Washington And The Crown

Originally Aired: May 1, 1939 Cavalcade of America #163, "Washington And The Crown," presents a critical moment in American history when the struggling young nation teeters on the brink of abandoning its democratic ideals. In 1782, following the victory at Yorktown, George Washington faces perhaps his greatest test. The Continental Army remains unpaid and in rags, with mutiny brewing among the Pennsylvania line and other troops. Congress proves impotent and the people grow desperate for strong leadership. Into this chaos comes a mysterious communication from Colonel Louis Nicolas of the Invalid Regiment, a letter so troubling that Washington summons his trusted aides David Humphreys and Jonathan Trumbull to his Newburgh headquarters on a stormy night. The drama captures Washington at a crossroads, where discouraged citizens and soldiers alike question whether democracy can survive. With references to history's great men on horseback - Alexander, Caesar, Cromwell, Napoleon - the stakes become clear: Will Washington follow their path to power, or choose a different course? As the general paces the windswept Hudson River banks and encounters a half-frozen sentry without even a shirt, the contrast between America's lofty ideals and harsh reality has never been sharper.