Question

american history is a tapestry of fact and opinion woven together. but one thing that is seldom questioned is george washingtons genius as a military planner. shockingly, thats not universally considered true, as some analysts say he made many mistakes and poor decisions. nothing conceals mistakes like excellent leadership skill, however, and washington had that in spades. it would later prove to be an essential trait in setting historys greatest democracy upon the right path. what purpose does the last sentence of the passage serve? 1 it proves washingtons critics were wrong and he actually was a great military leader. 2 it shows washington was able to learn from his mistakes before becoming president. 3 it separates criticism of washingtons military record from his greatness as president.

Explanation:

The passage first mentions that Washington's genius as a military planner is seldom questioned but also notes critics who say he made mistakes. Then it highlights his excellent leadership skill (not specifically military - related) which was essential for setting up democracy. This separates the criticism of his military record (implied by the mention of mistakes in military planning) from his greatness as a leader in the context of establishing a democracy (presidential - era significance).

Answer:

1. It separates criticism of Washington's military record from his greatness as president.