Why didn't George Washington like John Adams?

Answer 1

John Adams did not command the respect that was given to Washington. He was short and fat and did not look like a hero and , of course, he was not a soldier.

Washington , on the other hand, was tall and powerfully built. When he sat on his horse in dress uniform he looked every inch the hero that he was. Adams was highly educated and a skilled lawyer. He probably was more intelligent than Washington, although Washington had a good business and common sense and better people skills than Adams.

Answer 2

After the inauguration of Washington one of the first issues that came up in Congress was what to call the president. In the Senate the discussions became heated and Adams took part more than he should have. Adams believed everything possible should be done to bring dignity and respect to the central government and thus strengthen the union. If the federal government was to be important then the titles should reflect that. But there was no support for grand titles and Adams was out of step with the majority. On May 14 the Senate voted that the title of president would be "the President of the United States." The damage over this was mainly with his standing with Washington who in private felt that the fuss over titles had made Adams not just unpopular, but "odious." Washington from that time on kept a distance from Adams. As time went on Adams had little contact with the President , no influence, and felt overlooked. So, to answer your question in looking at the letters and observations of the time it wasn't so much that Washington disliked Adams he just didn't care and had no contact.

Answer 3

John Adams held George Washington in high esteem. He nominated him to be Commander of the Revolution Army to begin with and was also instrumental in making sure that Washington would be the first President Of the United States, knowing that only Washington was universally respected and loved by the entire nation. Adams did become somewhat envious of Washington's stature while serving as his Vice-President. Even after Washington's retirement, Adams designated him as General of the Armies when it looked as though American might have to fight France.

Answer 4

He was no Washington. He could not look good sitting on a horse and he was not gracious. Also, he had Jefferson as his vice-president and Jefferson did not agree with him on most things.