George Washington (1732–99) was an American political leader and military general. This “Father of the Country” led the United States during its formative days, including as the head of the Patriot forces in the American Revolutionary War 1775–83 and as its president 1789–97.
Born in Bridges Creek, Westmoreland County, Virginia, Washington was reputed for his honesty, patience, and shrewdness. The tale of his honest confession to cutting down a cherry tree (“I cannot tell a lie, I did it with my little hatchet”) is likely a fabrication of his first biographer Mason Weems, author or The Life and Memorable Actions of George Washington (1809.)
Washington served as Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, the American and French forces that won the American War of Independence. He kept his army together through the winter of 1777–78 at Valley Forge near Philadelphia, and won the decisive battle at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781. In 1787, Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia that drafted the American Constitution and was unanimously elected president.
In his two terms as president, Washington followed a policy of neutrality in international affairs and expansion on the domestic front. He declined a third term as president and retired to his family estate at Mount Vernon, Virginia.
John R. Alden’s George Washington: A Biography (1984) narrates the interconnected histories of Washington and America. Washington Irving wrote the acclaimed The Life of George Washington (5 vols., 1855–59.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by George Washington
It is well, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go.
—George Washington
Topics: Last Words, Famous Last Words
At a distance from the theater of action, truth is not always related without embellishment.
—George Washington
Interwoven is the love of liberty with every ligament of the heart.
—George Washington
Topics: Liberty
Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.
—George Washington
Topics: Patriotism
To morrow being the day set apart by the Honorable Congress for public Thanksgiving and Praise; and duty calling us devoutely to express our grateful acknowledgements to God for the manifold blessings he has granted us. The General directs that the army remain in its present quarters, and that the Chaplains perform divine service with their several Corps and brigades. And earnestly exhorts, all officers and soldiers, whose absence is not indispensibly necessary, to attend with reverence the solemnities of the day.
—George Washington
Over grown military establishments are under any form of government inauspicious to liberty, and are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty.
—George Washington
Topics: Liberty
It is to be lamented that great characters are seldom without a blot.
—George Washington
Topics: Greatness
No People can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the Affairs of men more than the People of the United States. Every step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency.
—George Washington
It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it.
—George Washington
Religion is as necessary to reason as reason is to religion: The one cannot exist without the other. A reasoning being would lose his reason, in attempting to account for the great phenomena of nature, had he not a Supreme Being to refer to; and well has it been said, that if there had been no God, mankind would have been obliged to imagine one.
—George Washington
Topics: Religion
It is among the evils, and perhaps not the smallest, of democratic governments, that the people must feel before they will see.—When this happens, they are roused to action.—Hence it is that those kinds of government are too slow.
—George Washington
Topics: Government
The time is now near at hand which must probably determine, whether Americans are to be, Freemen, or Slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their Houses, and Farms, are to be pillaged and destroyed, and they consigned to a State of Wretchedness from which no human efforts will probably deliver them. The fate of unborn Millions will now depend, under God, on the Courage and Conduct of this armyOur cruel and unrelenting Enemy leaves us no choice but a brave resistance, or the most abject submission; that is all we can expectWe have therefore to resolve to conquer or die.
—George Washington
Topics: Freedom
Truth will ultimately prevail where there are plans taken to bring it to light.
—George Washington
Topics: Truth
For happily the government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support. May the children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants, while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig-tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.
—George Washington
Not only do I pray for it, on the score of human dignity, but I can clearly forsee that nothing but the rooting out of slavery can perpetuate the existence of our union, by consolidating it in a common bond of principle.
—George Washington
I know of no pursuit in which more real and important services can be rendered to any country than by improving its agriculture, its breed of useful animals, and other branches of a husbandman’s cares.
—George Washington
Topics: Farming
Lenity will operate with greater force, in some instances, than rigor.—It is, therefore, my first wish, to have my whole conduct distinguished by it.
—George Washington
Topics: Mercy
Such is the turbulence of human passions in party disputes, when victory more than truth is contended for, that the post of honor is a private station.
—George Washington
Topics: Party
Speak not injurious words, neither in jest nor earnest; scoff at none although they give occasion.
—George Washington
Topics: Insults
It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free Country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration, to confine themselves within their respective Constitutional Spheres; avoiding in the exercise of the Powers of one department to encroach upon another.
—George Washington
Topics: Government
Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
—George Washington
Topics: Morals, Morality
I do not mean to exclude altogether the idea of patriotism. I know it exists, and I know it has done much in the present contest. But I will venture to assert, that a great and lasting war can never be supported on this principle alone. It must be aided by a prospect of interest, or some reward.
—George Washington
Topics: Patriotism
The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained.
—George Washington
It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.
—George Washington
Topics: Excuses
Be not forward, but friendly and courteous; the first to salute, hear and answer; and be not pensive when it is time to converse.
—George Washington
Topics: Friendship
The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it.
—George Washington
Topics: Swearing, Profanity, Vulgarity
Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.
—George Washington
Topics: Liberty, Freedom
Enjoin this upon the Officers, and let them inculcate, and press home to the Soldiery, the Necessity of Order and Harmony among them, who are embarkd in one common Cause, and mutually contending for all that Freeman sic hold dear. I am persuaded, if the Officers will but exert themselves, these Animosities, this Disorder, will in a great Measure subside, and nothing being more essential to the Service than that it should, I am hopeful nothing on their Parts will be wanting to effect it.
—George Washington
There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government, and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This, within certain limits, is probably true. But in governments of a popular character, and purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be, by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent it bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume.
—George Washington
Topics: Party
Government is not reason and it is not eloquence. It is force! Like fire it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.
—George Washington
Topics: Government
Experience is the surest standard by which to test the real tendency of the existing Constitution of a country
—George Washington
Topics: Experience
It is much easier at all times to prevent an evil than to rectify mistakes.
—George Washington
Topics: Evil
Gambling is the child of avarice, the brother of iniquity, and the father of mischief.
—George Washington
Topics: Gambling, Chance
While just government protects all in their religious rites, true religion affords government its surest support.
—George Washington
Topics: Religion, Government
To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.
—George Washington
Topics: Peace, War
When a man does all he can, though it succeeds not well, blame not him that did it.
—George Washington
Topics: Success
To admit then a right in the House of Representatives to demand, and to have as a matter of course, all the Papers respecting a negotiation with a foreign power, would be to establish a dangerous precedent. It does not occur that the inspection of the papers asked for, can be relative to any purpose under the cognizance of the House of Representatives, except that of an impeachment, which the resolution has not expressed. I repeat, that I have no disposition to withhold any information which the duty of my station will permit, or the public good shall require to be disclosed: and in fact, all the Papers affecting the negotiation with Great Britain were laid before the Senate, when the Treaty itself was communicated for their consideration and advice. The course which the debate has taken, on the resolution of the House, leads to some observations on the mode of making treaties under the Constitution of the United States.
—George Washington
Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.
—George Washington
Topics: Virtue, Virtues, Temptation
A slender acquaintance with the world must convince every man that actions, not words, are the true criterion of the attachment of friends.
—George Washington
Topics: Friends and Friendship, Action
There is a natural and necessary progression, from the extreme of anarchy to the extreme of tyranny; and arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness.
—George Washington
Topics: Tyranny
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