George W. Bush opens presidential essay series with praise for Washington

George W. Bush launches a series of essays on U.S. presidents by casting George Washington as a model of humility, noting that Washington twice relinquished power — after the Revolutionary Army and after two presidential terms — actions that, Bush writes, kept America from becoming a monarchy or worse.

The project, called In Pursuit, was created for the 250th anniversary of American independence and will publish weekly on Substack. Contributors include Barack Obama on Abraham Lincoln, Bill Clinton on Theodore Roosevelt, the Fox host Bret Baier on Dwight D. Eisenhower and Chief Justice John G.

Roberts Jr. on William Howard Taft, alongside three former presidents and seven Pulitzer-winning historians. Each writer was given 1,250 words, with former presidents allotted an extra 100. Colleen Shogan, who leads In Pursuit, says the goal is to take a long view and make history relevant without speaking narrowly to the present.

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