George Washington

George Washington, commonly called the father of his country, was born in 1732. The son of a wealthy Virginia planter, he was privately educated and trained to be a surveyor (a person who measures land boundaries). But when serving as an officer in the French and Indian War (from 1753 to 1758), he gained an interest and experience in military leadership.

In 1759, Washington married a widow named Martha Custis, who later became famous as a wonderful hostess in the first president's home. After his marriage, Washing­ton returned to his Virginia plantation, Mount Vernon, to live the life of a gentleman farmer. However, he soon became involved in colonial opposition to British policies in America. In 1763, the British government began to tax its American colonies more heav­ily and also tried to increase its control over the colonies. England wanted to sell the colonies all the manufactured goods the colonists needed, so it tried to restrict the colonists' trade with other countries. England also prohibited westward expansion into American territories reserved for the Indians. But the increased taxation caused the most trouble. Eventually, the colonists refused to pay the new taxes on stamps, tea, and other imports. As a result, relations between the mother country and its colonies went from bad to worse.

In 1774, the First Continental Congress met. It was attended by 56 delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies. This group told Great Britain what kind of treatment the colonies de­manded concerning taxation, trade, and the right to make their own laws. But British colonial policies did not change. In 1775, the Second Continental Congress declared war on Great Britain and named Washington commander in chief of the Revolutionary Army. Washington's job was very difficult. His army was small, poorly fed, and inadequately clothed. The men suffered greatly during terribly cold winters. Washington had to fight the Revolutionary War with poorly equipped, untrained soldiers. He never asked for and never received any salary for the job he performed. In fact, he often spent his own money to buy clothes for his men and send aid to their families.

Before the colonies declared their independence, celebrations honoring the birthdays of British rulers were customary. After the Declaration of Independence, the Amer­ican people ignored royal birthdays and began instead to celebrate General Washing­ton's birthday. This custom started in 1778 during the army's cold, snowy winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, when one of the military bands marched to Washington's head­quarters and played for him.

With help from the French government, Washington's army was able to defeat the British. By 1781, it was obvious that the British had given up. It was then suggested that a monarchy be set up, with Washington as king. Washington viewed this idea "with ab­horrence" (hatred). He was not an ambitious man. He didn't want political power. He only wanted to go home. When the peace treaty was finally signed in 1783, Washington eagerly returned to Mount Vernon. But his quiet life as a farmer was again interrupted. When the new country formed a stronger national government, George Washington was unanimously chosen as its first president. He took office in 1789 and was reelected in 1792. In 1796, he refused a third term and retired from political life. He died 2 years later and was buried at Mount Vernon. Today, more than a million tourists visit this beauti­ful site every year.

Shortly after his death, Washington was praised in these famous words: "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." To the American people, Wash­ington symbolizes dignity, statesmanship, and, above all, honesty. The famous cherry tree story, which was invented by Washington's first biographer, has become a lesson in morals for all American schoolchildren. The story says that when George Washington was about 6 years old, his father gave him a hatchet, which the little boy loved to play with. One day, he hit the edge of his hatchet against his father's favorite young cherry tree. He did enough damage to kill the tree. The next morning, his father noticed the damage and ran into the house shouting, "George, do you know who killed that beauti­ful little cherry tree... in the garden?" George's famous reply was, "I can't tell a lie, Pa, you know I can't tell a lie. I cut it with my hatchet." His father, pleased with the boy's courage and honesty, quickly forgave him. Because of this cherry tree story, traditional desserts on Washington's birthday are cherry pie or a log-shaped cake decorated with cherries.

The birthday of the nation's first president has been declared a holiday by the federal government and by all the individual states. In 1968, the federal government moved the holiday to the third Monday in February and also renamed it Presidents' Day. In some states, it is an occasion to honor both Washington and Lincoln, and some states call the day Washington-Lincoln Day. In other states, the holiday honors all former presidents.

Check your comprehension.

What caused the American Revolution?

What two important jobs did George Washington have?

Дата добавления: 2015-08-27