George Washington

George Washington George Washington was born February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. His mother and father, Augustine Washington and his second wife Mary Ball, got married in 1731. George was the oldest of their six children. He also had an older half-brother, Lawrence Washington. Augustine Washington moved his family from Potomac River to another Washington home called Little Hunting Plantation later named Mount Vernon in 1738. In 1738 the family moved once again to Ferry Farm on the Rappahannock River opposite of the Fredericksburg, Virginia where the young George Washington spent much of his youth.
Little seems to be know about George,s childhood but there have been many stories. One story says he was strong enough to throw a silver dollar all the way across the Potomac River which was about a mile wide. The most famous tale however is the tale of him chopping down the famous cherry tree. When George was around six years old he received a hatchet. He loved his hatchet and chopped down everything that came his way. He was chopping down his mothers pea sticks one day when he came across a beautiful large cherry tree. He tried cutting the tree but could only cut away the bark but he cut so much of it that it died. The cherry tree was his fathers most priced possession. He would not trade anything for it. When Augustine discovered his dead cherry tree he was so very angry. He confronted the young George. Instead of lying or making excuses George simply said, “I can not tell a lie, father, you know I can not tell a lie! I did cut it with my little hatchet”. He told his father the truth which made Augustine proud to have an honest son.
From age seven to fifteen George was homeschooled and studied with the local church sexton. The majority of his education was taught to him by his father and step-brother. Later he became a schoolmaster in practical math, geography, latin, and the english classic. He gained most of his knowledge though from an acquaintance with backwoodsmen and the plantation foreman, this is the information he would mostly use in his life. By his early teens he had already become very good at growing tobacco, stock raising and surveying. George Washington is the greatest American for multiple things he did for our country. The first aspect would be his many contributions in developing the United States of America. Another compelling factor would be that the hard work and determination as well as the exceptional leadership abilities of George Washington was something every man should look up to in today’s generations. The third and final contributing item would be that Washington also played a key role in the creation of the constitution, which makes America, America.George Washington helped build America to what it is today and that is why he is the greatest American. The first aspect would be his many contributions in developing the United States of America.One significant event that affected our government would be The American Revolutionary War of Independence began as a war between The Kingdom of Great Britain and the thirteen colonies in North America. The conflicts evolved into a global war between several European great powers. The war started because Americans felt they deserved all the rights of Englishmen ,but the British believed that the colonies were created to be used in the way that best suited the crown and parliament. George Washington was the leader of all the soldiers in the thirteen colonies. He led our country to great victory leading us Americans to have the freedom we have today. After The American Revolutionary War of Independence was over several men came to George Washington wanting to be king of the United States. He refused, however he is known for being responsible for our democracy. America wouldn’t be what it was today without George Washington forming our democracy. Essentially, we would not have our freedom that we have today without George Washington stepping up during The Revolutionary War and leading us to victory. Another compelling factor would be that the hard work and determination as well as the exceptional leadership abilities of George Washington was something every man should look up to in today’s generations. George Washington would definitely be considered a "Visionary Leader." A visionary leader has very clear, encompassing and far-reaching vision in regard to the cause or organization involved. George Washington always had an optimistic yet realistic look on every event he took part in. Every vision included ideas and goals which remain constant no matter how long it took to realize them and regardless of the difficulties which Washington encountered. Washington focused on the final outcome of the situation regardless of the hardships he encountered on the way to reach his goal. He was skillful in designing and creating an organizational culture which would make possible the attainment of the his vision and ideas. In fact, creating this organizational culture may be the most lasting contributions we received from Washington. Everything that Washington did throughout his life consisted of the enduring values, vision ,and beliefs that are shared by members of the People involved in what Washington happened to be doing at the moment. Washington was also a person who could attract others to follow him in his seeking attainment of the vision. But more than that, being as such a charismatic person as Washington was, he was then able to instill in others the ideas, beliefs and values of his vision so that he became empowered to move beyond his own expectations. The third and final contributing item would be that Washington also played a key role in the creation of the constitution, which makes America, America. The Constitution plays a numerous amount of roles in our society today. Firstly, the Constitution serves as the “rule book” for our government. It specifies what government can and cannot do. We have seen this very recently in the Supreme Court case over whether “Obamacare” was justifiable under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. Without George Washington playing a significant role in the writing of the Constitution the United States wouldn’t be as organized as it is today. Secondly, the Constitution serves as a set of ideals that our society should live by. People on all sides of political debates try to use constitutional ideals to defend their side of an argument. For example, the Tea Party uses the idea of limited government to promote a reduction in the size of government while gay rights activists use the idea of equal protection and personal freedom to push for their goals.The Constitution, then, is used both as a legal document and as a set of ideals in our society today. In conclusion, George Washington is the greatest American for multiple things he did for our country. The first aspect would be his many contributions in developing the United States of America. Another compelling factor would be that the hard work and determination as well as the exceptional leadership abilities of George Washington was something every man should look up to in today’s generations. The third and final contributing item would be that Washington also played a key role in the creation of the constitution, which makes America, America.George Washington helped build America to what it is today and that is why he is the greatest American. Overall, WAshington was a phenomenal man who did wonders for our country and that is why I believe that George Washington is The Greatest American.