Today, it’s appropriate that we talk about a founding father, the father of our country, Mr. GW. Early in his life GW was a surveyor which made him accustomed to a rugged outdoor life. On one of his surveying trips he traveled 250 miles through wilderness in the middle of winter. His companion got frostbite on his fingers, GW didn’t. GW started his military career as an officer in the French and Indian war. In one of the battles of this war he had two horses shot from under him, and at the end of that battle he had four bullet holes in his hat and uniform, but he was luckily unharmed.

• The cherry tree story is a myth, but he did say that “honesty was the best policy”

• GW was on the vestry of an Episcopal church in Virginia, a post he held for 22 years.

• GW was a freemason because he stood behind the mission of Masonry which was to promote the happiness of the human race. In his freemason apron and sash he installed the cornerstone of the Capitol building in Washington DC and after the ceremony, the gathering settled down to celebrate by barbecueing a 500 pound ox

• GW was not perfect, he owned a lot of slaves and he was a hard-driving slave master. He zealously tracked down his fugitive slaves. He had a craving for money, status and fame. He was unable to live within his means. Ambitious and self-promoting in his formative years, he had remained a tightfisted, sharp-elbowed businessman.

What things are named after George Washington?

1. American State

2. American Federal Capital

3. American Bridge

4. American Roads/Blvd’s/Streets

5. American Neighborhood – Washington Heights

6. Monument

7. Other people including an Author – Washington Irving

8. Colleges, Universities and other schools

9. Mountain in NH

10. Ships

Why is he so honored and celebrated? His first great achievement was to lead the continental army to victory against the British empire, one of the most powerful empires at that time. At the end of the revolutionary war he was the most famous American. And in an unusual event, he resigned his post as general and transferred his power to the civilian government.

His second great achievement was when he became president of the constitutional convention and he sheparded the US constitution to ratification. Before the US constitution was written, the government of the individual 13 colonies was extremely dysfunctional. For example, to pay the Revolutionary War veterans for the wages they were promised, the 13 colonies were asked to voluntarily donate money. This led to squabbling between the colonies, each one believing that the others weren’t pulling their weight so why should they. The soldiers went unpaid which led to two mutinies that GW diffused. One of these, Shay’s rebellion in Western MA, strengthened GW’s resolve to create a federal government based on a new constitution.

Despite GW’s military experience, he vastly preferred peace to war, He said: My first wish is to see this plague to mankind (war) banished from the earth and the sons and daughters of this world employed in more pleasing and innocent amusements, as the sword was the last resort for the preservation of our liberties, so it ought to be the first thing laid aside when those liberties are firmly established.

After the war, many people were concerned that the new government would end either in monarchy or a tyrannical aristocracy. Throughout history victorious generals had sought to turn their fame into political power, People feared that the new president would take control of the government and install himself as the king, and then try to pass the power to his children after his death like the king’s of Europe routinely did. GW couldn’t do this because he didn’t have any children which increased his appeal as a candidate.

His third great achievement was to be elected the first president of the US under the new constitution. By the time of his presidential inauguration in 1789, he had only a single working tooth remaining. He was constantly anxious about getting to excited when he spoke and having all his fake teeth fall out of his mouth in front of everyone.

On Thanksgiving don’t forget to thank GW. He created the holiday during his presidency and the four-day weekend that goes along with it

His fourth great achievement was to free all of his slaves in his will. He also left money to found a university in Washington DC, and for a school in Alexandria that educated orphaned and indigent children

GW in his last days as president said, “I have a faith that the American experiment, if sometimes threatened, would prevail. While fearful of evil plotting, I trust that the good sense of our countrymen will guard the public well-being against this and that although we may be a little wrong now and then, we shall return to the right path with more eagerness.

Why did he do these things? For the enlightenment and betterment of the people.