What Made George Washington Great?
There would have never been a United States of America without George Washington. John Rhodehamel, author of “George Washington: The Wonder of the Age,” details how Washington successfully guided the budding nation through war and nurtured her in peace.
#georgewashington #history #ushistory #foundingfathers
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Script:
It’s hard to imagine there would have been a United States of America without George Washington.
He was there at the birth of the nation. He successfully guided it through war and nurtured it in peace.
How did he do it?
Not by being a great general, a potent political theorist, or even a clever politician. He was none of those things.
And yet, he was admired by generals, political theorists and politicians. Why?
Because he was a man great men trusted. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison and so many others looked up to him—literally. He was one of the tallest men of his era at six-foot-three. Add courage, integrity, and wisdom, and you have a truly impressive figure.
Let’s start with his courage. That was never in doubt. If anything, he had too much of it.
Bold to the point of rashness as a young man, he fought for the British against the French over control of the Ohio Valley, then the Western-most point of the American wilderness.
Throughout that conflict, known as the French and Indian War, and the American Revolution, Washington was always in the thick of the action. His aides often struggled to keep him from surging too far ahead of his own troops. In one battle, his coat was pierced four times by musket fire. Horses were shot out from under him. Amazingly, some would say miraculously, he was never wounded—not so much as a flesh wound.
By the time the revolution broke out in April of 1775, Washington was firmly committed to the cause of American independence. He arrived in Philadelphia in May of that year to offer his services to the Continental Congress. He was quickly made commander of the new rebel army. There was only one problem: there was no army to speak of. There was just a rag-tag collection of state militias. How was Washington going to defeat the greatest military force in the world with that?
It was a problem the general struggled with for eight and a half years. That he managed to hold the army together, organize it into a disciplined fighting force and guide it to victory was testament to his fortitude, his patience, and his personal bravery.
Of his integrity, one need only to look at what he did when the war ended: exactly what he promised to do when the war began. He resigned his military command and went home to Mt. Vernon.
By stepping down, Washington raised himself up as the embodiment of republican heroism. It is said that King George III asked the London-based American painter Benjamin West what Washington was likely to do when peace came. West replied that Washington would probably return to his farm. The king was astounded. “If he does that,” His Majesty declared, “he will be the greatest man in the world!”
This story may be apocryphal, but the Newburgh Rebellion, and how Washington handled it, is not. With experience had come wisdom.
As the revolution wound down, a group of officers refused to give up their arms until they were paid. If they didn’t get their money, which Congress didn’t have, they would take control of the government. It was not an idle threat. No less a figure than Alexander Hamilton was in a panic.
Washington, no great orator, sought to defuse their anger. They had risked everything to create a republican society, he told the officers. To abandon the cause now, when true victory was so close, would mean all their sacrifices would have been in vain.
However convincing the speech may have been, it was a simple gesture that carried the day. Washington concluded his remarks by reading to them a letter sent to him from a member of Congress. Suddenly, he stopped. From his pocket, he pulled a pair of spectacles. None of the officers had ever seen him wear them. Putting the glasses on, Washington said, “Gentlemen, you must pardon me. I have grown gray in the service of my country and now find myself going blind.”
He finished reading the letter and left the hall without another word. The gesture, sincerely offered with just the right touch of stagecraft, pierced the hearts of his men. Many were moved to tears. They immediately passed a resolution declaring their loyalty to civilian government. George Washington had saved the revolution once again.
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Damn near everything. Dude is true Father of the US
This man was chosen by God to be the founder of America. I am a firm believer in Divine Intervention.
Washington was the greatest general in American history. He out strategized the British at every turn and did it with a threadbare army against the super power of the day.
Please stop spreading the false propaganda that Washington wasn't a great general.
Since when was George Washington 6’3? In another video by you guys, you say he was 6’2.
I, too, admire George Washington. Let's be careful to admire such people without idolizing them.
Great men are not slave owners
Big cojones.
I wonder if they even teach this in school anymore?? Sad. So many of our young kids have learned to vilify the Founding Fathers when they should be in awe at what they did.
Honor, Integrity and commitment to Duty.
No man except perhaps Jesus and i doubt if he ever really existed was Greater
Washington actively participated in the enslavement of other humans.
HARD TO ARGUE THAT ANY NATION HAD A BETTER FATHER OF THE NATION ,well India would like to disagree cause we have Gandhi!
"No less a figure than Alexander Hamilton……"
That means nothing to me.
The only sad thing about the Hamilton/Burr duel is that it did not happen sooner. If I had to describe Hamilton in one word that word would be "scoundrel."
Hell yeah!!!
Awesome!!!
None of that would of happened if it wasn't for the speech delivered by John Adams.
Not only does this video do him justice, it also has the best animation of all of them.
Thank you. I’ve learned so much from these short series of videos on the founding fathers.
Just walked on the Yorktown battlefield here in VA earlier today
What it must have been like to serve under the great general Washington 🇺🇸
This video about George Washington made me even more proud to be an American! This is why George Washington is my favorite president of all time! ❤️❤️❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
If it wasn't a forgone conclusion that Washington would be President, Article II of the Constitution would look a lot different.
Fun fact: He was also a Land Surveyor as was three of the four presidents on Mount Rushmore. The other two are Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.
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Amen.
Nice! I will read your book; I did not know about you. I enjoyed Chernow's biography of Washington.
We NEED men like this NOW more than ever!
https://youtu.be/_7VUqJF3Vi4
It is impossible to overstate the significance of Washington’s willingness to decline political power. It is frightening to imagine just how much power Washington could have claimed had he been so inclined. Contrast the endless examples of dictators at both ends of he spectrum, in our time and previously, who seize power and do not let go. . Putin, Xi, Kim, Castro, and you can surely think of a few conspicuous others from mid-century past.
But naturally the Lefties will want to tear down monuments in his honor and spit on his name all because he owned slaves.
Who the hell cares?!
George Washington: The American Cincinnatus. | Prager U.: Terrific resource. Where is our Washington today?
uuuh, you do know Alexander hamilton was one of the key aritects of the newburgh Conspiracy right?
"Kohn identifies three main leaders of the "conspiracy": Hamilton, Robert Morris, and Gouverneur Morris."
Kohn, "Inside History" p, 193.
Given that George means farmer, it's wonderful that this man, perhaps the greatest President of the United States, chose to relinquish power after two terms and go back to farming
Thus setting humility as the example and avoiding the excesses of the European kings that so strongly contrasted what the USA was all about
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The greatest of all men must also be the most humble.
George Washington will always be my american founding father. Sure he may did owned slaves but just because he may have owned slaves doesn't mean he's racist. That's how life was that time but what do you expect people these days don't get it life isn't perfect, and people ain't perfect, cuz think about it if everyone and life was so perfect you know how boring life and everyone would be? . But just because george Washington will always be my founding father of the country, others will be also just because there part of our true history. Inerways back to Washington today in modern world I see Washington in Trump especially when it comes with the nation and leadership in general. But nowadays it's hard to see how many people today destroyed his statues down all because they don't know our true history pa sides about slaves. Inerways thanks for sharing!.
Washington Owned Slaves
Ummm… because he was the man with a dream. He wanted a free society who was also able to tell the government “No!” I’ve done three research papers on him and though he had “issues” by todays standards he was still a baller with a mission where failure was not an option. This is what separates us from my fellow Ukrainians…200 years is the past so fix it, but in recent time outrage abounds.