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Independence would have been achieved without him.
Why do you believe this? The American War for Independence was an incredibly close run thing even with Washington around; I have a hard time seeing the American forces fighting on long enough to make it to Yorktown without Washington's leadership. We don't learn about Valley Forge in school for nothing. Washington held the Continental Army together and forged them into a decent fighting force by the end of the war. His contribution to the war effort was absolutely vital.
As for his presidency--it was most remarkable for what he didn't do rather than what he did.
Washington doesn't get enough credit for his accomplishments as president either. He didn't just set the standard of behavior for future presidents; he helped flesh out the role of the entire executive branch. He also navigated the country through several foreign policy crises that had the potential to doom the nascent republic. Washinton managed to navigate successfully between the competing British and French empires, setting a course that his successors would follow in the dangerous early years of the American nation.
Lincoln was a great president, but he can't compete with Washington.
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