Happy Birthday to the greatest American that ever lived, George Washington!!!
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"First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."
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A great man if only considering his role in leading the Continental army (and he did so much more). Held the army together through some very difficult times and led them to important victories, ultimately resulting in independence for the colonies.
The famous line you cited is from a funeral oration delivered by Major-General Henry Lee, on Dec. 26, 1799, before the Congress of the United States. At the time, Lee was a member of the House of Representatives, representing his area of Virginia. He had served under Gen. Washington in the Revolutionary War. He's more commonly known as Gen. Light-Horse Harry Lee, and also was the father of Robert E. Lee, the Commander of the Confederate Army in the Civil War.
Major-General Henry Lee's funeral oration was rather long, so I won't try to post all of it in this thread. The paragraph that contained the famous line came near the end of the oration, and reads as follows:
First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble and endearing scenes of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate and sincere; uniform, dignified and commanding, his example was as edifying to all around him, as were the effects of that example lasting.
A new biography of Major General Henry Lee was recently released, and I hope to read it in the coming months.
Major-General Henry Lee's funeral oration was rather long, so I won't try to post all of it in this thread. The paragraph that contained the famous line came near the end of the oration, and reads as follows:
First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble and endearing scenes of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate and sincere; uniform, dignified and commanding, his example was as edifying to all around him, as were the effects of that example lasting.
A new biography of Major General Henry Lee was recently released, and I hope to read it in the coming months.
From a blog by David Boaz:
He gave up power not once but twice - at the end of the revolutionary war, when he resigned his military commission and returned to Mount Vernon, and again at the end of his second term as president, when he refused entreaties to seek a third term.
Give the last word to Washington’s great adversary, King George III. The king asked his American painter, Benjamin West, what Washington would do after winning independence. West replied, “They say he will return to his farm.”
“If he does that,” the incredulous monarch said, “he will be the greatest man in the world.”
Happy Birthday to the greatest American that ever lived, George Washington!!!
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Steel yourself for a Tweet storm!
He was the most amazing man to lead this nation as it formed, in war and in peace. Tough to start at the top and work your way down, for us that is.
Pres. Washington did so many amazing things during the war, bullet holes through his coat but never him. Horses shot from underneath him, he rose unscathed. He was spared for us, thankfully so. His influence, the trust of the people in him and his lack of ambition for power are such admirable traits. The perfect man at the perfect time. We were blessed.
Pres. Washington did so many amazing things during the war, bullet holes through his coat but never him. Horses shot from underneath him, he rose unscathed. He was spared for us, thankfully so. His influence, the trust of the people in him and his lack of ambition for power are such admirable traits. The perfect man at the perfect time. We were blessed.
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Even great men have their flaws. He did inforce the whiskey tax.
And in doing so, was the first and only sitting American President to lead troops in the field.
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If you've never been to the Hall of Statues at Independence Hall in Philly, you need to go. They have accurate life-sized statues of all the signers of the Constitution. What will you impress you is the size of Washington for his time. He was a head taller then the rest and a barrel chested, muscular man. Just his size had to be intimidating to most.
Hall of Statues at Independence Hall???
I think you're referencing Signers' Hall, at the National Constitution Center (NCC). The NCC is located at the end of Independence Mall, at the other end of the mall from Independence Hall.
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Hey, at least I was in the neighborhood. Been 15 yrs since I was there.
Thanks for clarification.
Am I missing something? What makes that line infamous?
oops, I thought I had keyed in famous. I'll fix it. Thanks
I just completed reading a new Washington book "Young Washington" by Peter Stark. It covers the years 1754 thru 1758, his years in the wilderness, first as a messenger to the French for Virginia Governor Dinwiddie thru the campaign under Forbes that reached the smoldering ruins of Fort Duquesne.
Washington was rather impetuous, vain and querulous in his youth, but learned from mistakes to mature into the great military leader that secured our independence. A good read for anyone interested in this part of our history.
Washington was rather impetuous, vain and querulous in his youth, but learned from mistakes to mature into the great military leader that secured our independence. A good read for anyone interested in this part of our history.
Believe it or not, on researching my ancestry for a SAR membership I discovered a predecessor who allegedly did survey work with G. Washington in his early years. The same man fought in the F&I wars and the Revolutionary War. His only association with the future president was the surveying gig. Whether true or not I cannot prove but it sure is a nice memory, correct or not.
Playing horse shoes w/ McAndrew?
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Wait! I thought the concluding line was "and last in the American League."Happy Birthday to the greatest American that ever lived, George Washington!!!
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Yeah, but could he play LB?Happy Birthday to the greatest American that ever lived, George Washington!!!
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Probably. He was a pretty big guy back in his day and had good speed. That said, he was primarily a great leader and quarterback. He relished the underdog role.
I see that you made the same post on the LAIR. How many replies do you think you will receive before Washington is called a Nitter Troll?Happy Birthday to the greatest American that ever lived, George Washington!!!
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It was similar and I only did it because no one there mentioned it. They should. Washington spent time in Pittsburgh. I spend a bit of time over there at the urging of my wife a Pitt grad, and a good friend of mine who is a Pitt law grad. So far I've been tolerated, even though I've mentioned my Penn State connection. Their board has a much smaller following than this one and you quickly learn what will not be tolerated. The female anatomy, which is a big deal here, never appears there. Politics are generally out as well. It's a very narrow focus.
Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh named after our first President? Not sure which is the better view from Mt. Washington, day or night.
Indeed Mt. Washington was named for George. It is a terrific view and I love eating up there at night and watching the city sparkle.Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh named after our first President? Not sure which is the better view from Mt. Washington, day or night.
I took my family to Mount Vernon last weekend. We were lucky that they had George and Martha Washington impersonators taking question and answers . I highly recommend anyone to visit, whether they have an interest in history or not.
It's a terrific place and many may not know that Mount Vernon receives no government funding. It is preserved by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which relies solely upon patriotic individuals, foundations, and corporations to help preserve George Washington’s home and to educate visitors from all over the world.
If anyone is interested in learning more about Mt. Vernon's preservation, you can find it here. https://www.mountvernon.org/preservation/
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Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh named after our first President? Not sure which is the better view from Mt. Washington, day or night.
Apparently recognizing American History is outside the focus also. So far you have had 3 replies to your post and 1 is yours.
First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen and first out of the NL playoffs.
Read it as soon as possible, before our history is all re-written to the way it really happened!!!
He will probably be made out to be a villain and a rascist.
that would be Andrew JacksonRead it as soon as possible, before our history is all re-written to the way it really happened!!!
FYI Another fantastic tour is to visit Montpelier in orange va.
Here is a view that matches the time period more closely...Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh named after our first President? Not sure which is the better view from Mt. Washington, day or night.
My favorite place to view the city of Pittsburgh is the West End Overlook. It is a beautiful little park and a great place to have a picnic lunch. I ALWAYS take out of town visitors (business, family, friends) up there for photos. Don’t miss this if you visit Pittsburgh. Just DON’T!
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