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George Washington died in 1799. General Henry Lee gave a speech before Congress that put everything Washington had done into just a few words. He said Washington was “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.”
Most people remember Washington as the nation’s first president. He was also an outstanding general. He led the nation to victory in the American Revolution, an eight-year fight for independence from Britain. Americans respected him for his boldness and bravery in combat. They also respected Washington’s loyalty to his soldiers during very tough times.
Washington always tried to be honest and true to his word. But he was also a man of this era. At the time of the American Revolution, the enslavement of Black people had been going on for over 150 years, and Washington was a part of it. It was the work of enslaved people that kept his plantation running and profitable.
Shy and modest, he never expected to be the nation’s first president – and he never sought the office – but when the nation’s leaders convinced him that his country needed him, he agreed to serve. Luckily for us, as you will see, George Washington was the right person for the job.
