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Jul 3
1h 43m

George Washington's Anti-Daddy

ANDREW HEATON
About this episode

Why did the United States become a stable republic while so many revolutions ended in dictatorship?

The answer lies in two men pivitol to the Revolution: George Washington... and Oliver Cromwell.

A century before George Washington, Cromwell fought a king in the name of liberty, overthrew the monarchy, and then—step by step—became everything he opposed.

Washington would later face many of the same temptations: an unpaid army loyal to him, politicians begging him to stay in power, even a proposal to become king.

This is the story of two revolutionary generals, two republics, and why America stayed on the path of democracy instead of descending into a military junta. 

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