Mr. Washington’s chief aide, Colonel Tobias Lear, come into the room. Upon site of Mr. Washington, Colonel Lear promptly summoned for Mr. Washington’s physician of more than 40 years to come at once. Throughout the morning and night, doctors tried various methods to assist the former President.
Mr. Washington later communicated saying, “Doctor, I die hard; but I am not afraid to go; I believed from my first attack that I should not survive it; my breath cannot last long” (Markel, 2014). Through what was believed to be an agonizing night before his death, Mr. Washington demeanor never altered. After the various procedures from doctors, at the end of the day Mr. Washington showed his gratitude to all three doctors for their help and support. Through everything this man had endured, in the end he was still gracious and for this may be the reason he was a great leader and the father of our country. During Mr. Washington’s eulogy, Henry Lee Jr. addressed Congress on Dec. 26, 1799 and provided this infamous phrase to honor Mr. Washington, “First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen” (Markel, …show more content…
2014). George Washington was born February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was the eldest of six children and the family was modestly wealthy members of Virginia. There is little else known about George Washington's childhood, but when he was around seven years old to fifteen, Mr. Washington was home schooled and learned with a sexton at a local church. Afterwards he would learn math, Latin, geography, and English classics with a school master. However, the most considerable amount of expertise and experience that he would learn and utilize was during his acquaintance with his plantation foreman and backwoodsmen. At the age of 20, Mr. Washington inherited his step-brothers land and became the sole heir of the entire Washington family lands, one of Virginia's supreme prominent estates, Mount Vernon. Mr.
Washington began exhibiting signs of natural leadership and soon after his step-brother’s death, Virginia's Lieutenant Governor, Robert Dinwiddie, selected Washington to become a Major in the Virginia militia. Then in 1755, Washington joined the British Army forces under General Edward Braddock and assumed the honorary rank of colonel. With a natural born leadership that was undeniable to many, Mr. Washington was made the commander of the entire Virginia Army at the young age of 23. As he commenced his new role of commander, he was directed to the frontier to not only guard, but to defend nearly 400 miles of border. Not only was this an enormous undertaking, but Mr. Washington would have some 700 ill-disciplined colonial troops under his command, along with a Virginia colonial legislature reluctant to advocate
him. On January 6, 1759, Mr. Washington married Ms. Martha Dandridge Custis, from Virginia of the Tidewater area. Martha brought with her enormous wealth, and two small children from a previous marriage. Mrs. Washington was a faithful and strong woman that would join her husband at his winter quarters during the war every year. Mutually, Mr. and Mrs. Washington would entertain his officers and guests. Mrs. Washington never drifted far from her husband’s side, even during the war and battles. A strong patriot in her own respect, Mrs. Washington was always seen nursing the sick, the wounded soldiers, and raising currency for the troops. In June 1775, Continental Congress appointed General George Washington to take command of the Continental Army. While not an overwhelming task at first to withdraw the British troops from Boston, it was afterwards that hardship would begin to seep in. In June of 1776, a new British army, under the command of Sir William Howe, arrived to take over New York City. As Washington did his best to defend New York, it would be impossible due to the terrain, waterways, and the British naval superiority. General Howe's army was bigger, much better equipped for battle, and were far better trained than Washington's Army. After years of defeats to the British Army, in October 1781, Washington would take advantage of the positioning of his armies and the French Navy and attack General Cornwallis in Yorktown. The strategy and relentless artillery firing resulted in the British surrendering on October 19, 1781 and bring the Revolutionary War to an end. Mr. Washington would continue to make history with various attributes throughout his time. However, in 1789, Mr. Washington would become the first President of the United States and would be reelected again in 1793. During his first Inaugural Address, Washington even declared he had no experience with the obligations of being a civil administration leader. Nevertheless, Mr. Washington is one of the utmost talented executives to ever serve as President. Thomas Jefferson wrote, “his justice the most inflexible I have ever known, no motive of interest or consanguinity, friendship, or hatred, being able to bias his decision. Washington set a standard for presidential integrity rarely met by his successors, although he established an ideal by which they all are judged” (Leingang, n.d).