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 criticism of Washington's military - related aspects. The last sentence focuses on his role in setting up democracy as president, thus separating the two aspects.

Answer:

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