
''This article is about George Washington's general life. See also George Washington's presidency''. George Washington, (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799), called Father of the Nation#Notes, was an United States general and Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and later the first President of the United States under the U.S. Constitution. (1789–1797). He also served as President of the 1787 History of the United States Constitution. For the role he played in winning and securing American independence, George Washington is generally recognized as one of the most important figures in U.S. history. Unlike many other revolutionary leaders, he voluntarily relinquished power even though some others wanted him to retain that power for life (as monarchs and dictators do). This established an important precedent of republican democracy that served as an example around the world. ==Early life== He was born on February 11, 1731 (old style)/February 22, 1732 (new style). His birthday is celebrated on the Gregorian (new style) calendar date. Also note that the English year began on March 25 (Annunciation Day, or Lady Day) at the time of his birth, hence the difference in his birth year. His birthplace was Pope's Creek Plantation, south of Colonial Beach, Virginia in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Washington was part of the economic and cultural elite of the slavery-owning planters of Virginia. His parents Augustine Washington (1693 - April 12, 1743) and Mary Ball (1708 - August 25, 1789) were of England descent. He spent much of his boyhood at Ferry Farm in Stafford County, Virginia, near Fredericksburg, Virginia and visited his Washington cousins at Chotank in King George County. As a youth, he trained as a surveyor (obtaining his certificate from the College of William and Mary) and helped survey the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. He visited Barbados, with his sick half-brother Lawrence in 1751, and survived an attack of smallpox, although his face was scarred by the disease. He was initiated as a Freemasonry in Fredericksburg on 4 February 1752. On Lawrence's death in July 1752, he rented and eventually inherited the estate, Mount Vernon (plantation) in Fairfax County, Virginia (near Alexandria, Virginia). ==French and Indian War and afterwards== [[Image:Washington 1772.JPG|thumb|right|275px|This, the earliest portrait of Washington, was painted in 1772 by Charles Willson Peale, and shows Washington in uniform as colonel of the 1st Virginia Regiment.]] At twenty-two years of age, George Washington fired the first shots of what would become a world war. In 1752, France began the military occupation of the Ohio Country, a region that was also claimed by Virginia. In 1753, Washington delivered an ultimatum to the French from Robert Dinwiddie, the governor of Virginia, but the French declined to leave. In 1754, Washington, now commissioned a lieutenant colonel in the First Virginia Regiment, led a mission into the Ohio Country. He ambushed a French Canadian scouting party, killing ten, including its leader, Joseph Coulon de Jumonville. Washington then built Fort Necessity, which soon proved inadequate, as he was Battle of the Great Meadows to a larger French and American Indian force. The surrender terms that Washington signed included an admission that he had "assassinated" Jumonville. (The paper was written in French, which Washington could not read.) The "Battle of Jumonville Glen" became an international incident, and helped to ignite the French and Indian War, which eventually became the Seven Years' War in Europe. Washington was released by the French with the promise not to return to the Ohio Country for one year. In 1755, Washington returned, accompanying the Braddock Expedition, a major effort by the British Army to retake the Ohio Country. The expedition ended in disaster at the Braddock Expedition#Battle of the Monongahela. Washington distinguished himself in the debacle—he had two horses shot out from under him, and four bullets pierced his coat—and showed coolness under fire in organizing the retreat. In Virginia, Washington was acclaimed as a hero, and he commanded the First Virginia Regiment throughout the rest of war. In 1758, he was a part of the John Forbes (General), which successfully drove the French away from Fort Duquesne. In 1759, he resigned his commission and married Martha Washington, the wealthy widow of Daniel Parker Custis. Washington adopted Custis's two children and never fathered any of his own. The newlywed couple moved to Mount Vernon where he took up the life of a genteel farmer. He became a member of the House of Burgesses. By 1774, Washington had become one of the colonies' wealthiest men. In that year, he was chosen as a delegate from Virginia to the First Continental Congress and the next year to the Second Continental Congress. He did not support colonial independence until 1776, when he read Thomas Paine's ''Common Sense''. ==American Revolution== [[Image:Washington Crossing the Delaware.png|thumb|left|350px|''Washington Crossing the Delaware,'' by Emanuel Leutze, 1851, Metropolitan Museum of Art]] The Continental Congress appointed Washington as commander-in-chief of the newly-formed Continental Army on June 15, 1775. The Massachusetts delegate John Adams suggested his appointment, citing his "skill as an officer... great talents and universal character." He assumed command on July 3. Washington successfully drove the Kingdom of Great Britain forces out of Boston, Massachusetts on March 17, 1776 by stationing artillery on Dorchester Heights. This day is celebrated in Boston as "Evacuation Day". The British army, led by General William Howe, retreated to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and Washington's army moved to New York City in anticipation of a British offensive there. Washington lost the Battle of Long Island on August 22 but managed to retreat, saving most of his forces. However, several other battles in the area sent Washington scrambling across New Jersey, leaving the future of the Revolution in doubt. On the night of December 25, 1776, Washington led the American forces across the Delaware River to attack Hessians forces in Trenton, New Jersey, who did not anticipate an attack near Christmas. Washington followed up the assault with a sneak attack on General Charles Cornwallis's forces at Princeton on the eve of January 2, 1777, eventually retaking the colony. The successful attacks built morale among the pro-independence colonists. Later in the year, General Howe led an offensive aimed at taking the colonial capital of Philadelphia. He severely defeated Washington's forces at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11 and succeeded in his task. An attempt to dislodge the British, the Battle of Germantown, failed as a result of fog and confusion, and Washington was forced to retire for the winter to Valley Forge. However, Washington's army recovered from the defeats and harsh winter conditions and drilled during the spring under the Prussia Baron Friedrich von Steuben, steadily improving its fighting capabilities. Later, it attacked the British army moving from Philadelphia to New York at the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778. Against tremendous odds, Washington sustained his army throughout the Revolution, keeping British forces tied down in the center of the country while Generals Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold won the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. After Monmouth, the British concentrated their offensives in the southern colonies, and rather than attack them there, Washington's forces moved to Rhode Island, where he commanded military operations until the war's end. His ability to delay British advances earned him the nickname "American Fabius Maximus". In 1779, he ordered twenty percent of the army to carry out an offensive against the Iroquois Confederacy, which had allied with the British and attacked patriot communities along the frontier. The achievement of his orders for "total destruction and devastation of their settlements" led the Iroquois to name Washington Hanodaganears ("Town Destroyer"). In 1781, American and French forces and a French fleet had Battle of Yorktown (1781) at Yorktown, Virginia in Virginia. Washington quick-marched south, joining the armies on September 14, and pressed the siege until the army surrendered. The British surrender there was the effective end of British attempts to quell the Revolution. In March of 1783, Washington found out about a Newburgh conspiracy that was being planned by some of his officers who were upset about back pay in the Continental Army's winter camp at Newburgh, New York. He was able to defuse this plot. Later in 1783, by means of the Treaty of Paris (1783), the Kingdom of Great Britain recognized American independence. As a result, on November 2 of that year at Rocky Hill, New Jersey General Washington gave his farewell address to the army. Then at Fraunces Tavern in New York on December 4, he formally bid his officers farewell. ==Activities between Revolution and Presidency == [[Image:GW-painting.jpg|thumb|right|280px|''George Washington'' by John Trumbull, painted in London, 1780, from memory]] On December 23, 1783, General George Washington resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Army to the Congress_of_the_United_States, which was then meeting at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. This action was of great significance for the young nation, establishing the precedent that civilian elected officials, rather than military officers, possessed ultimate authority. Washington's stature was such that had he wanted to seize and retain power—like Julius Caesar before him or Napoleon after him—he probably would have been able to do so. Indeed, there was even some support among his most devoted followers for making Washington a permanent ruler or king, but Washington, like most of the Founding Fathers of the United States, abhorred the very idea. At the time of Washington's departure from military service, he was listed on the rolls of the Continental Army as "General and Commander-in-Chief." See ''Retirement, death, and honors'' section #Retirement, death, and honors for more on this topic. Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. For the most part he did not participate in the debates involved, but his prestige was great enough to maintain collegiality and to keep the delegates at their labors. He adamantly enforced the secrecy adopted by the Convention during the summer. Many believe that the Framers created the Presidency with Washington in mind. After the Convention, his support convinced many, including the Virginia legislature, to support the U.S. Constitution. Washington farmed roughly 8,000 acres (32 km²). Despite the large amount of land he owned at the time, he was considered "land poor" and never had much cash on hand. In fact, he had to borrow £600 to relocate to New York, then the center of the American government, to take office as president. In 1788-1789, George Washington was elected the first President of the United States of the United States of America. See George Washington's presidency. ==Retirement, death, and honors== [[Image:Apotheosis of George Washington.jpg|right|thumbnail|250px|Constantino Brumidi's 1865 fresco The Apotheosis of Washington is found in the rotunda of the United States Capitol]] After retiring from the presidency in March of 1797, Washington returned to Mount Vernon with a profound sense of relief. In 1798, Washington was appointed Lieutenant General in the United States Army by President John Adams. Washington's appointment was to serve as a warning to France, with which war seemed imminent. Washington never saw active service, however, and upon his death one year later the U.S. Army rolls listed him as "retired." Within a year of this 1798 appointment, Washington fell ill with acute laryngitis and died on December 14, 1799 at his home. Modern day doctors now believe that Washington died from either a strep throat or, since he was bled as part of the treatment, a combination of shock from the loss of blood, asphyxia, and dehydration. The physician who administered bloodletting to him was Benjamin Rush, who had campaigned for Washington's removal during the Revolutionary War. Washington's remains were buried in a family graveyard at Mount Vernon (plantation). Congressman Henry Light Horse Harry Lee, a Revolutionary War comrade, famously eulogized Washington as "a citizen, first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." With the exception of Dwight Eisenhower, who held a life-time commission as General of the Army (five star), George Washington is the only President with military service to reenter the military after leaving the office of President. Even though he had been the highest-ranking officer of the Revolutionary War, having in 1798 been appointed a ''Lieutenant General'' (now three stars), it seemed, somewhat incongruously, that all later full (i.e., four-star) generals in U.S. history (starting with General Ulysses S. Grant), and also all five-star generals of the Army, were considered to outrank Washington. General John J. Pershing had attained an even higher rank of ''General of the Armies'' (above five star -- though the most stars Pershing actually ever wore were four). This issue was resolved in 1976, when Washington was, by Act of Congress, posthumously promoted to the rank of General of the Armies, and also declared to permanently be ''the'' top-ranked military officer of the United States. [https://www.perscom.army.mil/tagd/tioh/rank/goa.htm] ==Personal information== Admirers of Washington circulated an apocryphal story about his honesty as a child. In the story, he wanted to try out a new axe, so he chopped down his father's cherry tree; when questioned by his father, he gave the famous non-quotation: "I cannot tell a lie. It was I who chopped down the cherry tree." The story first appeared after Washington's death in a naïve "inspirational" children's book by Parson Mason Weems, who had been rector of the Mount Vernon parish. See also George Washington's axe for an elaboration of this story. Parson Weems also fabricated a famous story about Washington praying for help in a lonely spot in the woods near Valley Forge. Nevertheless, Washington was a man of great personal integrity, with a deeply-held sense of duty, honor and patriotism. He was courageous and far-sighted, holding the Continental Army together through eight hard years of war and numerous privations, sometimes by sheer force of will. Because of Washington's involvement in Freemasonry, some publicly visible collections of Washington memorabilia are maintained by Masonic lodges, most notably the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. The museum at Fraunces Tavern Museum in New York City includes specimens of Washington's false teeth. Washington was plagued throughout his adult life with bad teeth, losing about one tooth a year from the age of 24. In his later years he consulted a number of dentists and used a number of sets of false teeth (but none of wood). Washington routinely smoked marijuana to alleviate the pain from his ailing teeth. Washington's own diary recounts, on several occasions, his efforts to better cultivate and enhance his crops of marijuana, which he used both for hemp (fiber) production and for medicine: May 12-13, 1765: "Sowed Hemp at Muddy hole by Swamp." August 7, 1765: "--began to seperate (sic) the Male from the Female Hemp at Do--rather too late." Washington was notable for his modesty and carefully-controlled ambition. He never accepted pay during his military service, and was genuinely reluctant to assume any of the offices thrust upon him. When John Adams recommended him to the Continental Congress for the position of general and commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, Washington left the room to allow any dissenters to freely voice their objections. In later accepting the post, Washington told the Congress that he was unworthy of the honor. It is often said that one of Washington's greatest achievements was refraining from taking more power than was due. He was conscientious of maintaining a good reputation by avoiding political intrigue. He had no interest in nepotism or cronyism, rejecting, for example, a military promotion during the war for his deserving cousin William Washington lest it be regarded as favoritism. Thomas Jefferson wrote, "The moderation and virtue of a single character probably prevented this Revolution from being closed, as most others have been, by a subversion of that liberty it was intended to establish." Washington had to be talked into a second term of office as President, and very reluctantly agreed to it. However, he refused to serve a third term, setting a precedent that held until the Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. At John Adams's inauguration, Washington is said to have approached Adams afterwards and stated "Well, I am fairly out and you are fairly in. Now we shall see who enjoys it the most!" Washington also declined to leave the room before Adams and the new Vice President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, establishing the principle that even a former president is only, after all, a private citizen. Washington was a cricket enthusiast and was known to have played the sport, which was popular at that time in the British colonies. ===Washington and slavery=== Washington owned slaves throughout his adult life, as did most of his peers in the Virginia plantation aristocracy. He was noteworthy, however, for the humane treatment of his slaves and for his growing unease with the "peculiar institution." Historian Roger Bruns has written, "As he grew older, he became increasingly aware that it was immoral and unjust. Long before the Revolution, Washington had taken the unusual position of refusing to sell any of his slaves or to allow slave families to be separated." After the Revolution, Washington told an English friend, "I clearly foresee that nothing but the rooting out of slavery can perpetuate the existence of our [Federal] union by consolidating it on a common bond of principle." He wrote to his friend John Francis Mercer in 1786, "I never mean... to possess another slave by purchase; it being among my first wishes to see some plan adopted, by which slavery in this country may be abolished by slow, sure, & imperceptible degrees." Ten years later, he wrote to Robert Morris, "There is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see some plan adopted for the gradual abolition" of slavery. As President, Washington was mindful of the risk of splitting apart the young republic over the question of slavery (as in fact happened in 1861). He did not advocate the abolition of slavery while in office, but did sign legislation enforcing the prohibition of slavery in the Northwest Territory, writing to his good friend the Marquis de la Fayette that he considered it a wise measure. Unlike all the other slaveholding Founding Fathers, Washington included provisions in his will which freed his slaves upon his death. His widow Martha freed those she owned shortly before she died. As cited in Henry Weincek's ''Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America'', one of his slaves, Ona Judge Staines escaped the Executive Mansion in Philadelphia in 1796 and lived the rest of her life free in New Hampshire. ===Religious beliefs=== Washington's religious views are a matter of some controversy. There is considerable evidence that he (like many of the Founding Fathers) was a Deism - believing in God (he preferred more impersonal appellations, like ''Providence''), but not believing in Miracle in the world after the initial design. Before the Revolution, when the Episcopal Church in the United States of America was still the state religion in Virginia, he served as a vestryman (lay officer) for his local church. He spoke often of the value of religion in general, and he often accompanied his wife to Christian church services. However, there is no record of his ever becoming a communicant in any Christianity church and he would regularly leave services before communion - with the other non-communicants. When Rev. Dr. James Abercrombie, rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Philadelphia mentioned in a weekly sermon that those in elevated stations set an unhappy example by leaving at communion, Washington ceased attending at all on communion Sundays. Long after Washington died, asked about Washington's beliefs, Abercrombie replied: "Sir, Washington was a Deist." Various prayers said to have been composed by him in his later life are highly edited. He did not ask for any clergy on his deathbed, though one was available. His funeral services were those of the Freemasonry. Washington was an early supporter of religious pluralism. In 1775 he ordered that his troops not burn the Pope in effigy on Guy Fawkes night. In 1790 he wrote to Jewish leaders that he envisioned a country "which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.... May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid." This letter was seen by the Jewish community as highly significant; for the first time in millennia, Jews would enjoy full human and political rights. ==Legacy== [[Image:DSCN3500 georgewashington e.JPG|300px|right|thumb|Tourists pose under the statue of Washington outside the Federal Hall Memorial in lower Manhattan, site of Washington's first inauguration as President]] Washington peacefully relinquished the presidency to John Adams after serving two terms in office. He set many other precedents that established tranquility in the presidential office in the years to come. He was also lauded posthumously as the "Father of His Country" and is often considered to be the most important of the United States' "Founding Fathers". Therefore, he has been commemorated frequently. The capital city of the United States, Washington, DC, is named for him. The District of Columbia was created by an Act of Congress in 1790, and Washington was deeply involved in its creation, including the siting of the White House. At this time, the future site of the capital was a swamp, and Washington, D.C. remained largely marshland well into the 19th century. The capital was placed in the South, rather than in the major towns of the North, as a compromise during the writing of the United States Constitution in order to get Southern votes for important compromises. Washington also selected West Point, New York, as the site for the United States Military Academy. Washington State in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. is also named for him, the only state named for a president. His image is on the U.S. one dollar bill and the Quarter (U.S. coin). George Washington University in Washington, D.C., was named after him, and it was in part founded with shares Washington bequeathed to an endowment to create a national university in Washington. The Washington Monument was built in his honor. The Arecaceae genus ''Washingtonia'' is also named after him. ''See also:'' List of places named for George Washington ==Further reading== The literature on George Washington is deservedly immense. The definitive biography, still used as a reference by historians: :*Douglas S. Freeman. ''George Washington: A Biography''. 7 vols. New York: Scribner, 1948-1978. This is perhaps the most highly regarded single-volume biography: :*Flexner, James Thomas. ''Washington: The Indispensable Man.'' 1974, reprinted 1994. For full details of the first elections: :*Jenson, Merrill et al., eds. ''The Documentary History of the First Federal Elections, 1788-1790.'' 4 vols. Madison, Wisconsin, 1976-1989. For a comprehensive bibliography divided by topic: :*[http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwbib.html Washington Bibliography at the Library of Congress] Notable recent works include: :*Joseph J. Ellis ''His Excellency: George Washington''. New York: Knopf, 2004. :*Wiencek, Henry. ''An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America''. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003. :*Comora, Madeleine & Deborah Chandra. ''George Washington's Teeth.'' Illustrated by Brock Cole. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003; ISBN 0374325340. A lighthearted chronicle of his dental struggles. ==Related articles== * George Washington's presidency * U.S. presidential election, 1789 * U.S. presidential election, 1792 * Famous military commanders * George Washington's farewell address * List of U.S. Presidential religious affiliations * Newburgh conspiracy In recent years, a number of anti-Semitic groups have attributed false quotations to George Washington and other Founding Fathers, with the intention of inciting anti-Semitism. This subject is discussed in Neo-Nazi Theory (American founding fathers). ==Notes== [1] The earliest known image in which Washington is identified as such is on the cover of the circa 1778 Pennsylvania German almanac (Lancaster: Gedruckt bey Francis Bailey). This identifies Washington as "Landes Vater" or ''Father of the Land''. ==External links== *[http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/presiden/washpap.htm The Papers of George Washington] from the Avalon Project (includes Inaugural Addresses, State of the Union Messages, and other materials) *[http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/49.htm Farewell Address] *[http://www.libraryreference.org/washington.html Biography of George Washington] *[http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jamesdow/s004/f647706.htm A pedigree of George Washington] *[http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-2/washington.htm Teaching about George Washington] *[http://www.thirty-thousand.org/pages/section_IB5.htm The First Presidential Veto] Analysis of the first veto by a U.S. President *[https://www.perscom.army.mil/tagd/tioh/rank/goa.htm General Washington's military rank] 1732 births 1799 deaths George Washington Autodidacts Freemasons Continental Army generals Continental Congressmen French and Indian War people People from Virginia Presidents of the U.S. Revolutionaries Signers of the U.S. Constitution U.S. Founding Fathers Episcopalians bn:জর্জ ওয়াশিংটন ga:George Washington la:Georgius Vasingtonius simple:George Washington
''An event in this article is an Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/April 30'' (may be in HTML comment) ----- Note to myself and others: It sure would be nice if wikipedia had an entry on George Washington with some content: *biography: surveyor (learned of western opportunities in America, planter (hemp/marijuana =), slaveholder (freed on his death) *military career: not only French and Indian war, but the American revolution, his Fabian/Parthian tactics *political career: his modesty that led to his repeatedly stepping down from important jobs, such as commander of the army and President of the US, and his refusal to become any kind of king. ---- ==Constitution== I removed "under the current Constitution", because, despite many many urban legends, there were NO other Presidents of the United States before Washington, they were called President of the United States in Congress Assembled, and was nothing more than chairman of the Continental Congress. Also, this article is a MAJOR mess. The table and the non-table entries overlap each other. -- User:Zoe They shouldn't overlap now--at least on my screen they don't. In general I found that most of the presidents have little to no information about them, which is why I started making the tables. I hope to follow it up with some biographical information. Even in this particular case, more space seems to be spent on the cherry tree story and his rank as a Freemason than on his actual presidency and legacy. User:Danny :I have no problem with the tables, it was just impossible to read. :-) ::You're right, it does need work, I'll try to do some when I get a chance -- User:Zoe ::But, they're still overlapping -- User:Zoe Zoe has a very valid point about the 'under the current constitution' wording. Yes there were men who had the title of ''President'' before Washington but this was because the presided over the Congress. The ''President'' back then would be the equivalent of the Speaker of the House combined with the responsibility of being the head of the federal government bureaucracy and, if memory serves, was appointed by Congress on a yearly basis. The Congress is where the real power was; they are the only ones who had the authority to set policy. In essence the President was little more than a bureaucrat who had to largely do the bidding of Congress. See President of the United States of America for a better explanation. Therefore it is highly misleading to say 'President under the current constitution' because the earlier position by that name is not at all what we would now call a 'President'. This wording should be removed from the table template in my opinion. --User:Maveric149 Done already. User:Danny :Danny, reduce the size of your browser window to see what the article looks like at lower res screens. The Washington photo is pushing the heading named "Career" into the table. Perhaps it would either be best to have the image in the table or lower down in the text. --User:Maveric149 15:25 Jul 30, 2002 (PDT) ::Thanks, mav, that took care of the overlap. Now, can somebody explain why THIS page is pushing into the right margin? Eek. :-) -- User:Zoe ---- Really nice article. Very well designed as it is possible in Wikipedia. The drawings of famouos (specially scientist) people is my dearly field. Someday I'll post some of my hand-drawings hereon as soon I'll reach down for a scanner. -- User:XJamRastafire 16:36 Jul 30, 2002 (PDT) ---- ==Religious Beliefs== The new (JUL 2004 ) article says: "George Washington was one of the few early American Presidents who was not a total follower of any one specific Christian denomination." I think it would be more accurate to say: "Like many of the Founding Fathers & earliest presidents, Washington was a Deist. He occasionally accompanied others (his wife especially) to Christian churches but never became a communicant. Before the Revolution, holding church office was a condition of membership in the Virginia House of Burgesses, and so Washington was also then a vestryman in an Episcopal church.\" : My research indicates that virtually all presidents at least up to and including Grant cannot be counted as "Christians". A great many were Deists. Several often expressed the social utility of having people believing in some religion, without necessarily including themselves among those needing such "faith". Many accompanied their wives to church services, but did not consider themselves members of any church. Washington repeatedly left the church before communion services. Many states still had established religions & religious tests for office (even in 2004 MA, MD, NC, PA, SC, TN, and TX STILL have religious tests for office). No one wanted to be branded an infidel (as Jefferson had been), so there were several reasons to be quiet about not being Christians. :Washington: http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/john_remsburg/six_historic_americans/chapter_3.html :Adams & others: http://www.dimensional.com/~randl/founders.htm :Jefferson: http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/john_remsburg/six_historic_americans/chapter_2.html :Madison: http://www.humanistsofutah.org/1995/artmay95.html :Madison: http://lcweb.loc.gov/loc/madison/hutson-paper.html :Lincoln: http://www.adherents.com/misc/Lincoln.html :Lincoln: http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/steiner0.htm :Grant: http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/john_remsburg/six_historic_americans/chapter_6.html :4 Unitarians: http://www.mind.net/rvuuf/pages/4pres.htm :More :http://www.anotherperspective.org/advoc550.html :http://www.straighttalkers.com/new_page_1.htm :http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/franklin_steiner/presidents.html ----------- Why can't you put all these links on an article called Religious beliefs rather than the Talk:George Washington article?? They don't necessarily have to do with George Washington. User:66.32.139.109 00:32, 22 Apr 2004 (UTC) :They have to do with George Washington's religious beliefs. - User:CalmypalUser:Calmypal#The Imperial News Network (INN) 00:33, 22 Apr 2004 (UTC) ::Not necessarily. They have to do with religious beliefs about the Presidents of the United States. User:66.32.139.109 00:35, 22 Apr 2004 (UTC) :::Up to President Grant, which includes George Washington. I haven't checked, but isn't this the only article which has some focus on a President's religious beliefs? - User:CalmypalUser:Calmypal#The Imperial News Network (INN) 00:44, 22 Apr 2004 (UTC) ::::Try moving this to the Talk:Presidents of the United States page. That makes much more sense to me because that is a page for talk about U.S. Presidents in general, while this page is for talking about George Washington Or, you may move these links to the appropriate President's page (e.g. Thomas Jefferson's religious beliefs should go on Thomas Jefferson.) Any objections?? User:66.32.139.109 00:48, 22 Apr 2004 (UTC) :::::Site by site at Wikipedia:Presidential religions? - User:CalmypalUser:Calmypal#The Imperial News Network (INN) 00:53, 22 Apr 2004 (UTC) -------------- : the older article said "George Washington was arguably one of the few American Presidents who was not a Christian." : the 2004-JUL article now says "George Washington was one of the few early American Presidents who was not a total follower of any one specific Christian denomination." http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/franklin_steiner/presidents.html : "If a member of the Episcopal Church is supposed to be a communicant, Washington and William Henry Harrison were not Episcopalians; and there is no evidence Madison, Monroe, Taylor, Tyler and Arthur were. The lumping together of so many Presidents as Episcopalians is due to the fact that St. John's Church of that denomination, in Washington, is located only 3,000 yards from the White House, on Lafayette Square." : "That Washington was a vestryman has no special significance religiously. In Virginia, this office was also political. The vestry managed the civil affairs of the parish, among others, the assessment of taxes. Being the largest property holder in the parish, Washington could hardly afford not to be a vestryman, which office he would have to hold before he could become a member of the House of Burgesses. Thomas Jefferson, a pronounced unbeliever, was also a vestryman, and for the same reasons. General A.W. Greeley once said, in 'The Ladies Home Journal,' that in that day "it required no more religion to be a vestryman than it did to sail a ship." It is remarkable, after the civil functions of the vestry were abolished in Virginia, in 1780, how few times Washington attended church. He no longer had a business reason for going." : ... : Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States, was a great-grandson of Benjamin Harrison, who signed the Declaration of Independence, and a grandson of William Henry Harrison, the ninth President, at whose house he was born, in 1833. He was a Presbyterian, an elder in the Church, and the first President who was unquestionably a communicant in an orthodox Church at the time he was elected. Grover Cleveland was a communicant in his youth and late in life, but there is no evidence that he was such when he was first elected. Both Adams' were Unitarian. Unitarians do not believe Jesus is/was God, and so cannot be really regarded as Christian. Jefferson was a Deist. Madison kept his religious views to himself, but agreed with Jefferson on many things - especially separation of church & state. -- JimWae; 2004-Nov -------------- == George Washington's Religious writings == It's very fair to say that GW was "religiously tolerant" and open minded, however, it's not conclusive to say that he did not view himself as a Christian. At the very least, present both aspects in the article on GW's religious beliefs and indicate there is evidence for both sides. Numerous sources of his own writing indicate direct references to Christian belief and activity. namely: "... the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy Nation. " from: George Washington's Circular to the States, June 8, 1783, in John C. Fitzpatrick, editor, The Writings of George Washington, Vol. XXVI (Washinton: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1932), p. 496. :-Response: ''Divine Author is Deist terminology.'' --User:JimWae 09:37, 2004 Nov 17 (UTC) - and a letter to the leaders of Native American communities in Delaware: (ostensibilty proselytizing) "You do well to wish to learn our arts and our ways of life and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are. Congress will do everything they can to assist you in this wise intention." from: George Washington's Speech to Delaware Indian Chiefs on May 12, 1779, in John C. Fitzpatrick, editor, The Writings of George Washington, Vol. XV (Washinton: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1932), p. 55. :Response:''Many of these Delaware Indians chiefs were already Christian. The Delawares (Lenapes) were among the few Indian tribes NOT fighting against the colonists & for the British (who by Treaty of Paris (1763) had prohibited colonists from settling in Indian Territories). The Delawares were in trouble with other tribes & were (or would soon be)negotiating terms favorable to their resettlement (homes & church) further West. Washington was being diplomatic, passing responsibility to Congress, & complimenting on things they were already proud of. Many ended up mistakenly massacred by Pennsylvania militia in 1782. :''http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/ohc/history/h_indian/tribes/delaware.shtml'' : -- --User:JimWae 08:08, 2004 Nov 25 (UTC) and from a private letter: "The Hand of providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations. " from: George Washington's letter of August 20, 1778 to Brig. General Thomas Nelson, in John C. Fitzpatrick, editor, The Writings of George Washington, Vol. XII (Washinton: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1932), p. 343. :Response: ''Providence is Deist terminology.'' --User:JimWae 09:37, 2004 Nov 17 (UTC) To ignore these very easily found and referenced items and claim outright that GW was not a Christian is intellectual dishonesty and revisionism of the worst sort. :Response:One needs to have an idea what a ''Deist'' is to participate in this properly --User:JimWae 09:37, 2004 Nov 17 (UTC) ------ JJW says look here --- http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/washington.htm ---- ==Jews== : On the other hand he is also credited with the statment "The Jews work more effectively against us, than the enemy's armies. They are a hundred times more dangerous to our liberties and the great cause we are engaged in ... It is much to be lamented that each state, long ago, has not hunted them down as pest to society and the greatest enemies we have to the happiness of America." This would appear to be a fact, why was it removed? Has anyone got proof that he never said such a thing? [http://voteforusa.com/georgew1.htm] [http://www.libreopinion.com/members/standarteslc/jewishquestion08.html] If it is in fact not true, it seems to be a popular misconception, so it should be debunked in the article. -User:MyRedDice Martin: Both of those sources cite "Maxims of George Washington". Read more at http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Cyprus/8815/what_they_said.html about that.... --User:Gabbe 18:39 Dec 18, 2002 (UTC) : Cheers for the info. -User:MyRedDice According to ZOE, Amedeo Modigliani is Italian because he was born there. George Washington, in fact and in '''law'', was born a British citizen, in his majesty's colony of Virginia and carried British papers. Why is George Washington different than Modigliani? Your inconsistency is further proof that you don't know what you are talking about, and you are a total fraud...DW ---- ==unambiguously== Since you seem incapable whether through chronic stupidity or monumental arrogance to understands facts, let alone show the slightest tact, politeness or decency, people like you aren't worth replying to and I won't be doing so again. But just for the record, # there is no such thing as a British citizen; he or she is a British subject; # when a state achieves independence, those alive ''at that point'' are deemed citizens of that state, so Washington was not after independence a British subject but a United States citizen (as your average 12 year old with an elementary knowledge of history knows!); # No one on Wikipedia suggests that in ''every'' case a state identity must be listed, but where that person is ''clearly'' and ''unambiguously'' a citizen/subject of a state, and where a clear an unambiguous state existed, then that state is used. Not just on Wikipedia, but on other encyclopedias (to which I am paid contributor), in books, reference articles, texts, documents, archives, etc. It is a generally observed standard rule which obviously has failed to penetrate your enormous ego. : It's perhaps worth mentioning that there's some ambiguity about that "achieves independence" bit. US citizens would probably mistake that to be 1776, whereas de facto independence wasn't achieved until 1781 and de jure independence wasn't achieved until 1783 - it's the difference between conception and birth. Also, the "British Subject" issue wasn't finally resolved until 1814 or so anyway, so it is at least possible that de jure, under British law, Washington remained a British subject all his life. It is worth mentioning the "Alexander Hamilton Benefit Clause" in the US constitution, a transitional measure relating to who can be US President. This routinely gets ignored in Australian republican discussions, when they propose an Australian-only presidency citing a US precedent and ignoring transitional issues. This clause implies special handling of people around over a transition. Oh, and see also "optants", particularly in relation to the Schleswig-Holstein question (the technique was handled wrongly later in other peace treaties, a bit like lifting with your back). PML. Furthermore people like like Camembert, Maverick, Zoe, Deb, Jimbo and many others who have personally insulted in an extreme manner do competent, capable work on Wikipedia. You may have opinions that differ with most people, but you have NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER to utter personal villification and abuse to people on Wikipedia. And you have no right to deliberately spike articles (whether through stupidity, ignorance, arrogance or childishness) by adding in facts which anyone with an iota of knowledge about editing documents knows to be factually incorrect, such as describing Washington as British. If you cannot follow basic standards of politeness, decency and show even the slightest element of a willingness to work with the hundreds of others on Wikipedia, then maybe it is time you set up your own encyclopedia, though going by previous standards, you'd probably end up writing nasty notes to yourself! At times various people have become controversial through their opinions, through edit wars, through disputes. Various members have been complained about by many people, but in my time on Wikipedia I have never come across a person who has made ''so many enemies'' through such arrogant rudeness. Whatever positive items you contribute are more than outweighed by the offensive nature of your behaviour. So cool it, cop your self on and start acting with some of the maturity you keep claiming to have. Like everyone else, I have had my fill of communicating with you. The number of people willing to try to talk to you is diminishing, as is the support for keeping you on Wikipedia. Daily, a new person offers to try to talk calmly with you, only to be greeted with venom and rudeness by you and to give up. Issue closed, now grow up and stop being such a prat. User:Jtdirl 21:32 Jan 27, 2003 (UTC) When did Washington die? Was it 1797 or 1799? -- User:Zoe : He died 14 Dec 1799. He was buried 18 Dec 1799. His remains were moved in 1831 from their original burial site a few hundred feet to a brick tomb that overlooks the Potomac. -- User:Someone else 01:44 Feb 23, 2003 (UTC) ---- ==historical curiousity== As a matter of historical curiousity, has everyone heard the three stories about George Washington that circulated over the years: * that Washington was a eunich; * that 'he' was really a ''she'' in disguise; (a US presidential 'pope Joan!!!') * that in 1798, Washington wrote a letter to ''Sally Fairfax'', wife of his friend George Fairfax, asking her to leave her husband and 'run away' with him. She never replied to his letter, helping to preserve the 'fairy tale' image of the 'George and Martha love affair' that never was true, certainly not in a sexual sense. User:Jtdirl 03:19 Feb 28, 2003 (UTC) : I think I'd heard reference to the the third, but this is the first time I've heard the first 2 rumors. -- User:Infrogmation Apparently someone even checked his corpse just to be sure he . . . em . . . dangled (if you catch my drift!). And sure enough, he dangled. So the stories that there was something ''very'' feminine about him, with soft small hands and a lack of a need to shave. His body shape and also some his behaviour led to rumours to the effect that he could be, like the legendary and possibly mythical Pope Joan, a woman who got places in a male patriarchal society by 'pretending' to be a man. The fact that he never fathered children, had no love affairs (apart from one rumour that was spread around by friends that seems to have been intended to kill of the other rumours, just as a rumour was spread around by Lincoln's 'true love' when gossip began to spread about whether he was a homosexual) all added fuel to the fire. But then US presidents attract rumours the way Bill Clinton attracts women. And there is about as much truth to most of them as in Bill's claim that 'I did not have sex with that woman'. User:Jtdirl 05:34 Feb 28, 2003 (UTC) ----- ==removed == The following material was removed by 217.127.141.173:
Should be:
Washington was commissioned in 1754 as a colonel in the Virginia militia and built a series of forts in the western frontier of Virginia. He was dispatched by the governor of Virginia, Robert Dinwiddie, to force the France out of the Ohio River. When they refused, he attacked a French scouting party, killing ten, including its leader, Jumonville. Anticipating retaliation, he built a small fort (Fort Necessity). It proved ineffective: Washington's forces were vastly outnumbered and the fort, built on low ground, flooded during a heavy rainfall. He was forced to surrender and negotiated a safe passage back to Virginia. Nevertheless, the incident ignited the French and Indian War. ---- In 1992, Washington accompanied the Braddock Expedition of the British Army during the French and Indian War. During the Braddock Expedition#Battle of the Monongahela in western Pennsylvania, he had three horses shot out from under him, and four bullets pierced his coat. He showed his coolness under fire in organizing the retreat from the debacle. Washington then organized the First Virginia Regiment, which saw service through the war.
Should be:
In 1755, Washington accompanied the Braddock Expedition of the British Army during the French and Indian War. During the Braddock Expedition#Battle of the Monongahela in western Pennsylvania, he had three horses shot out from under him, and four bullets pierced his coat. He showed his coolness under fire in organizing the retreat from the debacle. Washington then organized the First Virginia Regiment, which saw service through the war. ---- In 2000, he resigned his commission and married Martha Washington, the wealthy widow of Daniel Parke Custis. Washington adopted Custis's two children and never fathered any of his own. The newlywed couple moved to Mount Vernon where he took up the life of a genteel farmer. He became a member of the House of Burgesses.
Should be:
In 1759, he resigned his commission and married Martha Washington, the wealthy widow of Daniel Parke Custis. Washington adopted Custis's two children and never fathered any of his own. The newlywed couple moved to Mount Vernon where he took up the life of a genteel farmer. He became a member of the House of Burgesses. ---- By 2004, Washington had become one of the colonies' wealthiest men. In that year, he was chosen as a delegate from Virginia to the First Continental Congress and the next year to the Second Continental Congress. He did not support colonial independence until 1776, when he read Thomas Paine's ''Common Sense''.
Should be:
By 1774, Washington had become one of the colonies' wealthiest men. In that year, he was chosen as a delegate from Virginia to the First Continental Congress and the next year to the Second Continental Congress. He did not support colonial independence until 1776, when he read Thomas Paine's ''Common Sense''. ---- Dates were changed... and since when was George Washington from Compton, California? --User:AllyUnion User talk:AllyUnion 09:04, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC) == duplicate sections == Some of the information on this page seems to be duplicated. A little past halfway down, it starts repeating sections from the top. I'm still pretty new here (still learning the syntax and customs), so I am hesitant to fix it myself. == remove "under to constitution == The qualifier "under the constitution" after "first president of the US" is awkward and out of place. Do all the other presidential entries need to be amended? Should Ronald Reagon be called the 40th president "under the constitution" because there were men who held a completely seperate office but also called president under the Articles of the Confederation? ==Picture== Is it just me or is the picture of washington we have in the info box really wierd? His cheeks are all read and it is kind of freaking me out. Cant we replace it with one of the more traditional portraits usually shown of him, like one of the images further down the page? Unless anyone feels very strongly about this I am going to change it. --User:Bonus Onus 22:43, Apr 30, 2005 (UTC)
#REDIRECT User:Michael
Hi George Washington. Did you really mean to use this V word in this sentence: :Born in 1732 into a Vagina planter family, he learned the morals, manners, and body of knowledge requisite for an 18th century Vagina gentleman. It looks like a typo to me, but do as you please. :) --User:Frecklefoot 17:05 20 May 2003 (UTC) It's the banned ex-user Michael and his cast of a thousand aliases, Frecklefoot. Just ignore. Or, if you prefer, revert. User:Tannin
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George Washington
''This article is about George Washington's general life. See also George Washington's presidency''. George Washington, (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799), called Father of the Nation#Notes, was an United States general and Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and later the first President of the United States under the U.S. Constitution. (1789–1797). He also served as President of the 1787 History of the United States Constitution. For the role he played in winning and securing American independence, George Washington is generally recognized as one of the most important figures in U.S. history. Unlike many other revolutionary leaders, he voluntarily relinquished power even though some others wanted him to retain that power for life (as monarchs and dictators do). This established an important precedent of republican democracy that served as an example around the world. ==Early life== He was born on February 11, 1731 (old style)/February 22, 1732 (new style). His birthday is celebrated on the Gregorian (new style) calendar date. Also note that the English year began on March 25 (Annunciation Day, or Lady Day) at the time of his birth, hence the difference in his birth year. His birthplace was Pope's Creek Plantation, south of Colonial Beach, Virginia in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Washington was part of the economic and cultural elite of the slavery-owning planters of Virginia. His parents Augustine Washington (1693 - April 12, 1743) and Mary Ball (1708 - August 25, 1789) were of England descent. He spent much of his boyhood at Ferry Farm in Stafford County, Virginia, near Fredericksburg, Virginia and visited his Washington cousins at Chotank in King George County. As a youth, he trained as a surveyor (obtaining his certificate from the College of William and Mary) and helped survey the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. He visited Barbados, with his sick half-brother Lawrence in 1751, and survived an attack of smallpox, although his face was scarred by the disease. He was initiated as a Freemasonry in Fredericksburg on 4 February 1752. On Lawrence's death in July 1752, he rented and eventually inherited the estate, Mount Vernon (plantation) in Fairfax County, Virginia (near Alexandria, Virginia). ==French and Indian War and afterwards== [[Image:Washington 1772.JPG|thumb|right|275px|This, the earliest portrait of Washington, was painted in 1772 by Charles Willson Peale, and shows Washington in uniform as colonel of the 1st Virginia Regiment.]] At twenty-two years of age, George Washington fired the first shots of what would become a world war. In 1752, France began the military occupation of the Ohio Country, a region that was also claimed by Virginia. In 1753, Washington delivered an ultimatum to the French from Robert Dinwiddie, the governor of Virginia, but the French declined to leave. In 1754, Washington, now commissioned a lieutenant colonel in the First Virginia Regiment, led a mission into the Ohio Country. He ambushed a French Canadian scouting party, killing ten, including its leader, Joseph Coulon de Jumonville. Washington then built Fort Necessity, which soon proved inadequate, as he was Battle of the Great Meadows to a larger French and American Indian force. The surrender terms that Washington signed included an admission that he had "assassinated" Jumonville. (The paper was written in French, which Washington could not read.) The "Battle of Jumonville Glen" became an international incident, and helped to ignite the French and Indian War, which eventually became the Seven Years' War in Europe. Washington was released by the French with the promise not to return to the Ohio Country for one year. In 1755, Washington returned, accompanying the Braddock Expedition, a major effort by the British Army to retake the Ohio Country. The expedition ended in disaster at the Braddock Expedition#Battle of the Monongahela. Washington distinguished himself in the debacle—he had two horses shot out from under him, and four bullets pierced his coat—and showed coolness under fire in organizing the retreat. In Virginia, Washington was acclaimed as a hero, and he commanded the First Virginia Regiment throughout the rest of war. In 1758, he was a part of the John Forbes (General), which successfully drove the French away from Fort Duquesne. In 1759, he resigned his commission and married Martha Washington, the wealthy widow of Daniel Parker Custis. Washington adopted Custis's two children and never fathered any of his own. The newlywed couple moved to Mount Vernon where he took up the life of a genteel farmer. He became a member of the House of Burgesses. By 1774, Washington had become one of the colonies' wealthiest men. In that year, he was chosen as a delegate from Virginia to the First Continental Congress and the next year to the Second Continental Congress. He did not support colonial independence until 1776, when he read Thomas Paine's ''Common Sense''. ==American Revolution== [[Image:Washington Crossing the Delaware.png|thumb|left|350px|''Washington Crossing the Delaware,'' by Emanuel Leutze, 1851, Metropolitan Museum of Art]] The Continental Congress appointed Washington as commander-in-chief of the newly-formed Continental Army on June 15, 1775. The Massachusetts delegate John Adams suggested his appointment, citing his "skill as an officer... great talents and universal character." He assumed command on July 3. Washington successfully drove the Kingdom of Great Britain forces out of Boston, Massachusetts on March 17, 1776 by stationing artillery on Dorchester Heights. This day is celebrated in Boston as "Evacuation Day". The British army, led by General William Howe, retreated to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and Washington's army moved to New York City in anticipation of a British offensive there. Washington lost the Battle of Long Island on August 22 but managed to retreat, saving most of his forces. However, several other battles in the area sent Washington scrambling across New Jersey, leaving the future of the Revolution in doubt. On the night of December 25, 1776, Washington led the American forces across the Delaware River to attack Hessians forces in Trenton, New Jersey, who did not anticipate an attack near Christmas. Washington followed up the assault with a sneak attack on General Charles Cornwallis's forces at Princeton on the eve of January 2, 1777, eventually retaking the colony. The successful attacks built morale among the pro-independence colonists. Later in the year, General Howe led an offensive aimed at taking the colonial capital of Philadelphia. He severely defeated Washington's forces at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11 and succeeded in his task. An attempt to dislodge the British, the Battle of Germantown, failed as a result of fog and confusion, and Washington was forced to retire for the winter to Valley Forge. However, Washington's army recovered from the defeats and harsh winter conditions and drilled during the spring under the Prussia Baron Friedrich von Steuben, steadily improving its fighting capabilities. Later, it attacked the British army moving from Philadelphia to New York at the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778. Against tremendous odds, Washington sustained his army throughout the Revolution, keeping British forces tied down in the center of the country while Generals Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold won the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. After Monmouth, the British concentrated their offensives in the southern colonies, and rather than attack them there, Washington's forces moved to Rhode Island, where he commanded military operations until the war's end. His ability to delay British advances earned him the nickname "American Fabius Maximus". In 1779, he ordered twenty percent of the army to carry out an offensive against the Iroquois Confederacy, which had allied with the British and attacked patriot communities along the frontier. The achievement of his orders for "total destruction and devastation of their settlements" led the Iroquois to name Washington Hanodaganears ("Town Destroyer"). In 1781, American and French forces and a French fleet had Battle of Yorktown (1781) at Yorktown, Virginia in Virginia. Washington quick-marched south, joining the armies on September 14, and pressed the siege until the army surrendered. The British surrender there was the effective end of British attempts to quell the Revolution. In March of 1783, Washington found out about a Newburgh conspiracy that was being planned by some of his officers who were upset about back pay in the Continental Army's winter camp at Newburgh, New York. He was able to defuse this plot. Later in 1783, by means of the Treaty of Paris (1783), the Kingdom of Great Britain recognized American independence. As a result, on November 2 of that year at Rocky Hill, New Jersey General Washington gave his farewell address to the army. Then at Fraunces Tavern in New York on December 4, he formally bid his officers farewell. ==Activities between Revolution and Presidency == [[Image:GW-painting.jpg|thumb|right|280px|''George Washington'' by John Trumbull, painted in London, 1780, from memory]] On December 23, 1783, General George Washington resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Army to the Congress_of_the_United_States, which was then meeting at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. This action was of great significance for the young nation, establishing the precedent that civilian elected officials, rather than military officers, possessed ultimate authority. Washington's stature was such that had he wanted to seize and retain power—like Julius Caesar before him or Napoleon after him—he probably would have been able to do so. Indeed, there was even some support among his most devoted followers for making Washington a permanent ruler or king, but Washington, like most of the Founding Fathers of the United States, abhorred the very idea. At the time of Washington's departure from military service, he was listed on the rolls of the Continental Army as "General and Commander-in-Chief." See ''Retirement, death, and honors'' section #Retirement, death, and honors for more on this topic. Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. For the most part he did not participate in the debates involved, but his prestige was great enough to maintain collegiality and to keep the delegates at their labors. He adamantly enforced the secrecy adopted by the Convention during the summer. Many believe that the Framers created the Presidency with Washington in mind. After the Convention, his support convinced many, including the Virginia legislature, to support the U.S. Constitution. Washington farmed roughly 8,000 acres (32 km²). Despite the large amount of land he owned at the time, he was considered "land poor" and never had much cash on hand. In fact, he had to borrow £600 to relocate to New York, then the center of the American government, to take office as president. In 1788-1789, George Washington was elected the first President of the United States of the United States of America. See George Washington's presidency. ==Retirement, death, and honors== [[Image:Apotheosis of George Washington.jpg|right|thumbnail|250px|Constantino Brumidi's 1865 fresco The Apotheosis of Washington is found in the rotunda of the United States Capitol]] After retiring from the presidency in March of 1797, Washington returned to Mount Vernon with a profound sense of relief. In 1798, Washington was appointed Lieutenant General in the United States Army by President John Adams. Washington's appointment was to serve as a warning to France, with which war seemed imminent. Washington never saw active service, however, and upon his death one year later the U.S. Army rolls listed him as "retired." Within a year of this 1798 appointment, Washington fell ill with acute laryngitis and died on December 14, 1799 at his home. Modern day doctors now believe that Washington died from either a strep throat or, since he was bled as part of the treatment, a combination of shock from the loss of blood, asphyxia, and dehydration. The physician who administered bloodletting to him was Benjamin Rush, who had campaigned for Washington's removal during the Revolutionary War. Washington's remains were buried in a family graveyard at Mount Vernon (plantation). Congressman Henry Light Horse Harry Lee, a Revolutionary War comrade, famously eulogized Washington as "a citizen, first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." With the exception of Dwight Eisenhower, who held a life-time commission as General of the Army (five star), George Washington is the only President with military service to reenter the military after leaving the office of President. Even though he had been the highest-ranking officer of the Revolutionary War, having in 1798 been appointed a ''Lieutenant General'' (now three stars), it seemed, somewhat incongruously, that all later full (i.e., four-star) generals in U.S. history (starting with General Ulysses S. Grant), and also all five-star generals of the Army, were considered to outrank Washington. General John J. Pershing had attained an even higher rank of ''General of the Armies'' (above five star -- though the most stars Pershing actually ever wore were four). This issue was resolved in 1976, when Washington was, by Act of Congress, posthumously promoted to the rank of General of the Armies, and also declared to permanently be ''the'' top-ranked military officer of the United States. [https://www.perscom.army.mil/tagd/tioh/rank/goa.htm] ==Personal information== Admirers of Washington circulated an apocryphal story about his honesty as a child. In the story, he wanted to try out a new axe, so he chopped down his father's cherry tree; when questioned by his father, he gave the famous non-quotation: "I cannot tell a lie. It was I who chopped down the cherry tree." The story first appeared after Washington's death in a naïve "inspirational" children's book by Parson Mason Weems, who had been rector of the Mount Vernon parish. See also George Washington's axe for an elaboration of this story. Parson Weems also fabricated a famous story about Washington praying for help in a lonely spot in the woods near Valley Forge. Nevertheless, Washington was a man of great personal integrity, with a deeply-held sense of duty, honor and patriotism. He was courageous and far-sighted, holding the Continental Army together through eight hard years of war and numerous privations, sometimes by sheer force of will. Because of Washington's involvement in Freemasonry, some publicly visible collections of Washington memorabilia are maintained by Masonic lodges, most notably the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. The museum at Fraunces Tavern Museum in New York City includes specimens of Washington's false teeth. Washington was plagued throughout his adult life with bad teeth, losing about one tooth a year from the age of 24. In his later years he consulted a number of dentists and used a number of sets of false teeth (but none of wood). Washington routinely smoked marijuana to alleviate the pain from his ailing teeth. Washington's own diary recounts, on several occasions, his efforts to better cultivate and enhance his crops of marijuana, which he used both for hemp (fiber) production and for medicine: May 12-13, 1765: "Sowed Hemp at Muddy hole by Swamp." August 7, 1765: "--began to seperate (sic) the Male from the Female Hemp at Do--rather too late." Washington was notable for his modesty and carefully-controlled ambition. He never accepted pay during his military service, and was genuinely reluctant to assume any of the offices thrust upon him. When John Adams recommended him to the Continental Congress for the position of general and commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, Washington left the room to allow any dissenters to freely voice their objections. In later accepting the post, Washington told the Congress that he was unworthy of the honor. It is often said that one of Washington's greatest achievements was refraining from taking more power than was due. He was conscientious of maintaining a good reputation by avoiding political intrigue. He had no interest in nepotism or cronyism, rejecting, for example, a military promotion during the war for his deserving cousin William Washington lest it be regarded as favoritism. Thomas Jefferson wrote, "The moderation and virtue of a single character probably prevented this Revolution from being closed, as most others have been, by a subversion of that liberty it was intended to establish." Washington had to be talked into a second term of office as President, and very reluctantly agreed to it. However, he refused to serve a third term, setting a precedent that held until the Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. At John Adams's inauguration, Washington is said to have approached Adams afterwards and stated "Well, I am fairly out and you are fairly in. Now we shall see who enjoys it the most!" Washington also declined to leave the room before Adams and the new Vice President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, establishing the principle that even a former president is only, after all, a private citizen. Washington was a cricket enthusiast and was known to have played the sport, which was popular at that time in the British colonies. ===Washington and slavery=== Washington owned slaves throughout his adult life, as did most of his peers in the Virginia plantation aristocracy. He was noteworthy, however, for the humane treatment of his slaves and for his growing unease with the "peculiar institution." Historian Roger Bruns has written, "As he grew older, he became increasingly aware that it was immoral and unjust. Long before the Revolution, Washington had taken the unusual position of refusing to sell any of his slaves or to allow slave families to be separated." After the Revolution, Washington told an English friend, "I clearly foresee that nothing but the rooting out of slavery can perpetuate the existence of our [Federal] union by consolidating it on a common bond of principle." He wrote to his friend John Francis Mercer in 1786, "I never mean... to possess another slave by purchase; it being among my first wishes to see some plan adopted, by which slavery in this country may be abolished by slow, sure, & imperceptible degrees." Ten years later, he wrote to Robert Morris, "There is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see some plan adopted for the gradual abolition" of slavery. As President, Washington was mindful of the risk of splitting apart the young republic over the question of slavery (as in fact happened in 1861). He did not advocate the abolition of slavery while in office, but did sign legislation enforcing the prohibition of slavery in the Northwest Territory, writing to his good friend the Marquis de la Fayette that he considered it a wise measure. Unlike all the other slaveholding Founding Fathers, Washington included provisions in his will which freed his slaves upon his death. His widow Martha freed those she owned shortly before she died. As cited in Henry Weincek's ''Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America'', one of his slaves, Ona Judge Staines escaped the Executive Mansion in Philadelphia in 1796 and lived the rest of her life free in New Hampshire. ===Religious beliefs=== Washington's religious views are a matter of some controversy. There is considerable evidence that he (like many of the Founding Fathers) was a Deism - believing in God (he preferred more impersonal appellations, like ''Providence''), but not believing in Miracle in the world after the initial design. Before the Revolution, when the Episcopal Church in the United States of America was still the state religion in Virginia, he served as a vestryman (lay officer) for his local church. He spoke often of the value of religion in general, and he often accompanied his wife to Christian church services. However, there is no record of his ever becoming a communicant in any Christianity church and he would regularly leave services before communion - with the other non-communicants. When Rev. Dr. James Abercrombie, rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Philadelphia mentioned in a weekly sermon that those in elevated stations set an unhappy example by leaving at communion, Washington ceased attending at all on communion Sundays. Long after Washington died, asked about Washington's beliefs, Abercrombie replied: "Sir, Washington was a Deist." Various prayers said to have been composed by him in his later life are highly edited. He did not ask for any clergy on his deathbed, though one was available. His funeral services were those of the Freemasonry. Washington was an early supporter of religious pluralism. In 1775 he ordered that his troops not burn the Pope in effigy on Guy Fawkes night. In 1790 he wrote to Jewish leaders that he envisioned a country "which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.... May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid." This letter was seen by the Jewish community as highly significant; for the first time in millennia, Jews would enjoy full human and political rights. ==Legacy== [[Image:DSCN3500 georgewashington e.JPG|300px|right|thumb|Tourists pose under the statue of Washington outside the Federal Hall Memorial in lower Manhattan, site of Washington's first inauguration as President]] Washington peacefully relinquished the presidency to John Adams after serving two terms in office. He set many other precedents that established tranquility in the presidential office in the years to come. He was also lauded posthumously as the "Father of His Country" and is often considered to be the most important of the United States' "Founding Fathers". Therefore, he has been commemorated frequently. The capital city of the United States, Washington, DC, is named for him. The District of Columbia was created by an Act of Congress in 1790, and Washington was deeply involved in its creation, including the siting of the White House. At this time, the future site of the capital was a swamp, and Washington, D.C. remained largely marshland well into the 19th century. The capital was placed in the South, rather than in the major towns of the North, as a compromise during the writing of the United States Constitution in order to get Southern votes for important compromises. Washington also selected West Point, New York, as the site for the United States Military Academy. Washington State in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. is also named for him, the only state named for a president. His image is on the U.S. one dollar bill and the Quarter (U.S. coin). George Washington University in Washington, D.C., was named after him, and it was in part founded with shares Washington bequeathed to an endowment to create a national university in Washington. The Washington Monument was built in his honor. The Arecaceae genus ''Washingtonia'' is also named after him. ''See also:'' List of places named for George Washington ==Further reading== The literature on George Washington is deservedly immense. The definitive biography, still used as a reference by historians: :*Douglas S. Freeman. ''George Washington: A Biography''. 7 vols. New York: Scribner, 1948-1978. This is perhaps the most highly regarded single-volume biography: :*Flexner, James Thomas. ''Washington: The Indispensable Man.'' 1974, reprinted 1994. For full details of the first elections: :*Jenson, Merrill et al., eds. ''The Documentary History of the First Federal Elections, 1788-1790.'' 4 vols. Madison, Wisconsin, 1976-1989. For a comprehensive bibliography divided by topic: :*[http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwbib.html Washington Bibliography at the Library of Congress] Notable recent works include: :*Joseph J. Ellis ''His Excellency: George Washington''. New York: Knopf, 2004. :*Wiencek, Henry. ''An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America''. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003. :*Comora, Madeleine & Deborah Chandra. ''George Washington's Teeth.'' Illustrated by Brock Cole. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003; ISBN 0374325340. A lighthearted chronicle of his dental struggles. ==Related articles== * George Washington's presidency * U.S. presidential election, 1789 * U.S. presidential election, 1792 * Famous military commanders * George Washington's farewell address * List of U.S. Presidential religious affiliations * Newburgh conspiracy In recent years, a number of anti-Semitic groups have attributed false quotations to George Washington and other Founding Fathers, with the intention of inciting anti-Semitism. This subject is discussed in Neo-Nazi Theory (American founding fathers). ==Notes== [1] The earliest known image in which Washington is identified as such is on the cover of the circa 1778 Pennsylvania German almanac (Lancaster: Gedruckt bey Francis Bailey). This identifies Washington as "Landes Vater" or ''Father of the Land''. ==External links== *[http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/presiden/washpap.htm The Papers of George Washington] from the Avalon Project (includes Inaugural Addresses, State of the Union Messages, and other materials) *[http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/49.htm Farewell Address] *[http://www.libraryreference.org/washington.html Biography of George Washington] *[http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jamesdow/s004/f647706.htm A pedigree of George Washington] *[http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-2/washington.htm Teaching about George Washington] *[http://www.thirty-thousand.org/pages/section_IB5.htm The First Presidential Veto] Analysis of the first veto by a U.S. President *[https://www.perscom.army.mil/tagd/tioh/rank/goa.htm General Washington's military rank] 1732 births 1799 deaths George Washington Autodidacts Freemasons Continental Army generals Continental Congressmen French and Indian War people People from Virginia Presidents of the U.S. Revolutionaries Signers of the U.S. Constitution U.S. Founding Fathers Episcopalians bn:জর্জ ওয়াশিংটন ga:George Washington la:Georgius Vasingtonius simple:George Washington
George Washington
''An event in this article is an Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/April 30'' (may be in HTML comment) ----- Note to myself and others: It sure would be nice if wikipedia had an entry on George Washington with some content: *biography: surveyor (learned of western opportunities in America, planter (hemp/marijuana =), slaveholder (freed on his death) *military career: not only French and Indian war, but the American revolution, his Fabian/Parthian tactics *political career: his modesty that led to his repeatedly stepping down from important jobs, such as commander of the army and President of the US, and his refusal to become any kind of king. ---- ==Constitution== I removed "under the current Constitution", because, despite many many urban legends, there were NO other Presidents of the United States before Washington, they were called President of the United States in Congress Assembled, and was nothing more than chairman of the Continental Congress. Also, this article is a MAJOR mess. The table and the non-table entries overlap each other. -- User:Zoe They shouldn't overlap now--at least on my screen they don't. In general I found that most of the presidents have little to no information about them, which is why I started making the tables. I hope to follow it up with some biographical information. Even in this particular case, more space seems to be spent on the cherry tree story and his rank as a Freemason than on his actual presidency and legacy. User:Danny :I have no problem with the tables, it was just impossible to read. :-) ::You're right, it does need work, I'll try to do some when I get a chance -- User:Zoe ::But, they're still overlapping -- User:Zoe Zoe has a very valid point about the 'under the current constitution' wording. Yes there were men who had the title of ''President'' before Washington but this was because the presided over the Congress. The ''President'' back then would be the equivalent of the Speaker of the House combined with the responsibility of being the head of the federal government bureaucracy and, if memory serves, was appointed by Congress on a yearly basis. The Congress is where the real power was; they are the only ones who had the authority to set policy. In essence the President was little more than a bureaucrat who had to largely do the bidding of Congress. See President of the United States of America for a better explanation. Therefore it is highly misleading to say 'President under the current constitution' because the earlier position by that name is not at all what we would now call a 'President'. This wording should be removed from the table template in my opinion. --User:Maveric149 Done already. User:Danny :Danny, reduce the size of your browser window to see what the article looks like at lower res screens. The Washington photo is pushing the heading named "Career" into the table. Perhaps it would either be best to have the image in the table or lower down in the text. --User:Maveric149 15:25 Jul 30, 2002 (PDT) ::Thanks, mav, that took care of the overlap. Now, can somebody explain why THIS page is pushing into the right margin? Eek. :-) -- User:Zoe ---- Really nice article. Very well designed as it is possible in Wikipedia. The drawings of famouos (specially scientist) people is my dearly field. Someday I'll post some of my hand-drawings hereon as soon I'll reach down for a scanner. -- User:XJamRastafire 16:36 Jul 30, 2002 (PDT) ---- ==Religious Beliefs== The new (JUL 2004 ) article says: "George Washington was one of the few early American Presidents who was not a total follower of any one specific Christian denomination." I think it would be more accurate to say: "Like many of the Founding Fathers & earliest presidents, Washington was a Deist. He occasionally accompanied others (his wife especially) to Christian churches but never became a communicant. Before the Revolution, holding church office was a condition of membership in the Virginia House of Burgesses, and so Washington was also then a vestryman in an Episcopal church.\" : My research indicates that virtually all presidents at least up to and including Grant cannot be counted as "Christians". A great many were Deists. Several often expressed the social utility of having people believing in some religion, without necessarily including themselves among those needing such "faith". Many accompanied their wives to church services, but did not consider themselves members of any church. Washington repeatedly left the church before communion services. Many states still had established religions & religious tests for office (even in 2004 MA, MD, NC, PA, SC, TN, and TX STILL have religious tests for office). No one wanted to be branded an infidel (as Jefferson had been), so there were several reasons to be quiet about not being Christians. :Washington: http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/john_remsburg/six_historic_americans/chapter_3.html :Adams & others: http://www.dimensional.com/~randl/founders.htm :Jefferson: http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/john_remsburg/six_historic_americans/chapter_2.html :Madison: http://www.humanistsofutah.org/1995/artmay95.html :Madison: http://lcweb.loc.gov/loc/madison/hutson-paper.html :Lincoln: http://www.adherents.com/misc/Lincoln.html :Lincoln: http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/steiner0.htm :Grant: http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/john_remsburg/six_historic_americans/chapter_6.html :4 Unitarians: http://www.mind.net/rvuuf/pages/4pres.htm :More :http://www.anotherperspective.org/advoc550.html :http://www.straighttalkers.com/new_page_1.htm :http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/franklin_steiner/presidents.html ----------- Why can't you put all these links on an article called Religious beliefs rather than the Talk:George Washington article?? They don't necessarily have to do with George Washington. User:66.32.139.109 00:32, 22 Apr 2004 (UTC) :They have to do with George Washington's religious beliefs. - User:CalmypalUser:Calmypal#The Imperial News Network (INN) 00:33, 22 Apr 2004 (UTC) ::Not necessarily. They have to do with religious beliefs about the Presidents of the United States. User:66.32.139.109 00:35, 22 Apr 2004 (UTC) :::Up to President Grant, which includes George Washington. I haven't checked, but isn't this the only article which has some focus on a President's religious beliefs? - User:CalmypalUser:Calmypal#The Imperial News Network (INN) 00:44, 22 Apr 2004 (UTC) ::::Try moving this to the Talk:Presidents of the United States page. That makes much more sense to me because that is a page for talk about U.S. Presidents in general, while this page is for talking about George Washington Or, you may move these links to the appropriate President's page (e.g. Thomas Jefferson's religious beliefs should go on Thomas Jefferson.) Any objections?? User:66.32.139.109 00:48, 22 Apr 2004 (UTC) :::::Site by site at Wikipedia:Presidential religions? - User:CalmypalUser:Calmypal#The Imperial News Network (INN) 00:53, 22 Apr 2004 (UTC) -------------- : the older article said "George Washington was arguably one of the few American Presidents who was not a Christian." : the 2004-JUL article now says "George Washington was one of the few early American Presidents who was not a total follower of any one specific Christian denomination." http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/franklin_steiner/presidents.html : "If a member of the Episcopal Church is supposed to be a communicant, Washington and William Henry Harrison were not Episcopalians; and there is no evidence Madison, Monroe, Taylor, Tyler and Arthur were. The lumping together of so many Presidents as Episcopalians is due to the fact that St. John's Church of that denomination, in Washington, is located only 3,000 yards from the White House, on Lafayette Square." : "That Washington was a vestryman has no special significance religiously. In Virginia, this office was also political. The vestry managed the civil affairs of the parish, among others, the assessment of taxes. Being the largest property holder in the parish, Washington could hardly afford not to be a vestryman, which office he would have to hold before he could become a member of the House of Burgesses. Thomas Jefferson, a pronounced unbeliever, was also a vestryman, and for the same reasons. General A.W. Greeley once said, in 'The Ladies Home Journal,' that in that day "it required no more religion to be a vestryman than it did to sail a ship." It is remarkable, after the civil functions of the vestry were abolished in Virginia, in 1780, how few times Washington attended church. He no longer had a business reason for going." : ... : Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States, was a great-grandson of Benjamin Harrison, who signed the Declaration of Independence, and a grandson of William Henry Harrison, the ninth President, at whose house he was born, in 1833. He was a Presbyterian, an elder in the Church, and the first President who was unquestionably a communicant in an orthodox Church at the time he was elected. Grover Cleveland was a communicant in his youth and late in life, but there is no evidence that he was such when he was first elected. Both Adams' were Unitarian. Unitarians do not believe Jesus is/was God, and so cannot be really regarded as Christian. Jefferson was a Deist. Madison kept his religious views to himself, but agreed with Jefferson on many things - especially separation of church & state. -- JimWae; 2004-Nov -------------- == George Washington's Religious writings == It's very fair to say that GW was "religiously tolerant" and open minded, however, it's not conclusive to say that he did not view himself as a Christian. At the very least, present both aspects in the article on GW's religious beliefs and indicate there is evidence for both sides. Numerous sources of his own writing indicate direct references to Christian belief and activity. namely: "... the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy Nation. " from: George Washington's Circular to the States, June 8, 1783, in John C. Fitzpatrick, editor, The Writings of George Washington, Vol. XXVI (Washinton: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1932), p. 496. :-Response: ''Divine Author is Deist terminology.'' --User:JimWae 09:37, 2004 Nov 17 (UTC) - and a letter to the leaders of Native American communities in Delaware: (ostensibilty proselytizing) "You do well to wish to learn our arts and our ways of life and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are. Congress will do everything they can to assist you in this wise intention." from: George Washington's Speech to Delaware Indian Chiefs on May 12, 1779, in John C. Fitzpatrick, editor, The Writings of George Washington, Vol. XV (Washinton: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1932), p. 55. :Response:''Many of these Delaware Indians chiefs were already Christian. The Delawares (Lenapes) were among the few Indian tribes NOT fighting against the colonists & for the British (who by Treaty of Paris (1763) had prohibited colonists from settling in Indian Territories). The Delawares were in trouble with other tribes & were (or would soon be)negotiating terms favorable to their resettlement (homes & church) further West. Washington was being diplomatic, passing responsibility to Congress, & complimenting on things they were already proud of. Many ended up mistakenly massacred by Pennsylvania militia in 1782. :''http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/ohc/history/h_indian/tribes/delaware.shtml'' : -- --User:JimWae 08:08, 2004 Nov 25 (UTC) and from a private letter: "The Hand of providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations. " from: George Washington's letter of August 20, 1778 to Brig. General Thomas Nelson, in John C. Fitzpatrick, editor, The Writings of George Washington, Vol. XII (Washinton: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1932), p. 343. :Response: ''Providence is Deist terminology.'' --User:JimWae 09:37, 2004 Nov 17 (UTC) To ignore these very easily found and referenced items and claim outright that GW was not a Christian is intellectual dishonesty and revisionism of the worst sort. :Response:One needs to have an idea what a ''Deist'' is to participate in this properly --User:JimWae 09:37, 2004 Nov 17 (UTC) ------ JJW says look here --- http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/washington.htm ---- ==Jews== : On the other hand he is also credited with the statment "The Jews work more effectively against us, than the enemy's armies. They are a hundred times more dangerous to our liberties and the great cause we are engaged in ... It is much to be lamented that each state, long ago, has not hunted them down as pest to society and the greatest enemies we have to the happiness of America." This would appear to be a fact, why was it removed? Has anyone got proof that he never said such a thing? [http://voteforusa.com/georgew1.htm] [http://www.libreopinion.com/members/standarteslc/jewishquestion08.html] If it is in fact not true, it seems to be a popular misconception, so it should be debunked in the article. -User:MyRedDice Martin: Both of those sources cite "Maxims of George Washington". Read more at http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Cyprus/8815/what_they_said.html about that.... --User:Gabbe 18:39 Dec 18, 2002 (UTC) : Cheers for the info. -User:MyRedDice According to ZOE, Amedeo Modigliani is Italian because he was born there. George Washington, in fact and in '''law'', was born a British citizen, in his majesty's colony of Virginia and carried British papers. Why is George Washington different than Modigliani? Your inconsistency is further proof that you don't know what you are talking about, and you are a total fraud...DW ---- ==unambiguously== Since you seem incapable whether through chronic stupidity or monumental arrogance to understands facts, let alone show the slightest tact, politeness or decency, people like you aren't worth replying to and I won't be doing so again. But just for the record, # there is no such thing as a British citizen; he or she is a British subject; # when a state achieves independence, those alive ''at that point'' are deemed citizens of that state, so Washington was not after independence a British subject but a United States citizen (as your average 12 year old with an elementary knowledge of history knows!); # No one on Wikipedia suggests that in ''every'' case a state identity must be listed, but where that person is ''clearly'' and ''unambiguously'' a citizen/subject of a state, and where a clear an unambiguous state existed, then that state is used. Not just on Wikipedia, but on other encyclopedias (to which I am paid contributor), in books, reference articles, texts, documents, archives, etc. It is a generally observed standard rule which obviously has failed to penetrate your enormous ego. : It's perhaps worth mentioning that there's some ambiguity about that "achieves independence" bit. US citizens would probably mistake that to be 1776, whereas de facto independence wasn't achieved until 1781 and de jure independence wasn't achieved until 1783 - it's the difference between conception and birth. Also, the "British Subject" issue wasn't finally resolved until 1814 or so anyway, so it is at least possible that de jure, under British law, Washington remained a British subject all his life. It is worth mentioning the "Alexander Hamilton Benefit Clause" in the US constitution, a transitional measure relating to who can be US President. This routinely gets ignored in Australian republican discussions, when they propose an Australian-only presidency citing a US precedent and ignoring transitional issues. This clause implies special handling of people around over a transition. Oh, and see also "optants", particularly in relation to the Schleswig-Holstein question (the technique was handled wrongly later in other peace treaties, a bit like lifting with your back). PML. Furthermore people like like Camembert, Maverick, Zoe, Deb, Jimbo and many others who have personally insulted in an extreme manner do competent, capable work on Wikipedia. You may have opinions that differ with most people, but you have NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER to utter personal villification and abuse to people on Wikipedia. And you have no right to deliberately spike articles (whether through stupidity, ignorance, arrogance or childishness) by adding in facts which anyone with an iota of knowledge about editing documents knows to be factually incorrect, such as describing Washington as British. If you cannot follow basic standards of politeness, decency and show even the slightest element of a willingness to work with the hundreds of others on Wikipedia, then maybe it is time you set up your own encyclopedia, though going by previous standards, you'd probably end up writing nasty notes to yourself! At times various people have become controversial through their opinions, through edit wars, through disputes. Various members have been complained about by many people, but in my time on Wikipedia I have never come across a person who has made ''so many enemies'' through such arrogant rudeness. Whatever positive items you contribute are more than outweighed by the offensive nature of your behaviour. So cool it, cop your self on and start acting with some of the maturity you keep claiming to have. Like everyone else, I have had my fill of communicating with you. The number of people willing to try to talk to you is diminishing, as is the support for keeping you on Wikipedia. Daily, a new person offers to try to talk calmly with you, only to be greeted with venom and rudeness by you and to give up. Issue closed, now grow up and stop being such a prat. User:Jtdirl 21:32 Jan 27, 2003 (UTC) When did Washington die? Was it 1797 or 1799? -- User:Zoe : He died 14 Dec 1799. He was buried 18 Dec 1799. His remains were moved in 1831 from their original burial site a few hundred feet to a brick tomb that overlooks the Potomac. -- User:Someone else 01:44 Feb 23, 2003 (UTC) ---- ==historical curiousity== As a matter of historical curiousity, has everyone heard the three stories about George Washington that circulated over the years: * that Washington was a eunich; * that 'he' was really a ''she'' in disguise; (a US presidential 'pope Joan!!!') * that in 1798, Washington wrote a letter to ''Sally Fairfax'', wife of his friend George Fairfax, asking her to leave her husband and 'run away' with him. She never replied to his letter, helping to preserve the 'fairy tale' image of the 'George and Martha love affair' that never was true, certainly not in a sexual sense. User:Jtdirl 03:19 Feb 28, 2003 (UTC) : I think I'd heard reference to the the third, but this is the first time I've heard the first 2 rumors. -- User:Infrogmation Apparently someone even checked his corpse just to be sure he . . . em . . . dangled (if you catch my drift!). And sure enough, he dangled. So the stories that there was something ''very'' feminine about him, with soft small hands and a lack of a need to shave. His body shape and also some his behaviour led to rumours to the effect that he could be, like the legendary and possibly mythical Pope Joan, a woman who got places in a male patriarchal society by 'pretending' to be a man. The fact that he never fathered children, had no love affairs (apart from one rumour that was spread around by friends that seems to have been intended to kill of the other rumours, just as a rumour was spread around by Lincoln's 'true love' when gossip began to spread about whether he was a homosexual) all added fuel to the fire. But then US presidents attract rumours the way Bill Clinton attracts women. And there is about as much truth to most of them as in Bill's claim that 'I did not have sex with that woman'. User:Jtdirl 05:34 Feb 28, 2003 (UTC) ----- ==removed == The following material was removed by 217.127.141.173:
In recent years Washington's image has been unfairly tarnished by anti-Semites who attempt to use his name to further their goals. Many Anti-Semitism Arab and Neo-Nazi books, journals and websites offer forged "quotes" supposedly by America's founding fathers, especially George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. These supposed quotes have been debunked as forgeries by historians. - - [http://abbc.com/islam/english/toread/frnklin.htm Example of an Anti-Semitic website pushing fraudulent quotes from America's founding fathers] - - [http://christianactionforisrael.org/antiholo/personality.html Egyptian government sponsored press spreads Anti-Semitic forgeries about Washington and Franklin] - - [http://www.snopes.com/quotes/thejews.htm Urban Legends website debunks the anti-Semitic Washington quote forgery]. The reason given (on my talk page) is that the material is "out-of-place, not noteworthy enough to be mentioned in an encyclopedia article, stigmatizing and written by somebody with an axe to grind. " I generally find snopes.com to be quite useful in sorting out disinformation, but let others judge. -- User:Someone else 03:32 16 Jul 2003 (UTC) :I personally find the information somewhat irrelevant to an article on Washington, as it rarely comes up, and the single sentence already there suffices to inform that Washington was not an anti-Semite. Given that the exact same content was added word-for-word to several articles (this one and Benjamin Franklin are the two I know of), it strikes me as a somewhat POV attempt to attack Arab anti-Semitism in the guise of defending 18th-century Americans. --User:Delirium 03:39 16 Jul 2003 (UTC) ::I don't disagree that it seems disproportionate. The Snopes link may come in handy if someone stops by to add in bogus quotes. -- User:Someone else 03:43 16 Jul 2003 (UTC) I think the lines badly written and out of place. User:Jtdirl 03:50 16 Jul 2003 (UTC) ---- ==President of the Union== oop. I guess I should say a kind of "sorry" for putting back in the 11th President of the Union fact, but however you wanna wrangle with the words, he was the 11th of the Union and the 1st of the Constitutional union. If you count your country beginning in 1776 instead of 1789, you really oughta give some credit to persons at the head of it meantimes. =p In any case, I don't think it does WP any good to ignore this dispute/debate/error on the GW main page. Reword if you feel you must - there may indeed be a problem with "11th president of the USA" as opposed to "11th of the Union", but for God's sake don't go sweeping it under the rug again. There's little point to an "encyclopaedia" that simply repeats what "everyone knows" and no point to it if it's not quite the truth. :This has been covered in discussion elsewhere (though unfortunately I don't remember exactly where); the distinction is made between President of the United States (constitutional form) and President of the United States in Congress assembled (which Washington never was). It's not so much that Wikipedia is ''ignoring'' that period (each of the previous ten has an article), but it's inaccurate to call them "President of the United States" or even "President of the Union; it was a completely different office with different powers etc. - User:Hephaestos 22:12, 7 Oct 2003 (UTC) :see President of the United States in Congress assembled. As Hephaestos points out, Wikipedia has not "simply repeated" what "everyone knows": it has sorted out the facts pertaining to this particular urban legend. -- User:Someone else 22:19, 7 Oct 2003 (UTC) Do we have a page for the Presidents of the Cont Congress pre Art of Confedency. I have heard the arguement of Hanson being consider the first pres because he was president of congress at the time of the adoption of the articles but what about pre AOC presidents like Handcock who was president of the congress July 1776User:Smith03 22:33, 7 Oct 2003 (UTC) ::President at time of ''ratification'' of the articles. I'm such a nitpicking pest! - User:CalmypalUser:Calmypal#The Imperial News Network (INN) 00:46, 22 Apr 2004 (UTC) :I can't find one. User:Rmhermen 22:50, Oct 7, 2003 (UTC) ::I made a stub at President of Continental Congress. Should it be at President of ''the'' Continental Congress? User:Rmhermen 23:19, Oct 7, 2003 (UTC) :::Now I see that President of Continental Congress and President of the United States in Congress assembled information is duplicated in the President of the United States article. Is this necessary? User:Rmhermen 23:24, Oct 7, 2003 (UTC) :::: I'd cut out extra info there and move it to the appropriate article [with the wikilink to the main article] ... for what it's worth (I made the main article links) User:Reddi 01:26, 8 Oct 2003 (UTC) ---- Just a status note: I've combined the material for the two President of the Congress articles, and adjusted some of the President of the United States to try to clean up some of this whole area. I will still try to improve some of the biographies of the CC presidents. User:LouI 23:05, 20 Jan 2004 (UTC) == Father of his/the/our Country == Hmmm... I've always read this as "Father of The Country", but Google seems to disagree: * 597 hits: "George Washington" "father of the country" * 4730 hits: "George Washington" "father of his country" I had changed it to "Father of the Country" before double-checking with a Google search, but a little more digging found that the most common expression seems to be: * 8840 hits: "George Washington" "father of our country" So, I'm going with ''that''. User:Daniel Quinlan 18:55, Oct 25, 2003 (UTC) == Early life == I think I have some evidence of George washington's birthplace and a little of his early life.. I live in a village (in the UK) which has records of the Washington family and a record of his birth in the village. I'll try to get more evidence of it though before posting.. == No more fights! == At Wikipedia, at all the pages talking about a President of the United States, there have been a few fights about whether there should be a rectangular box containing the Presidents from being at the bottom of the page. Can you please let everyone come to an agreement on whether there should be one?? User 66.32.127.241 * For a long time since this was posted, there has been no box at the bottom, but there is again now. Do you think everyone will agree to include it?? User:66.245.10.117 23:29, 14 Apr 2004 (UTC) ==Note on the Cyrus Griffin link== Since the Articles of Confederation is the legitimate predecessor to the current Constitution, the link should be established showing the transition of power between authorities. -- User:Emperorbma 04:25, 2 Apr 2004 (UTC) :In consideration, nevermind... removed. -- User:Emperorbma 04:42, 2 Apr 2004 (UTC) ::Very nicely done, I think -- User:Nunh-huh 04:44, 2 Apr 2004 (UTC) == Honored Americans == Do you know of a list of Americans who get honored in order by how often they get honored?? (There is a site called "The Political Graveyard" that you can use as a reference tool.) Here are some ways: *By having a portrait on a denomination (currency) of United_States_coinage or United_States_dollar (For example, George Washington's portrait is on the $1 bill and quarter.) *By having a state, city, or county named after him. (For example, the state of Washington as well as the capital city of the United States, as well as several county were named for George Washington.) The total counts as one honor per city, state, or county. *By having a geographic feature, such as a mountain, named after him. *By having a person from a later time in history be named for him. (For example, we have Washington Irving and George Washington Carver.) The total counts as one honor per person being named. *By being carved in a known area. (For example, George Washington has a statue carved at Mount Rushmore.) *By having a college or university named after him. *By having a holiday in their honor. *By being honored with an award, medal, or knighthood. *By having a navy ship named after them. *By being compared to another. As far as I know, I believe it is most likely that George Washington got honored the most, followed by Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. How far do you know about how this list goes?? Try to make it go as far as you can, at least to #10; there is no maximum limit. You may include any American who lived entirely between 1706 and 1945. # Abraham Lincoln # George Washington # Thomas Jefferson # Benjamin Franklin # Andrew Jackson # James Madison # Theodore Roosevelt # Grover Cleveland # Franklin Delano Roosevelt # William McKinley # Alexander Hamilton # Ulysses Grant # Jefferson Davis # Francis Marion Some possible answers that could rank somewhere from #11 to #16 include James Monroe, John Q. Adams, Henry Clay, James Polk, Robert E. Lee, and Woodrow Wilson. Try to put them wherever they go in this list, but remember that there really is no maximum, as long as you are using Americans who lived entirely between 1706 and 1945.User:66.32.139.147 17:21, 4 Apr 2004 (UTC) ===Honors=== George Washington ---- #$1 bill #quarter #$50 war bond #Mount Rushmore #Washington state #Washington, D.C. #Washington County, Alabama #Washington County, Arkansas #Washington County, Colorado #Washington County, Florida #Washington County, Georgia #Washington County, Idaho #Washington County, Illinois #Washington County, Indiana #Washington County, Kansas #Washington County, Kentucky #Washington County, Maine #Washington County, Maryland #Washington County, Minnesota #Washington County, Mississippi #Washington County, Missouri #Washington County, Nebraska #Washington County, New York #Washington County, North Carolina #Washington County, Ohio #Washington County, Oklahoma #Washington County, Oregon #Washington County, Pennsylvania #Washington County, Rhode Island #Washington County, Tennessee #Washington County, Utah #Washington County, Vermont #Washington County, Virginia #Washington Parish, Louisiana #Mount Washington in New Hampshire #George Washington Carver #Washington Irving #''USS George Washington'' #George Washington University #Washington and Lee University #Washington and Jefferson College #Washington University in St. Louis (?) #Washington Township, New Jersey #Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. #George Washington Doane #Cincinnati, Ohio (he was called "The American Cincinnatus") Thomas Jefferson ---- #$2 bill #nickel #Mount Rushmore #Jefferson City, Missouri #Jefferson, Maine #Jefferson, Texas (Jefferson County, Texas was named for this city, not for the President) #Jefferson County, Alabama #Jefferson County, Arkansas #Jefferson County, Colorado #Jefferson County, Florida #Jefferson County, Georgia #Jefferson County, Idaho #Jefferson County, Illinois #Jefferson County, Indiana #Jefferson County, Iowa #Jefferson County, Kansas (?) #Jefferson County, Kentucky #Jefferson County, Mississippi (?) #Jefferson County, Missouri #Jefferson County, Montana (?) #Jefferson County, Nebraska #Jefferson County, New York #Jefferson County, Ohio #Jefferson County, Oklahoma #Jefferson County, Pennsylvania #Jefferson County, Washington (?) #Jefferson County, West Virginia #Jefferson County, Wisconsin #Jefferson Parish, Louisiana (?) #Mount Jefferson in New Hampshire #Mount Jefferson in Oregon (Jefferson County, Oregon was named for this mountain, not for the President) #Jefferson Memorial #Jefferson Davis #William Jefferson Clinton #Washington and Jefferson College Andrew Jackson ---- #$10 bill (1914-1928) #$20 bill (1928-present) #Jacksonville, Florida #Jackson, Mississippi #Jackson, Georgia #Jackson, Ohio #Jacksonville, Florida (Called Cowford from 1816 to 1822) #Jackson County, Alabama #Jackson County, Arkansas #Jackson County, Colorado #Jackson County, Florida #Jackson County, Illinois #Jackson County, Indiana #Jackson County, Iowa #Jackson County, Kansas #Jackson County, Kentucky #Jackson County, Michigan #Jackson County, Mississippi #Jackson County, Missouri #Jackson County, North Carolina #Jackson County, Ohio #Jackson County, Oklahoma #Jackson County, Oregon #Jackson County, Tennessee #Jackson County, Texas #Jackson County, West Virginia #Jackson County, Wisconsin #Jackson Parish, Louisiana #Hickory County, Missouri (named for his nickname, "Old Hickory") #Mount Jackson in New Hampshire James Madison ---- #5000 bill (1918-1946) #$200 war bond #Madison, Wisconsin #Madison, Georgia #Madisonville, Kentucky #Madison County, Alabama #Madison County, Arkansas #Madison County, Florida #Madison County, Georgia #Madison County, Idaho #Madison County, Illinois #Madison County, Indiana #Madison County, Iowa #Madison County, Kentucky #Madison County, Mississippi #Madison County, Missouri #Madison County, Montana #Madison County, Nebraska #Madison County, New York #Madison County, North Carolina #Madison County, Ohio #Madison County, Tennessee #Madison County, Texas #Madison County, Virginia #Mount Madison in New Hampshire #James Madison University Abraham Lincoln ---- #Penny #$5 bill #Illinois State Quarter (has Lincoln on the back) #Mount Rushmore #Lincoln Memorial #Lincoln Highway (Runs from New York to San Francisco. The route is approximated today by Interstate Highway 80 and U.S. Highway 30 and was the first coast to coast paved road in the United States.) #[http://www.alincoln-library.com Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum] (Springfield, Illinois) #[http://www.thelincolnmuseum.org The Lincoln Museum] (Ft. Wayne, Indiana) #[http://www.lmunet.edu/museum/Index.html The Lincoln Museum] (Harrogate, Tennessee) #Lincoln Bedroom #Lincoln Logs #Lincoln Cars #Lincoln Life Insurance Co. #Lincoln, Alabama #Lincoln, Arkansas #Lincoln, California #Lincoln, Colorado #Lincoln, Idaho #Lincoln, Illinois (Founded 1853, only city or town named after Lincoln during his lifetime) #Lincoln, Indiana #Lincoln, Iowa #Lincoln, Kansas #Lincoln, Nebraska (Was Lancaster until 1869) #Lincoln, New Mexico #Lincoln, North Dakota #Lincoln, Maine #Lincoln, Michigan #Lincoln, Minnesota #Lincoln, Missouri #Lincoln, Montana #Lincoln, Oklahoma #Lincoln, Oregon #Lincoln, Pennsylvania #Lincoln, South Dakota #Lincoln, Tennessee #Lincoln, Texas #Lincoln, Utah #Lincoln, Washington #Lincoln, West Virginia #Lincoln, Wisconsin #Lincoln Acres, California #Lincoln Beach, Missouri #Lincoln Beach, Oregon #Lincoln Center, Iowa #Lincoln Center, Maine #Lincoln City, Indiana #Lincoln City, Nevada #Lincoln City, Oregon #Lincoln Crest, California #Lincoln Estates, Illinois #Lincoln Estates, Virginia #Lincoln Falls, Pennsylvania #Lincoln Heights, California #Lincoln Heights, Ohio #Lincoln Heights, Illinois #Lincoln Heights, Louisiana #Lincoln Heights, North Carolina #Lincoln Heights, Pennsylvania #Lincoln Heights, Virginia #Lincoln Hill, Pennsylvania #Lincoln Hills, Colorado #Lincoln Hills, Illinois #Lincoln Hills, Indiana #Lincoln Junction, Michigan #Lincoln Mills, Maine #Lincoln Park, Colorado #Lincoln Park, Louisiana #Lincoln Park, Michigan #Lincoln Park, Nevada #Lincoln Park, New Hampshire #Lincoln Park, New Jersey #Lincoln Park, New York #Lincoln Park, North Carolina #Lincoln Park, Ohio #Lincoln Park, Pennsylvania #Lincoln Park, Tennessee #Lincoln Park, Texas #Lincoln Park, Rhode Island #Lincoln Park, Virginia #Lincoln Park, West Virginia #Lincoln Pioneer Village, Indiana #Lincoln Ridge, Kentucky #Lincoln Terrace, Arkansas #Lincoln Terrace, Pennsylvania #Lincoln Valley, North Dakota #Lincoln Village, California #Lincoln Village, Indiana #Lincolndale, New York #Lincolnshire, Illinois #Lincolnshire, Indiana #Lincolnshire, Kentucky #Lincolnville, Indiana #Lincolnville, Maine #Lincolnville, Kansas #Lincolnville, Oklahoma #Lincolnville, Ohio #Lincolnville Center, Maine #Lincolnway Village, Iowa #Lincolnwood, Illinois #Lincolnwood Hills, Illinois #Lincoln College (in Lincoln, Illinois - Dedicated February 12, 1865, the only college or university named after Lincoln during his lifetime) #Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) #Lincoln Memorial University (Tennessee) #Lincoln County, Arkansas #Lincoln County, Colorado #Lincoln County, Idaho #Lincoln County, Kansas #Lincoln County, Kentucky #Lincoln Parish, Louisiana #Lincoln County, Maine #Lincoln County, Minnesota #Lincoln County, Mississippi #Lincoln County, Montana #Lincoln County, Nebraska #Lincoln County, Nevada #Lincoln County, New Mexico #Lincoln County, Oklahoma #Lincoln County, Oregon #Lincoln County, South Dakota #Lincoln County, Tennessee #Lincoln County, Washington #Lincoln County, West Virginia #Lincoln County, Wisconsin #Lincoln County, Wyoming #Fort Abraham Lincoln (near Bismarck, North Dakota) #Mount Lincoln, New Hampshire #Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico #''USS Abraham Lincoln'' #''Land of Lincoln'' (Illinois state nickname) #Lincoln's Birthday (State holiday in Illinois and 20+ other states) Theodore Roosevelt ---- #Mount Rushmore #1906 Nobel Peace Prize #''USS Theodore Roosevelt'' (SSBN-600) #''USS Theodore Roosevelt'' (CVN-71) #Medal of Honor (Posthumous, 2001) #Theodore Roosevelt McKeldin Franklin Delano Roosevelt ---- #Dime #Franklin D. Roosevelt Library (Presidential library in Hyde Park, New York) #Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (Monument on Washington Mall) Alexander Hamilton ---- #$1000 bill (1918-1928) #$10 bill (1928-2014) Jefferson Davis ---- #Jefferson Davis's Birthday (State holiday in some southern states) Grover Cleveland ---- #$20 bill (1914-1928) #$1000 bill (1928-1946) #Grover Cleveland Alexander Ulysses Grant ---- #$50 bill #USS Ulysses Grant William McKinley ---- #$500 bill #Mount McKinley #McKinely Coutny, New Mexico Francis Marion ---- #Marion, Alabama #Marion, Kentucky #Marion, Indiana #Marion, Iowa #Marion, Massachusetts #Marion, Ohio #Marion, North Carolina #Marion, South Carolina #Marion, New York #Marion County, Alabama #Marion County, Arkansas #Marion County, Florida #Marion County, Georgia #Marion County, Indiana #Marion County, Iowa #Marion County, Kentucky #Marion County, Ohio #Marion County, Tennessee #Marion County, Texas #Marion County, West Virginia #Marion Township, Arkansas == Washington's birth date in Old Style == I just added some date notes to the "Early Life" section and changed the Old Style year of his birth to 1731 (I did it 1732|1731, so clicking on the Old Style year brings you to the correct Gregorian year). Reason: At the time of Washington's birth, England started its new years on March 25, not January 1. For English Old Style dates prior to March 25, it's necessary to subtract 1 from the Gregorian year to get the correct Old Style year. See the Mixed-style date page for a good explanation of this issue. User:Dale Arnett 01:15, 12 Apr 2004 (UTC) == How come... == nobody is focusing on the "Honored Americans" section any more?? Can anyone think of a new Wikipedia article to move this section to?? User:66.32.131.87 20:27, 10 May 2004 (UTC) ==Large Section Headings== Is there any reason the sections starting with George Washington#Presidency are full headings as opposed to regular headings (one equals sign instead of two) causing the article to be renumbered halfway through? User:Telso 02:51, 6 Jul 2004 (UTC) :I doubt it. I'm changing it. --User:Furrykef 02:41, 8 Jul 2004 (UTC) ==Birth date== Ahem - the switch from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar advanced the date by 11 days in the 1700s. The ''year'', however, should really be the same - either 1731 or 1732. I don't know which would be correct, but both the "old style" and the "new style" date must have the same year. User:Lupo 14:52, 6 Jul 2004 (UTC) : Forget it, I learned something new today. Mixed-style date is really bizarre... User:Lupo 15:10, 6 Jul 2004 (UTC) ==Washington's poet friend?== I may be getting my Presidents mixed up, but I remember reading in one of my English classes poetry by a black female poet who held audience with Washington a couple of times -- apparently, he was quite fond of her. I recall she coined the word "Colombia" in reference to the New World in one of her patriotic poems. I've been trying to recall her name, but with no luck. Since I was thinking on writing an article on "Colombia" in this sense (the current article there on the Colombia will have to be moved :P ), it would be good if I had her name and could find that poem... Any ideas? User:Garrett Albright 06:16, 14 Jul 2004 (UTC) Washington apparently wrote a letter to Phillis Wheatley in appreciation of her poems. I don't know that they ever actually met or if "Colombia" appears in her poetry, but it's a place to look. -- User:Nunh-huh 06:21, 14 Jul 2004 (UTC) == Birthplace == My book ''Presidential Places'' says that he was born in Washington's Birthplace, Virginia not Wakefield, Virginia. User:Patricknoddy User talk:Patricknoddy 15:51 August 25, 2004 (EDT) === Wakefield, Virginia === Wakefield, Virginia is in Sussex County, Virginia not Westmoreland County, Virginia --User:Patricknoddy 19:57, 25 Aug 2004 (UTC)User:Patricknoddy --User:Patricknoddy 19:57, 25 Aug 2004 (UTC)User talk:Patricknoddy 15:57 August 25, 2004 (EDT) :This is a thorny issue, but I had to change it since saying his birthplace was "Washington's Birthplace" tells us nothing. I have two sources saying he was born in Wakefield; however, it's apparently in the wrong region of Virginia. Unless it's a different Wakefield, we could change it to "Pope's Creek," "Ferry Farm," or just "Westmoreland County" -- which are other locations for his birthplace I've seen. User:Brutannica 02:40, 26 Aug 2004 (UTC) Ferry Farm was his childhood home, if I'm not mistaken (I live within a few miles of that area)... User:Ugen64 01:21, Aug 27, 2004 (UTC) :Do you know his birthplace?? User:Brutannica 01:33, 27 Aug 2004 (UTC) Well, someone wrote "Pope's Creek," so I guess the issue's closed. Anyone know how Wakefield has to do with anything? User:Brutannica 03:48, 16 Sep 2004 (UTC) His birthplace is not Pope's Creek, Virginia it is Colonial Beach, Virginia. --User:Patricknoddy 11:32, 16 Sep 2004 (UTC)User:Patricknoddy --User:Patricknoddy 11:32, 16 Sep 2004 (UTC)User talk:Patricknoddy 7:31 September 16, 2004 (EDT) :No, Colonial Beach was ''nearby'', he wasn't actually born there. User:Brutannica 00:40, 17 Sep 2004 (UTC) :The website for the http://www.nps.gov/gewa/homepg.htm George Washington Birthplace National Monument reports that he was born at a place known as Pope's Creek Plantation. The closest municipality is Colonial Beach, Virginia. The first paragraph under Early Life describes this as well. Since Colonial Beach is actuall several miles distance from the monument, I think it is probably best to simply list Westmoreland County, Virginia as Place of Birth in the table with the explanation in the text. 12:27, 16 Sep 2004 (UTC) ::Why not just "Pope's Creek Plantation?" User:Brutannica 00:40, 17 Sep 2004 (UTC) == Small Change == Rev. Dr. Abercrombie link added. User:Barry21 21:15, 21 Dec 2004 (UTC) :James Abercrombie died 1781 & was not a Rev--User:JimWae 21:32, 2004 Dec 21 (UTC) == Careful! Tricky Vandalism! == Okay, apparently a new editor had edited the article, changing — to – But, he/she did not see the vandalism before that: --User:AllyUnion User talk:AllyUnion 09:05, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC) ---- Washington was commissioned in 1989 as a colonel in the Virginia militia and built a series of forts in Compton, California. He was dispatched by the governor of Virginia, Robert Dinwiddie, to force the France out of the Ohio River. When they refused, he attacked a French scouting party, killing ten, including its leader, Jumonville. Anticipating retaliation, he built a small fort (Fort Necessity). It proved ineffective: Washington's forces were vastly outnumbered and the fort, built on low ground, flooded during a heavy rainfall. He was forced to surrender and negotiated a safe passage back to Virginia. Nevertheless, the incident ignited the French and Indian War.
Should be:
Washington was commissioned in 1754 as a colonel in the Virginia militia and built a series of forts in the western frontier of Virginia. He was dispatched by the governor of Virginia, Robert Dinwiddie, to force the France out of the Ohio River. When they refused, he attacked a French scouting party, killing ten, including its leader, Jumonville. Anticipating retaliation, he built a small fort (Fort Necessity). It proved ineffective: Washington's forces were vastly outnumbered and the fort, built on low ground, flooded during a heavy rainfall. He was forced to surrender and negotiated a safe passage back to Virginia. Nevertheless, the incident ignited the French and Indian War. ---- In 1992, Washington accompanied the Braddock Expedition of the British Army during the French and Indian War. During the Braddock Expedition#Battle of the Monongahela in western Pennsylvania, he had three horses shot out from under him, and four bullets pierced his coat. He showed his coolness under fire in organizing the retreat from the debacle. Washington then organized the First Virginia Regiment, which saw service through the war.
Should be:
In 1755, Washington accompanied the Braddock Expedition of the British Army during the French and Indian War. During the Braddock Expedition#Battle of the Monongahela in western Pennsylvania, he had three horses shot out from under him, and four bullets pierced his coat. He showed his coolness under fire in organizing the retreat from the debacle. Washington then organized the First Virginia Regiment, which saw service through the war. ---- In 2000, he resigned his commission and married Martha Washington, the wealthy widow of Daniel Parke Custis. Washington adopted Custis's two children and never fathered any of his own. The newlywed couple moved to Mount Vernon where he took up the life of a genteel farmer. He became a member of the House of Burgesses.
Should be:
In 1759, he resigned his commission and married Martha Washington, the wealthy widow of Daniel Parke Custis. Washington adopted Custis's two children and never fathered any of his own. The newlywed couple moved to Mount Vernon where he took up the life of a genteel farmer. He became a member of the House of Burgesses. ---- By 2004, Washington had become one of the colonies' wealthiest men. In that year, he was chosen as a delegate from Virginia to the First Continental Congress and the next year to the Second Continental Congress. He did not support colonial independence until 1776, when he read Thomas Paine's ''Common Sense''.
Should be:
By 1774, Washington had become one of the colonies' wealthiest men. In that year, he was chosen as a delegate from Virginia to the First Continental Congress and the next year to the Second Continental Congress. He did not support colonial independence until 1776, when he read Thomas Paine's ''Common Sense''. ---- Dates were changed... and since when was George Washington from Compton, California? --User:AllyUnion User talk:AllyUnion 09:04, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC) == duplicate sections == Some of the information on this page seems to be duplicated. A little past halfway down, it starts repeating sections from the top. I'm still pretty new here (still learning the syntax and customs), so I am hesitant to fix it myself. == remove "under to constitution == The qualifier "under the constitution" after "first president of the US" is awkward and out of place. Do all the other presidential entries need to be amended? Should Ronald Reagon be called the 40th president "under the constitution" because there were men who held a completely seperate office but also called president under the Articles of the Confederation? ==Picture== Is it just me or is the picture of washington we have in the info box really wierd? His cheeks are all read and it is kind of freaking me out. Cant we replace it with one of the more traditional portraits usually shown of him, like one of the images further down the page? Unless anyone feels very strongly about this I am going to change it. --User:Bonus Onus 22:43, Apr 30, 2005 (UTC)
George Washington
#REDIRECT User:Michael
George Washington
Hi George Washington. Did you really mean to use this V word in this sentence: :Born in 1732 into a Vagina planter family, he learned the morals, manners, and body of knowledge requisite for an 18th century Vagina gentleman. It looks like a typo to me, but do as you please. :) --User:Frecklefoot 17:05 20 May 2003 (UTC) It's the banned ex-user Michael and his cast of a thousand aliases, Frecklefoot. Just ignore. Or, if you prefer, revert. User:Tannin
George Washington
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