Lewis Nicola was an Irish-born author, merchant, and military officer who served in a variety of military and civilian capacities throughout his long life. Nicola's most significant connection to George Washington derived from his supposed authorship of a letter in which he seemed to advocate that the general assume the title of American monarch.
Early Life
Nicola was born to Huguenot parents in Ireland in 1717. It is likely that he received at least a secondary education before acquiring a commission as an ensign in the British Army in 1740. Nicola served in the War of Austrian Succession and in the Seven Years' War.
Immigration to America
After the war, as well as in response to difficult economic circumstances in Ireland, Nicola emigrated to Philadelphia and became a merchant. By 1767, his business ventures had met with some success and he had diversified his concerns to include a lending library of some 300 volumes. Nicola also became involved it the intellectual and social circles of the city, becoming a member of the American Philosophical Society.
Service in the American Revolution
As colonial troubles with Great Britain increased, Nicola took a firm stance against British tax policies. As the protests evolved into open rebellion, Nicola's previous military experience resulted in offers of several significant posts in the city of Philadelphia. On December 2, 1776, he was appointed town major of the city.
With a British attack on Philadelphia apparently imminent, Nicola worked diligently to strengthen the city's defenses. During the same year, he authored the manual A Treatise of Military Exercise Calculated for the Use of Americans. The work was meant to serve as a guide for officers already in possession of some experience in the art of war. On June 20, 1777, Nicola was authorized to raise a Corps of Invalids (a group of disabled veterans), which was to serve as a reserve force and as a training school for young gentlemen.
In May of 1782, Nicola penned a letter in which he suggested Washington assume a role similar to a king. While writing to Washington about Constitutional governments more broadly, he proposed, “Some people have so connected the ideas of tyranny & monarchy as to find it very difficult to seperate them, it may therefore be requisite to give the head of such a constitution as I propose, some title apparently more moderate, but if all other things were once adjusted I believe strong arguments might be produced for admitting the title of king, which I conceive would be attended with some material advantages.”1
These ideas came at a very sensitive period in the struggle for independence. The economic consequences of the war were making themselves felt, especially among the officer core who faced difficulties receiving pay. When it came to developing and implementing solutions to the problems facing the republic, the shortcomings of Congress and the Articles of Confederation appeared important in the eyes of many.
Washington responded by rejecting Nicola’s insinuation he should become a monarch, “Let me [conj]ure you then, if you have any regard for your Country, concern for your self or posterity—or respect for me, to banish these thoughts from your Mind, & never communicate, as from yourself, or any one else, a sentiment of the like nature.”2 While Nicola was advocating for strong leadership, and it is doubtful that he actually was calling upon Washington to become king. However, Nicola demonstrates ongoing debates and ideas about the best form of government for the new country, and considering an executive role over the states was necessary.
After the American Revolution
With the coming of peace, the Corps of Invalids was disbanded. Lewis Nicola continued to hold a number of public positions until his retirement from public service at the age of eighty-one.
James McIntyre Moraine Valley Community College, updated by Zoie Horecny, Ph.D., 23 April 2025
Notes:
1. “To George Washington from Lewis Nicola, 22 May 1782,” Founders Online, National Archives.
2. “From George Washington to Lewis Nicola, 22 May 1782,” Founders Online, National Archives.
Bibliography:
Haggard, Robert F. "The Nicola Affair: Lewis Nicola, George Washington, and American Military Discontent during the Revolutionary War." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 146, no. 2 (June 2002).
Head, David. A Crisis of Peace. Pegasus Books, 2019.
Nicola, Lewis. A Treatise of Military Exercise Calculated for the Use of Americans. Ed. James McIntyre. West Chester, OH: The Nafziger Collection, 2009.
