George Washington
Thesis Statement: George Washington is a hero because he stood up for his ideal that America should be free from England, and create a new form of government which would be fair and equitable. Even in the darkest of times, he never gave up and managed to maintain social and political order within the colonies.
Preliminary Outline
Introduction
English - American Relationship
The Townsend acts
Continental Congress
Washington is appointed commander in chief of Continental Army
Revolutionary War
Valley Forge
Constitutional Convention
Washington is elected as the first President of the United States
Slavery
Washington freed all his slaves
Conclusion
There are many ways to define a hero. Robert Kennedy defined a hero as someone who “stands up for an ideal, or for the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice”. Each time someone does this, “he sends forth a ripple of hope”. This definition may just as well be describing George Washington. George Washington is a hero because he stood up for his ideal that America should be free from England, and create a new form of government which would be fair and equitable. Even in the darkest of times, he never gave up and managed to maintain social and political order within the colonies.
Up until the mid 1760s, England maintained a friendly relationship with the colonies (Ferling, The First of Men 88). During the French and Indian war, colonial militias even had helped England defeat the British (Brookhiser 23). But, the war put England in huge amounts of debt. “According to the ancient precepts of mercantilism, the colonies were to exist for the benefit of the parent state” (Ferling, The First of Men 89). In 1767, England imposed the Tow...
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...hout sending those colonies into a spiral of political chaos and social disorder” (Selensky).
And, for all of these reasons, George Washington is a hero.
Works Cited
Brookhiser, Richard. Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington. New York: Free, 1996. Print.
Ferling, John E. The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon. New York, NY: Bloomsbury, 2009. Print.
Ferling, John E. The First of Men: A Life of George Washington. Knoxville: U of Tennessee, 1988. Print.
Henriques, Peter R. Realistic Visionary: A Portrait of George Washington. Charlottesville: U of Virginia, 2006. Print.
Selesky, Harold. "George Washington." Encyclopedia of the American Revolution: Library of Military History. Ed. Harold E. Selesky. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. N. pag. Biography in Context. Web. 11 May 2014.
The relations between England and the British North American colonies could always be considered precarious. Prior to 1750 British essentially followed a policy of benign neglect and political autonomy in the American colonies. (Davidson p.97) The colonies were for the most part content with benign neglect policy, relishing in a “greater equality and representative government”(Davidson p.95) within the colonies. Competition among European Imperial nations began to effect British policy toward North America colonies causing rapid shifts from 1750 to 1776. During this period, the British Empire made a series of policy decision that sealed the fate of the British North American colonies and lead to the American Revolution.
Americans view Christopher Columbus and George Washington as heroes because of their perseverance. Both of these men helped pave the way for the “American Dream” that has been worked towards throughout history. Christopher Columbus helped open the door to American exploration and essentially found the location of the future American civilization, and George Washington was the first official Commander and Chief of the newly independent nation that is known as the United States of America. These two men could have given up when times were tough or when someone told them they would not be successful, but they continued to prosper and overcame a multitude of obstacles to prove themselves to the world. Looking back at their failures and accomplishments are a major piece in understanding the history of America. There are many heroes that have emerged overtime, Washington and Columbus being two of them, that have had to overcome obstacles before they achieved the goals that we praise them for today.
There are many individuals in American History, whom we as Americans regard for their courage and audacity in shaping our nation. We learn in our history classes the great accomplishments of our founding fathers such as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Ben Franklin. One other great founding father and our First President, George Washington was one whom we learned much about. We learn in school that he is as a prime example of leadership, citizenship, and overall individual achievement for his many contributions to our nation’s earliest struggles. But although we are taught that George Washington was this man of great disposition, no man is without his flaws. Many scholars have sought to enlighten individuals to these cracks in the Nation’s perspective of our first president. The following composition will give an analysis of literature that shows George Washington was in consistent regarding his views on slavery. Although Washington is well-known for his many political accomplishments little is spoken about his views regarding slavery.
George Washington had character and was extraordinary. Ellis described Washington as an "incalculable asset." His leadership skills were unique. His actions were performed for his country, not for political gain. He was also directly associated with every major event of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress, and the building of the new republic. Even the country 's new capitol had his name. These were some of the things that made him so special. Washington was not prideful and not easily led. He offered suggestions and warnings to his replacements and told the government to expand in a way that would keep the country standing; he was well aware of how dainty the country was. The United States would never have survived without him.
The United States of America was formed by many president's of our time. One of these very influential presidents was George Washington. Courageous, smart and firm. The "founding father" has influenced many people today. He was a commander in chief of the forces during the Revolutionary War, chairman of the convention that wrote the Constitution, and the very first president. He has made very important decisions that still influence our country today.
The origin of England's dependence on the colonies began during the French and Indian war, in the 1750s-1760s. In this war, the British were quite inexperienced; their European style of fighting did not work against the guerilla-warfare fighting style of the French. The British wore bright red coats, marched in long lines, often lugging cannons around with them, while the French hid behind trees and picked them off one by one. General Braddock relied on his force of ill-disciplined American militiamen, who used behind-the-tree methods of fighting in order to fight the Indians. After many years of fighting, the British finally came out victorious. Although England emerged from this war as one of the biggest empires in the world, it also possessed the biggest debt. They had poured much money and resources into these colonies in order to keep them as their own, and it was time for the colonies to give something back to the British for protecting them from the Indians. They finally realized what a precious gift the colonies were, and how useful they would be. In this war, the British realized that the colonies were their pawns in a global game of chess. At any time, the British felt that they had the right to impose taxes on the colonies, in order to make up for money that was lost in the French and Indian War to defend them. They had the view that because they had done so much to help the colonies, that the colonies had to repay them.
A hero is a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievement, or noble qualities. John Jay was a hero because he was one the nation’s Founding Fathers. He helped bring independence to the colonies along with creating a constitution
1 - Why is George Washington considered to be one of the United States ' greatest presidents? In your answer, be sure to consider the times, his personal qualities, and his legacy. How and why does Washington live on in the American memory?
...Americans won this war. Without his leadership, braveness, and great instincts the patriots couldn’t have won. He is the reason a new spark of hope was created when no one else had believed we could win, he is the reason we attacked the hessians on Christmas, he is the reason we attacked and won at Princeton, he is the reason his army made it through the harsh winter at valley forge, he is the reason men reenlisted and he is the reason America is a free country today. There are not enough words to describe how much George Washington has contributed to the world.
George Washington showed amazing leadership skills while remaining aware that he is not greater then everyone else. When Washington was first brought the idea of presidency he declined not wanting to be viewed as a king or anything greater then the people around him. He didn't want to and didn't become president for power or anything other then to be a leader and guide the country through the good and bad. Washington was the respectable general of an army and was a strong leader through many important historical battles that changed the course of history.
Changes in British policies toward the colonies between 1750 and 1776 played paramount in the evolution of relations between British North America and Mother England. Tension between England and the colonies mounted from the conclusion of the Seven Years’ War to the signing of the Declaration of Independence as a result of the several implemented changes imposed by Parliament for the purpose of increasing income and tightening the grip on America.
Although he was President, he was also a lawyer who was self taught. He ran for many things and lost before he was elected President. Now he is considered a hero. Abraham Lincoln is a hero because he was brave, he was a strong leader, and he stood up for what he believed in.
Something that Washington was known for is his infallible nature, at least in terms of tyrannical behavior when given the opportunity. He may truly have been the man responsible for the wonderful country we live in today, with our freedom, and cheeseburgers. With the way things are now, and how often we see corruption in politics, I'm not
Washington was a key role in developing the United States after the Revolutionary War. George Washington is one of the most famous American hero’s, remembered as the 'father of his country'. He is known for being commanding general of the revolutionary army which won American independence. Also for his amazing performance as the first president of the United States. Washington's military and political career is a model of leadership that set the stage for all future military leaders and US presidents.
Randall Sterne, Willard. George Washington. New York, New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc, 1997. Print.