George Washington: Flaws and All

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 was born on February 22, 1732. Despite losing his father at a juvenile age, 11, Lawrence his half-brother, 14 years older, quickly took over as a surrogate father figure to all of his younger siblings. Washington’s mother, Mary, became very protecting after the death of her husband (Georges father), Augustine. She kept George from enlisting in the British Navy contrary to the wishes of older brother, Lawrence. George lived with his older brother from the time he was about 15 and attended school in Virginia and never went to college. He was very good at mathematics which was quite suitable to his later occupation as a surveyor. In 1752, Lawrence also passed away his c...

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...ntributions that they have made to our society. But it may be that we are disillusioned by what we are taught as children that we assume these people don’t have any faults. Maybe knowing these great men had faults helps to see them as more human. Minus the character flaw George Washington was still one of the framers of American society.

Works Cited

1. Bordewich, Fergus M. Washington: The Making of the American Capital. HarperCollins Publisher, 2008.

2. Colbert, David. Eyewitness to America: 500 Years of America in the Words of Those Who Saw It Happen. New York. Pantheon Books, 1997.

3. Ellis, Joseph J. His Excellency George Washington. New York. Alfred A. Knopf, 2004.

4. McCullough, David. 1776. New York. Simon & Schuster, 2005.

5. Stevenson, Jay PhD and Budman, Matthew. The Complete Idiots Guide to American Heroes. New York. Alpha Books, 1999.