| By this point in your life, you probably no longer believe the story that George Washington once threw a silver dollar across the Rappahannock River. You may have also come to terms with the fact that he never cut down a cherry tree as a boy ( It was a myth created by author Mason Locke Weems, ten years after Washington’s death). Are you also aware that Washington was not born on February 22, 1732, the date you needed to memorize in history class? The father of our country was actually born on February 11,1731. When Washington was born, England and its colonies followed the Julian calendar, which was instituted in 46 B.C. by Julius Caesar. By that calendar, Washington was born on February 11, 1731. Washington’s official birthdate changed in 1752 when England switched to the Gregorian calendar. Points of Interest Here are some additional factoids about the man without whom we would be speaking with silly accents, drinking tea instead of coffee, and watching endless reruns of Mr. Bean. In 1789, President Washington’s annual salary of $25,000 represented 2% of the national budget. Today, that translates to over $80 billion a year. Washington is the only president to unanimously win the electoral college (he did it both times). He is the only independent candidate to win the presidency (he refused to join a party). At 6’2” Washington towered over most of his contemporaries as the average height for men in the U.S. was around 5’7”. He was an extraordinarily rugged man. As a young surveyor in the backwoods of the Ohio Valley, Washington made rafts out of trees with his bare hands in below-freezing temperatures. His job required that he ford impossible rivers, and hack paths through perilous woods. Washington mastered almost every sport of his day including archery, swimming, and wrestling. According to Thomas Jefferson, Washington was “the best horseman of the age”. While fighting for the British in a battle against the French and Indians, the fearless Washington had two horses shot from under him. After the battle it was discovered that four musket balls had pierced his jacket but none reached his body. The episode gave Washington and everyone else the belief that he was invincible. Washington had a strong constitution that allowed him to power through numerous illnesses including diphtheria, smallpox, dysentery, malaria, pneumonia, and carbuncle (it sounds like a card game you would play with your grandmother but it’s a cluster of boils under the skin). Washington’s second inaugural address was only 134 words and took less than two minutes to deliver. Alexander Hamilton helped Washington write his farewell address which is still hailed for his urging American leaders to avoid foreign entanglements. Recognition and Honors Washington earned mythical status across the globe and was particularly revered in France. As the French Revolution began in 1792, Washington was made an honorary French citizen despite the fact he didn’t speak French and had never visited the country. After becoming our second President in1797, John Adams became fearful of a possible French invasion. Although Washington was enjoying life as a gentleman farmer, Adams appointed him commander-in-chief of the military. It was a largely ceremonial appointment to bolster recruiting efforts. When Washington died in 1799, Napoleon immediately called for ten days of official mourning in France. British officials had the Royal Navy lower its flags to half-mast. One of many reasons I am glad I didn’t live in the 1700s are the medical practices of the era. In 1799, after catching a simple cold the ex-President was subjected to four rounds of bloodletting. Washington lost an estimated forty percent of his blood before he expired. Kudos Keep Coming In 1976, Congress awarded George Washington a new military rank: General of the Armies of the United States. It was further decreed that nobody will ever outrank him. A 2012 poll of British citizens rated Washington as the greatest military officer to ever face the British Empire. Take that, Napoleon! Have a great weekend- By George. |
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