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George Washington: A Brief Summary

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George Washington was the General in charge of the Continental Army which defeated the British Empire in 1783. His title was Commander-in-Chief. He was elected as the first president of the United States by the 2nd Continental Congress (elected by 50 to 56 Congressmen), because he was elected before there was a United States. He didn’t want the job. From what I’ve read he dreaded the in-fighting, political maneuvering, and demands made by the members of the government as they created and established a viable and sound government to meet the needs of the populace. Washington just didn’t want to be a part of the fray. Stories, myths may be a better name, sprung up concerning the first president. For instance there is the myth that he was a deist, that is he believed in a god, but god abandoned mankind after creating them. Washington wasn’t known to be a follower of any …show more content…

He was a lawyer from Illinois. He is famous for leading the Union Army to victory through his Commanding General, Ulysses S. Grant. Lincoln is also know for ending slavery by creating the Emancipation Proclamation and enacting it by executive order. The story concerning his childhood and being poor is true. He did on a couple of occasions do homework on the back of a shovel using a piece of coal, but he did normally have pencil and paper. The point of schools and parents telling the story is to illustrate how self–discipline and determination are necessary for meeting your goals. Again, here is a national hero and leader used to exemplify the importance of these attributes. Lincoln writing the Gettysburg Address on the back of an old envelope while riding on the train to Gettysburg to make the famous address is a myth. In reality he had discussed it with his staff, and wrote it in his office a couple of weeks earlier. The myth demonstrates Lincoln’s great mind, eloquent style, and heart-felt belief in the words he spoke to the

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