An Uneven Friendship

George Mason and George Washington lived in very close proximity to one another and often visited one another's estates. Their homes were incredibly similar, however, the relationship that Mason and Washington held was uneven. Some would argue that Mason was far more interested in their relationship than Washington was. Washington did not trust Mason in terms of satisfying his own self-interests. In the article "An Uneven Friendship: The Relationship between George Washington and George Mason" by Peter Henriquez, the author examines the relationship between Washington and Mason and argues that their relationship was uneven due to their ideals. They had different arguments when it came to shaping the Constitution. This difference was important enough to cause tensions between them. Both interacted with one another quite frequently, but the author argues their interactions were focused more on respect and maintaining peace than affection. The author relies on letters that Washington and Mason wrote to one another to establish conclusions about their relationship. For example, Washington appreciated Mason’s intelligence and often reached out to him for help. When Washington ran into trouble with his stepdaughter, he could easily turn to Mason. Patsy Custis' brother passed away and Washington specifically wrote that: “I could think of no person in whose friendship, care, and Abilities I could so much confide” (186). Although the two often visited one another and were close, there was a conflict between them which caused the imbalance. While Washington felt that he had true intentions in public office, he did not feel the same about Mason. Washington strongly disliked Mason’s habit of “improving his own interests through public office and political connection” (192). However, Washington was also the same way, but the author states “the point is that Washington thought he might be guilty of such an act” (194). The issues of their relationship laid mainly on their mutual need to economically advance. Some may argue that Washington may be one to simply point fingers. It could be that Washington was right about Mason, especially since Washington was the one out of the two of them to become president. Mason may have been more focused on acquiring land and increasing his social status, while Washington may have actually wanted to be a leader to his nation. While Mason was more focused on gaining land, Washington ended up acquiring more prestige through his experiences as president.