morroco just a few weeks prior to get the nation to recognize the United States and protect American shipping from being raided by the Barbary Pirates. While he knew it wasn't an immediate concern, Washington wanted to ensure that he resolved the problem sooner rather than later.

Additionally, with some encouragement from Samuel, he had instructed the delegation to open a potential partnership between the two nations. In this history, France recognized the United States first. Still, Morocco had the potential to be an "ally" for the young nation, and treating them as equals would possibly help foster a relationship between the two countries. It was a long shot, but it was still worth a try. After all, Washington had no delusions about the future of Africa. If the United States didn't do anything, the other European nations would run rampant and exploit the people living there. And while his opinions of Africans (not African Americans, he firmly saw them as equal Americans) were mixed, the sheer brutality and inhumane acts carried out by the other European countries made him feel like he had a duty to the natives there.

Speaking of European nations, the British were trading heavy blows with the French and Spanish in the Caribbean. It wasn't a secret that the current British government wanted to save face after losing all of its North American possessions (the occupation of West Florida, Prince Edward Island, and New Foundland was carried out in May after the British retreated from those colonies). As a result, Britain was devoting much of its military to pushing their enemies out of the Caribbean and retaking its seized colonies (Jamaica, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Vincent, Montserrat, Tobago, and St. Kitts). They were also looking to conquer Cuba and Hispanola if the rumors were correct as an act of anger and revenge. Due to the end of the conflict between the United States and Britain, it seemed like Britain was regaining the upper hand in the region and defeated a sizeable French fleet off the coast of the Bahamas recently. He had no doubt that the French and Spanish were angered at the American "betrayal" for loaning East Florida and Bermuda for resupply and basing to the British. Still, it was a deal that allowed the United States to expand and achieve peace. In the end, all the two nations could do was protest and grit their teeth, as they were in no shape or form to attempt an invasion of the republic.

As for the homefront, the Cherokees and the United States were planning a peaceful, diplomatic meeting in Georgia in a month to determine the relationship between the two. With Georgia occupied and a mere "territory," there was great potential for successful negotiations in order to settle any disputes once and for all. With the Iroquois (or the Haudenosaunee as the people there called themselves) acting as support for the American side, Washington had high hopes that the Cherokees would join or maintain close relations. There were very few American raids into the Cherokee settlements this time around, with most of them being carried out by Loyalists through Georgia, so the amnesty between the Indians and the colonials was more mellow. If all went well, the meeting would end successfully sometime next year.

However, not all natives were amicable. In particular, the Shawnees were extremely hostile to the United States and constantly battled settlers in the Ohio Territory. It had reached the point that Washington asked Congress to remobilize some veterans to deal with the threat, as the Continental Army had been mostly disbanded. Approximately three thousand veterans, many of them former slaves, answered Congress' call to arms. They were offered greater pay and better pensions in return for another year of enlistment. Three regiments were organized from the returning veterans (one of them was mostly African Americans, who called themselves the "Fighting Freedmen") and they were sent to Ohio to fight the Shawnees. All attempts at diplomacy were rejected, and it seemed as though the situation would end with only one victor. Thankfully, the Iroquois also assisted with their warriors, and the conflict was slowly tipping in their favor.

Domestic affairs were relatively peaceful and orderly. Congress passed the Bill of Rights after Maryland (reluctantly) ratified the Constitution. The Bill of Rights and its guarantees were enough for the Rhode Island federalists to push the state assembly to ratify the Constitution (the vote was still close, 55-52) in June. With all the "founding" states now in the Union, the biggest threats to the unity of the states were now over and the nation was mobilizing for its first-ever election in 1779. And thanks to the help of the Watchmen Society, the American economy was expected to grow in leaps and bounds in the next few decades. Already, the "Pelissier Process" was being spread throughout the US to have a way of producing inexpensive, mass quantities of steel. So far, only Pelissier and Read had managed to replicate the original Bessemer Process effectively, but he knew that other places around the United States would soon catch up. And with steel, better tools and machines were going to be crafted. The steam engine was already on some of the Watchmen Society members' minds, which could forever revolutionize the economy and propel America ahead of its competitors. Other potential inventions that drew interest were the telegraph, the cotton gin, the Jacquard Loom, and the battery.

Not every domestic affair was about the economy. There were plenty of other fields that were being explored. For example, an Eerie Canal was being planned (or a replica of the different history's Eerie Canal), though the United States needed more experts and engineers to fulfill the project truly. Having information was one thing, but putting it into practice was another. Benjamin Rush was writing out "new" medical theses and was creating some semblance of a medical system across the United States. The last time Washington heard from him, he was in eastern Philadelphia, draining out swamps that would decimate many civilians in Philadelphia from yellow fever and malaria in the future. Loyalists were being driven out of South Carolina and Georgia, and Loyalist leaders were being put on trial. South Carolina and Georgia were expected to be black majority states after the expulsion of the Loyalists, so Washington was placing great efforts to ensure that things didn't spiral out of control in the southernmost regions.

Just as he was deep in thought, a knock on his office's door made Washington turn away from the window. He opened the door to see a member of Congress, Pennsylvanian Delegate Andrew Allen. In the other history, he betrayed the United States after opposing independence. Yet, in this new world, he was a respected member of the Continental Congress and a fierce advocate for federalism. Samuel's presence had changed thousands, if not millions, of lives, and the aftermath was seen everywhere. The delegate cleared his throat and nodded his head respectfully, "Mr. President, I was asked to give you an update on the current situation of Congress and also hand you this letter."

The president accepted the papers that were handed to them gracefully, "Thank you. Is there anything else?"

"No. All is well," Allen replied, "I will excuse myself, as I know you are busy with your administrative work."

The delegate bowed and left the room, presumably to deal with other matters. Washington walked to his desk and placed the letters on the wooden top. He read through the letter first and spotted the name "Samuel Kim" written on the envelope. After skimming through the content, he smiled at the letter, "So... The next president is doing well as expected."

The letter was long and descriptive. Samuel explained his current situation in New York and how he managed to "collect" several future British engineers and industrialists. Additionally, it seemed as though the Buonaparte family was now living in New York City after Pelissier's recommendation. He befriended the head of the Corsican family due to his ability to speak some French. Samuels' armory was coming along nicely and was expected to produce rifled muskets for the military shortly. The forge was a work in progress, as the workers needed more training and technical skills, but the man's newspaper was thriving apparently. It seemed as though Samuel was putting the "freedom of the press" into action.

Washington looked out the window one more time and went back to work. At least he would be out of the office and free of executive work in a year. For Samuel? He probably had to deal with this for eight years.