![]() ![]() Thanks to Lawrence's Fairfax wife, at the age of 17, Washington was appointed official surveyor for Culpeper County in 1749. Talk of securing an appointment in the Royal Navy for George at 15 was dropped when his widowed mother objected. William Fairfax, Lawrence's father-in-law and cousin of Virginia's largest landowner, Thomas, Lord Fairfax, was also a formative influence. Lawrence Washington inherited another family property from his father, a plantation on the Potomac River which he named Mount Vernon, in honor of his commanding officer, Admiral Edward Vernon. George inherited Ferry Farm upon his father's death. In 1743, George's father died when he was 11 years old, after which George's half-brother Lawrence became a surrogate father and role model. His full sister Mildred died when she was about one, his half-brother Butler died while an infant, and his half-sister Jane died at the age of 12, when George was about two. Six of George's siblings reached adulthood, including two older half-brothers, Lawrence and Augustine, from his father's first marriage to Jane Butler Washington, along with his four full siblings, Samuel, Elizabeth (Betty), John Augustine and Charles. Washington spent much of his boyhood at Ferry Farm in Stafford County near Fredericksburg. Such an act of heroism in my son is more worth than a thousand trees, though blossomed with silver, and their fruits of purest gold." Interestingly, the Life of Washington's Cherry Tree Myth does not appear until the 5th edition of Weems' work. I did cut it with my hatchet." "Run to my arms, you dearest boy," cried his father in transports, "run to my arms glad am I, George, that you killed my tree for you have paid me for it a thousand fold. "George," said his father, "do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry tree yonder in the garden? " This was a tough question and George staggered under it for a moment but quickly recovered himself: and looking at his father, with the sweet face of youth brightened with the inexpressible charm of all-conquering truth, he bravely cried out, "I can't tell a lie, Pa you know I can't tell a lie. Presently George and his hatchet made their appearance. The next morning the old gentleman, finding out what had befallen his tree, which, by the by, was a great favourite, came into the house and with much warmth asked for the mischievous author, declaring at the same time, that he would not have taken five guineas for his tree. One day, in the garden, where he often amused himself hacking his mother's pea-sticks, he unluckily tried the edge of his hatchet on the body of a beautiful young English cherry-tree, which he barked so terribly, that I don't believe the tree ever got the better of it. When George, said she, was about six years old, he was made the wealthy master of a hatchet! Of which, like most little boys, he was immoderately fond, and was constantly going about chopping everything that came in his way. It is too valuable to be lost, and too true to be doubted: for it was communicated to me be the same excellent lady to whom I am indebted for the last." Weems' attributes his Cherry Tree Story to ".an aged lady, who was a distant relative, and, when a girl, spent much of her time in the family.," who referred to young George as "cousin." The lady, according to Weems notes, " The following anecdote is a case in point. ![]() He showed an aptitude for surveying and simple mathematics. An early ambition to go to sea had been discouraged by George's mother.Īrguably the most famous (or infamous) of the exaggerated or invented anecdotes about George Washington's youth can be found in Mason's Weems' Life of Washington: With Curious Anecdotes, Equally Honourable to Himself, and Exemplary to His Young Countrymen. ![]() Although Washington had little or no formal schooling, his early notebooks indicate that he read in geography, military history, agriculture, deportment and composition. 22, 1732, George spent his early years on the family estate on Pope's Creek along the Potomac River. Born the eldest son of Augustine Washington and his second wife Mary Ball Washington, in Westmoreland County, Va., on Feb. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |