Library of Congress
- NAME – George Washington
- NICKNAME(S) – The Old Fox / The Sage of Mount Vernon
- BIRTH / DEATH – Feb. 22, 1732 Westmoreland County, Va. / Dec. 14, 1799 Mount Vernon
- FATHER – planter (died when he was 11)
- MOTHER – housewife
- COLLEGE – did not attend
- WIFE – Martha Dandridge Custis
- KIDS – stepson and stepdaughter
- PETS – parrot (Polly)
- RELIGION – Episcopalian
- ANCESTRY – English
- AGE – 57
FIRSTS:
– first and only President elected unanimously (twice) by the Electoral College
MA AND PA: His father was a planter who died when he was eleven. His mother refused to let him go to England for schooling. She resented his becoming a general and later President because he did not concentrate on her.
BACKGROUND:
– his first job was as a surveyor (which gave him first look at the best lands on the frontier so he could invest in real estate)
– elected to the House of Burgesses
– fought in the French and Indian War
– delegate to the First Continental Congress
– delegate to the Second Continental Congress; appointed commanding general of the Continental Army
– retired to Mount Vernon
– elected presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention
FIRST LADY: Martha was a very wealthy widow. She was born to a wealthy planter. Her first marriage was to a wealthy landowner. She gave birth to four kids, only two of whom survived infancy. He died after seven years of marriage. She was staying with friends when Washington passed through the area and was talked into staying overnight. She was described as “the prettiest and wealthiest widow in Virginia.” She loved horse-riding and embroidery. He called her Patsy (the same nickname that was used for their daughter) and she called him Old Man.
RETIREMENT: He retired to Mount Vernon and enjoyed running the plantation. He caught a fever after riding the estate on a cold and wet day and returning to a letter the contents of which enraged him. He did not get out of his wet clothes. He was bled by his doctor, which did not help but he probably would have died anyway. His last words were: “I die hard, but I am not afraid to go… Let me go quietly.”
TRIVIA:
– he was 6’3” and wore size 13 shoes
– he was born on Feb. 11, but when Great Britain switched to the Gregorian Calendar in 1752, the date changed to Feb. 22
– he was tutored at home and was strong at math
– he is the only President inaugurated in two different cities (NYC and Philadelphia)
– Mount Vernon had a mill, fisheries, ironworks, and a brewery – the brewery produced spruce beer, peach brandy, and applejack; he named some of his hounds Drunkard, Tipsy, Tipler, and Taster
– his stepson John’s granddaughter married Robert E. Lee
ANECDOTES:
THE POPE’S STONE
With funding not sufficient, donors were sought to donate stones for the Washington Monument. Individuals, states, schools, etc. contributed stones. The most controversial stone came from Pope Pius IX. It came from the Temple of Concord in Rome. The 1850’s were a time of anti-Catholic sentiment in America. The political party called the Know Nothings was based on anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic beliefs. They labeled the stone a “papist gift” and stirred up anger about it. On the night of March 5, 1854, masked men assaulted the watchman at the site and stole the stone. It was never seen again.
– maroon 94
CLOSE CALLS
On his first expedition in what would become the French and Indian War, a traitorous Indian guide ran away and fired a shot at fifteen paces, but missed. His coat was ripped by bullets during the Battle of the Wilderness. He had his hat knocked off and his horse shot out from under him. During the Revolution, he was once out scouting enemy lines when he was spotted by Patrick Ferguson. Ferguson was considered the best shot in the British army and had designed his own rifle. Ferguson did not know the imposing figure on horseback was Washington, but something told him not to shoot. He yelled at the man to surrender, but Washington rode away. Ferguson could have easily shot him. At the Battle of Princeton, while rallying his retreating soldiers, Washington rode out in front of his men, much to the horror of his aides. The powder smoke obscured Washington and for a moment, they expected the worst, but their leader emerged unscathed. In fact, in all his years of war, he never suffered a scratch.
– maroon 49
GOUVERNEUR MORRIS’ BET
During the Constitutional Convention, Alexander Hamilton was talking to fellow delegate Gouverneur Morris (who would go on to write the Constitution). Morris bragged about how he could be as familiar with George Washington as with his old friends. Washington was well-known for his distaste for familiarity. He was not a friendly guy. Hamilton challenged Morris to approach Washington, slap him on the back, and ask him how he was doing. He promised Morris a dinner for friends if he accomplished the dare. At the first opportunity Morris approached Washington at a meeting. He rested his hand on the general’s shoulder and said “My dear general, I am very happy to see you look so well.” Washington looked at the hand, removed it, and gave Morris the coldest stare. He said not one word as Morris stood and sweated. After a very awkward, seemingly endless moment, Morris backed away into the crowd. At his victory dinner, Hamilton asked Morris what it was like and Morris responded that he would not do it again for anything.
– Boller 4-5
THE CHERRY TREE STORY
The most famous myth about Washington was the cherry tree story. It appeared in Parson Weems’ biography of Washington. According to Weems, when George was age 6, he was given a hatchet and proceeded to bark (not cut down a cherry tree). The barking was likely to kill the tree and when his father saw it he was quite upset. When he confronted his son, George told his father: “I can’t tell a lie, Pa: you know I can’t tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet.” What most Americans don’t know is the father’s response. Here are the words Weems put in his mouth: “Run to my arms, you dearest boy, run to my arms: glad am I, George, that you killed my tree, for you have paid me for it a thousand-fold. Such an act of heroism in my son, is worth more than a thousand trees, though blossomed with silver, and their fruits of purest gold.” Just like any father would say.
– Boller 7