 |
Who was George Washington? |
History
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, and fifty-seven years later, he was elected to be the very first President of the United States of America. Before his election, George Washington worked as a surveyor, which means he went around measuring and marking different properties and pieces of land. It might sound boring, but back in the Eighteenth Century, land surveying was an adventure! The woods of North America were mostly unexplored, and George Washington was out in them and exploring! He knew the land very well, and that’s what helped him become a commander in the Continental Army (which would have been called “The United States Army,” but the United States didn’t exist yet!).
In 1775, the American Revolution began. It was a war where the American states fought for independence from Great Britain. The battles took place on the land that George Washington knew! That gave him a great advantage in the war because he knew where to hide and fight. The British Army did not.
He was a strong and smart leader, and because of that, he was the top choice to lead the country when the United States won its independence.
Nothing but the Truth
Not a lot is known about George Washington’s early childhood. Because of that, some stories have been told to fill in the gaps. One of those stories is that one day, as a young boy, George Washington chopped down a cherry tree when he wasn’t supposed to. His father asked if he did it, and he said, “I cannot tell a lie. I did it with my little hatchet.”
Why do you think this story exists about George Washington? What does it say about him that would help make him a good president?
Why do you think telling the truth is better than telling a fib?
