HIST101

American History to 1877

A Man of Honor George Washington was the first president of the United States and is known as “the Father of Our Country. He was a man with much conviction, humility, and integrity. George Washington trusted in God, was willing to sacrifice much, and he was selfless. All of these qualities were important to his success as a military leader and as the leader of the nation. It is apparent by how revered Washington is today that he was a man of honor. George Washington begin life in Virginia in 1732. He was the son of Augustine and Mary Ball Washington. The tale of him cutting down the cherry tree, is just a tale created by author Mason Locke Weems. Weems wanted Washington's life to appear more interesting in the biography he wrote. The biography, A History of the Life and Death, Virtues and Exploits, of General George Washington, “supplied the American people with flattering (and often rhyming) renditions of the events that shaped their hero”. Lawrence Washington was George's older brother. Lawrence was a great influence on George's life. After the death of their father, George spent a lot of time with Lawrence at his home, Mount Vernon. Washington learned the gentlemanly ways and manners of the time from Lawrence. One of the things George enjoyed most was fox-hunting. When Lawrence died, Mount Vernon was left to George. Washington received little formal education. This was due to his father dying when he was a boy. He was mostly self-taught and attacked his studies with tenacity. He was an avid reader, and had acquired quite a collection of books at the time of his death. As a young man, he worked as a surveyor. He used his earnings to buy unclaimed land. The job of surveying helped him gain knowledge of the land outside of Virginia. His knowledge of the layout of the land greatly assisted him when