George Washington: Ideals For Posterity From A Mighty Man Of Old

Part I: A Myth in the Making

In a letter to his brother on May 31st, 1754, 22-year-old George Washington writes, "I  heard the bullets whistle, and believe me there was something charming in the sound."1

Does greatness beget greatness? 

How do one man's ideals go on to define a nation? George Washington's story begins in 1754, during the first truly global conflict, the Seven Years’ War. Including virtually  every major power in Europe, as well as their colonies in the Caribbean, India, North America, and Africa, the Seven Years War would leave more then a million people dead globally and set a  chain of events in motion that would lead to both the American and French Revolutions. 

As a 22-year old officer, George Washington would find himself at the forefront of the terrible mess, leading British militiamen through the Ohio Valley. Sent by Governor Dinwiddie of  Virginia to chase French forces off of Virginian land, Washington—leading a combined force of  52 men ambushed 40 French Canadian soldiers on the morning of May 28th, 1754. The Canadian casualties of this incident, including their commanding officer Joseph Coulon de Jumonville, would define it as the Battle of Jumonville Glen, kicking off the French and Indian war in North America. Thus, right from the beginning George Washington was involved in the major events of the North American continent, shaping America’s destiny with gunpowder and blood.

Some men are destined for greatness from the moment they are born. By all accounts,  Washington was undoubtedly one of them; his tenacity, intelligence, and sheer will would, for good reason, enshrine him in history as a great man by the time of his death in 1799. His  fearlessness on the battlefield, political insight, and humility after a lifetime of success have led to his immortalization in the American pantheon of great men. If there ever was an American hero to idolize, whose ideals to embody, and whose greatness to live up to, George Washington was that hero; I  believe these were the Founders’ motivating factors in revering Washington in the ways that they did in the young Republic. 

In many ways, it is unlikely that we would have the America we do today without Washington's legend, political leadership, and humble guidance. Washington and his story were instrumental to the cohesion and founding of this vast nation. Had he died in battle or decided to join the British, it is unlikely this country would have succeeded in the Revolutionary War at all.

However, the legend of Washington begins not in that conflict, but indeed in the French and Indian War, itself spurred by his actions at Jumonville Glen. His conduct during this conflict would garner him recognition from French, Indian, British, and Colonial soldiers alike.There is perhaps no greater example of this conduct than his actions at the Battle of  Monongahela, and Braddock's subsequent retreat in July of 1755. In late May 1755, General  Edward Braddock marched 1,400 British  troops over the Appalachian Mountains in an attempt to seize the French Fort Duquesne, with Washington, serving as his aide-de-camp. On July 9th, French and Indian armies launched a surprise attack on Braddock’s forces, beginning a skirmish that would last several intense hours and result in the near complete destruction of Braddock's fighting force. Washington fearlessly rode back and forth during the battle shouting commands and taking orders from General Braddock. Foreseeing an inevitable defeat, Braddock ordered a general retreat of his men. Mere moments later, the General was shot in the arm, piercing his lung and mortally wounding him. Incapable of giving orders, the responsibility was left to his aide-de-camp: Washington. Washington would  competently and swiftly carry out Braddock's final orders and coordinate the retreat, earning him the status of a hero for having saved the British Army from complete annihilation. Of the  1,459 men who departed on Braddock's expedition, 977 were wounded or killed, including 63  out of the 87 officers present. Dr. James Craik, who was a participant of the battle later said this of Washington: 

"I expected every movement to see him fall. His duty and situation exposed him  to every danger. Nothing but the superintending care of Providence could have saved him  from the fate of all around him." 2

In a July 18th letter to his brother Jon Augustine, Washington recounts the intense battle and his seemingly miraculous escape:

"As I have heard; since my arrival at this place, a circumstantial account of my  death and dying speech; I take this early opportunity of contradicting the first, and of  assuring you, that I have not, as yet, composed the latter.—But, by the All-powerful  Dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or  expectation; for I had four Bullets through my Coat, and two Horses shot under me; yet  escaped unhurt, altho[ugh] Death was leveling my Companions on every side of me!"3

Even Washington himself was utterly shocked that he had escaped the battle unscathed. As others  would keenly point out during his life, fate seemingly destined him for greater than dying on a  battlefield.  

To the Indians fighting that day, it was obvious that Washington was under divine  protection. An Indian Chief who had been fighting on the side of the French would give what is likely the single most epic recount of Washington's conduct during the battle saying:

"I am a chief and ruler over my tribes. My influence extends to the waters of the  great lakes, and to the far blue mountains. I have traveled a long and weary path, that I  might see the young warrior of the Great Battle. It was on the day when the white man's  blood mixed with the streams of our forest, that I first beheld this chief. I called to my young men and said, mark yon tall and daring warrior. He is not of the redcoat tribe he hath an Indian's wisdom, and his warriors fight as we do himself alone exposed. Quick, let your aim be certain, and he dies. Our rifles were leveled, rifles which, but for you, knew not how to miss —'twas all in vain. A power mightier far than we shielded you from harm. Seeing you were under the special guardianship of the Great Spirit, we immediately ceased to fire at you. I am old, and soon shall be gathered to the great council fire of my fathers in the land of shades, but ere I go, there is something bids me speak in the voice of prophecy. Listen! The Great Spirit protects that man and guides his destinies. He will become the chief of nations, and a people yet unborn will hail him as the  founder of a mighty empire. I am come to pay homage to the man who is the particular  favorite of Heaven, and who can never die in battle."'4

The courage he displayed, his devotion to duty, and his remarkable luck was noted on both sides of the battle; opposing and friendly forces alike were in awe of what they saw that  day. His reputation quickly grew in the colonies; among many titles and names he was called "The American Achilles," as it was a commonly held opinion that God had protected him during  that terrible battle. Washington's service during the French and Indian War alone would have put  his name in the history books, but he was not done yet. He would leave the British-Colonial Army in 1758 at the rank of Colonel and would not return to service again until 1775, during what would become, the American Revolutionary war which would cement George Washington  as one of the West's great men of history, a uniquely American Hero.

Part II: Resolve in the face of adversity

In April of 1775, the American Revolutionary War would begin at the towns of Lexington and Concorde, in Massachusetts. This war would shatter ancient paradigms, alter the  map of the planet, shift the balance of power in Europe, and result in the birth of a proud and storied nation. French, Spanish, British, Indian, German, Canadian, and American troops would  all meet on the battlefields of North America while Dutch bankers provided loans to the US;  after the British victory in the Seven Years War, the great powers of Europe were eager to see the  British Empires' defeat in America. 

As early as September 1774, the Continental Congress was  meeting in Philadelphia. Washington, a wealthy landowner and war hero, was present as one of Virginia's delegates. War was already in the air; the first Continental Congress would remain in session until October  1774, at which point the delegates decided to meet once more the following spring to continue  their discussions on their designs for independence. Some still held out hope for peace, but Washington was not among them: before leaving Philadelphia, he stopped to purchase muskets, military apparel, and a book  on military discipline. The reality of the situation was readily apparent to him, he did not wish for war, but understood the British would never tolerate the colonies’ open insubordination. 

Many  of the delegates would only learn about the battles of Lexington and Concorde en route to the  Second Continental Congress, in May 1775. The inevitable tragedy had occurred—the Colonies were now in an open state of warfare against the largest empire in human history. 

Times of crisis either break men or make men. George Washington would enter this crisis as a semi-famous wealthy landowner and leave as a living legend, respected by Kings and Empires alike. 

On  June 14th, 17755, the Second Continental Congress selected George Washington to lead the  newly—designated Continental Army. Having by far the most military experience, and already  known for his leadership skills and fortitude, Washington was the Congress's best (and only  realistic) option for the job; it would prove to be an incredibly difficult undertaking, and bring  Washington and his men to the brink of oblivion on more than one occasion.  

However, Washington had never actually commanded large—scale troop formations before. His largest command was during Braddock's ill-fated expedition, where Washington only  coordinated the retreat. Later in a letter to English Politician William Strahan in 1784, Benjamin  Franklin would remark:

"[a]n American planter, who had never seen Europe, was chosen by us to Command our Troops and continued during the whole War. This man sent home to you, one after another, five of your best generals, baffled, their Heads bare of Laurels, disgraced even in the Opinion of their Employers."5

At the onset of the war, this would have seemed impossible. Washington was tasked with fighting one of the largest armies on the planet with a rag-tag, ill-equipped, and often— demoralized militia. And yet, with full confidence in victory, he took command of his forces and undertook one of the most impressive military campaigns in American history.  

Washington's first spark of military brilliance was displayed when the Continental Army  was almost surrounded and crushed in the Battle for New York in August of 1776. After being  flanked, and with General Howe's 20,000—strong force closing in, Washington decided he needed to act decisively. Defeat now would mean an early and unceremonious end to  the American Revolution; Washington was the commander of the Continental Army, and there were no major alternatives that could replace his command or fighting force. On the night of  August 29th, a heavy fog reportedly rolled over Long Island; Washington saw this as a sign to act, and summoned all available flat bottom boats that he could find amid the fog. Nine thousand men would be evacuated off of Long Island and onto Manhattan, without a single casualty. Retreats  are notoriously devastating maneuvers, only executed in times of absolute crisis: Napoleon's Grande Armée suffered hundreds of thousands of casualties on their catastrophic retreat from Russia, and millions died as Hitler's Wehrmacht was mauled, worse than almost any  army in history, on their retreat from the USSR. To attempt such a maneuver and then to execute it so  perfectly in the face of what was arguably the most competent army on the planet—was nothing  short of miraculous. Even the British officers with General Howe were reportedly astounded. 

Yet  luck would quickly run out for Washington and the Continental Army, who would thereafter  suffer defeat after defeat. The British Army was obviously the superior fighting force, and  anytime the two armies met on open battlefields the devastating results spoke for themselves.  

Amid this adversity is where Washington's strength truly had a chance to shine. Through superhuman demonstrations of will, seemingly divine superintendence, and nothing short of military genius on the battlefield Washington would rally his men and his country and prosecute the war without losing sight of what was at stake.

~

"The test of success is not what you do when you are on top. Success is how high you bounce when you hit the bottom" 6

— Gen. George S. Patton

~

Washington would hit the bottom harder than any General has in American history. And yet, he would climb up to the heights of success; he capitalized on every opportunity, and truly believed in the righteous nature of his country’s cause.

In perhaps his most famous moment on the battlefield, for which he would become  immortalized in military history through Emanuel Leutze's epic painting, Washington would cross the Delaware River in December of 1776. After months of continuous combat with the British Army, with many defeats and no major victories to speak of, Washington's Continental Army was low on morale, worsened by that year’s brutal winter. Washington understood the war was at a pivotal  point, and another major defeat could mean collapse of the Continental Army—and with it any dreams of sovereignty in the thirteen colonies.

On Christmas Day, Washington and his army would endure a severe winter storm that continued to worsen as the night drew near. A Hessian Army was encamped in Trenton, about ten miles from the Continental Army and across on the other the nearly—frozen Delaware River. Even though most of his men could not swim and many even lacked boots, Washington had planned to make a crossing that night and ambush the Hessians the following morning—but the severe weather was beginning to throw that plan into question. By nightfall, conditions had not improved, but despite this Washington understood an ambush was his best chance at defeating the numerically superior Hessian forces. He decided to seize the initiative. Despite meticulous planning, the operation  proved to be a logistical nightmare; the challenges of coordinating the crossing of 2,400 men with their artillery and equipment, in the darkness, along several miles of the river’s shore meant that Washington's men would not be assembled on the other side of the river by 5 in the morning like  he had planned. By the time his forces were organized on the New Jersey shore, they were  already more than three hours behind schedule. At this point Washington began to debate canceling the operation entirely; his plans were behind schedule and his ability to surprise the  Hessian Army was now in question as the sun rose on that cold, miserable morning. Yet, as he so often did in the face of challenge, instead of backing down or changing his initial plans, Washington decided to violently push forward, regarding retreat as the more costly outcome to the overall morale and will of the Continental Army. The pressure did nothing but strengthen his resolve and his actions made clear to all that defeat was not going to be tolerated.

The Continental Army would arrive in Trenton later that morning and Washington's gamble would pay off in spades—the army had maintained its element of surprise, and the resulting battle would prove to be decisive in a multitude of ways. Colonel Johann Rall, the commander of the Hessian Army at Trenton, had assumed (due to the weather and the fact it was  Christmas) that there would be no attacks on the night of the 25th and into the day of the 26th. The Hessians were allowed to relax; Rall and his officers would enjoy a night of  festivities and drinking themselves, a celebration that would extend long into the morning of the 26th. By many accounts, significantly compromised Rall's ability to command his fighting forces when Washington and his men launched their surprise attack at daybreak. The results proved to be disastrous for the Hessian Army: 22 Hessian troops were killed, 98 wounded, 1,000 captured, and the armies' muskets, cannons, and powder were all seized. Colonel Rall himself was mortally wounded, and the Hessian Army was broken up and scattered in the field. Washington's bold gamble had proved to be sound, the Continental Army had secured its first major victory of the revolutionary war. The army would then return to the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River that night, bringing with them their prisoners and casks of captured rum, despite Washington's explicit orders to destroy them—likely contributing to the  large number of Hessian and Continental soldiers alike needing to be pulled from the icy waters. 

This single victory had a resounding effect on the morale of Washington's men. Troops who had previously been low in spirits were suddenly reinvigorated with patriotic fervor, and  Washington's ability as a leader and tactician was recognized universally by the Continental  Congress and Army alike. Still, Washington was not yet done, seemingly born with an  exceptional ability to recognize timing. Riding off his victory at Trenton, Washington would  order another crossing on the night of the 30th, where he and his men would wait in hiding for  General Cornwallis's force of 8,000 British regulars just outside of Trenton. When Cornwallis  arrived on the 2nd of January 1777, he ordered three successive full-frontal assaults across the  narrow Assunpink bridges. Each attack was driven back with massive loss of life, yet as the day’s  fighting came to an end Cornwallis was all but certain of victory—reportedly saying "We've got the old fox safe now. Well go over and bag him in the morning." 7

However as dawn broke the next day—much to Cornwallis's annoyance—the American camps were empty. Overnight, Washington and his men had departed for Princeton. On the 3rd, when the British Army caught up to their new positions, the Americans would prove victorious once again after the British Army had caught up to their new positions. These three victories changed the course of the war, for a second time Washington's bold decisions, ability to act decisively under pressure, and sheer will in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds had single-handedly saved the American Revolution. These victories also radically increased the morale of the Continental Army, encouraged more recruitment… and perhaps most consequentially, greatly impressed  the French. 

Part III: Ascension to Greatness. 

However, the low point had still yet to come; Washington and his army had endured a series of  losing battles during the Spring and Summer of 1777. In September, after a failed defense of Philadelphia, the British Army had marched into the city and occupied it. As Philadelphia was America's de facto capital and the city in which the Continental Congress met, the fall of the city was nothing short of devastating for morale. Like so many times since 1775, the war looked like it was going to be coming to a swift end in favor of the British. In December Washington and his 12,000 battered, hungry, and sick men marched 20 miles North of  British-occupied Philadelphia, and made camp in the wilderness of Valley Forge. 

Yet again the entire fate of the war was resting on Washington's shoulders. Yet again, the war was at a crossroads. And yet again Washington's fortitude and force of will would single-handedly save his country's cause. 

By this point, a decisive battlefield victory or intervention from foreign powers was absolutely necessary if the colonists had a chance at winning the war. But all of that was abstract—in December of 1777, Washington and his men only had one goal: survive the winter. 

The conditions at Valley Forge were brutal. Single-digit temperatures and shortages of food, clothing, and medicines, took a significant toll on the army. Additionally, the terms of enlistment of many of Washington's troops were coming close to an end; Washington was uncertain he would have an army strong enough to fight the British at all come spring. While at Valley Forge, he would famously enlist the help of Prussian volunteer Baron Von Steuben in disciplining his men, who, in his estimation, largely lacked commitment to the fight. By January of 1778, as the weather began to improve and food became less and less of a problem, hope returned to the army—and along with it, a new patriotic resolve to win the war. Washington's refusal to submit, perseverance in the face of adversity, and fortitude in his convictions had once again proved invaluable to the American  cause. Of the 12,000 men that marched into Valley Forge in the fall of 1777, about 3,000 were dead, and another 1,000 had deserted or failed to re-enlist by the Spring of 1778. Still, Washington had more than enough men to continue the prosecution of the war, and thanks to Von Stueben’s Prussian-style drilling, it was a more effective fighting force  than it had been when it was greater in numbers.

 Critically, during that cold winter, while Washington and his men froze, Benjamin Franklin was an ocean away securing support from the French—and in February of 1778, France intervened.

Suddenly, the conflict took on an entirely new character. Washington had single handedly held America's cause on his shoulders for three grueling years, yet now victory was  tangible; with the military and economic backing of mighty France, victory for the Americans began to look like a much more realistic outcome. By 1779, France's ally Spain had entered the war; shortly after, the British declared war on the Netherlands, and fighting began to rage in the Caribbean, at Gibraltar, and even in India. Like the Seven Years’ war that preceded it, the American Revolution had spiraled into a global conflict.

Nothing could have been better for the Americans. The British, now forced to defend colonial possessions across tens of thousands of miles, became spread thin. Additionally in 1780  Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau landed in Rhode  Island with 6,000 French soldiers. They would remain largely irrelevant until the following year, but this action would later prove to be a watershed moment. At this stage in the war, both Britain and the Americans were exhausted; both sides were looking for a quick way to win the war, and both sides were beginning to feel the effects of the protracted conflict on their economies. The colonies were experiencing food shortages and undertaking enormous amounts of debt; even Washington felt uncertain about the future. In a letter to John Laurens in France from January 1781, he writes: "It may be declared in a word, that we are at the end of our tether, and that now or  never our deliverance must come."8

A soon after, that deliverance came.

In July of that year, Washington and Rochambeau’s forces would meet outside of New York City, where Rochambeau would inform Washington a French Fleet had set sail for the lower  Chesapeake Bay with plans to engage General Cornwallis's army in Yorktown in Virginia. In  August the combined force went on the march arriving in Williamsburg in September, only thirteen miles west of Yorktown. 17,6000 French and American soldiers, along with a French fleet, stood ready to attack 8,300 British soldiers quartered there—and on October 9th, the sound of first French, and then  American, cannon fire would mark the beginning of the battle of Yorktown. Washington fired the first American cannon personally at 5:00 pm, and ordered the guns to be fired throughout the night. By the 11th  almost all of the British guns had been knocked out, and Cornwallis received news that his reinforcements from New York had been delayed.  Outnumbered and without artillery, Cornwallis knew he could not hold out for long.

On the night of the 14th Washington ordered a surprise attack on Redoubts #9 and #10 in order to encircle the British forces. 400 French regulars and 400 American light infantry would be led by Lt. Col.  Alexander Hamilton, capturing both Redoubts in less than 30 minutes with minimal casualties. Washington was now able to position cannons on three sides of Yorktown, and began pouring cannon fire into the British positions, intensifying with each  passing day as more and more cannons were brought up to the line of fire. 

On the 17th, after a meeting with his officers, General Cornwallis assessed their situation to be hopeless and decided  to surrender rather than face annihilation. A request for a traditionally honorable surrender, allowing them to march out with flags flying, bayonets fixed, and the band playing a French or American tune as a sign of respect, was vehemently denied by Washington, as the Continental Army had been denied such honors the year before at the siege of Charleston. On the 19th, Cornwallis' army was marched out of Yorktown between two lines of French and American soldiers, each over a mile long. A popular legend holds that as the British marched to a field to lay down their arms, their band played the song "The World Turned Upside  Down." London was shocked, after hearing the news Prime Minister Lord North reportedly  threw up his arms wildly and shouted: "Oh God! It is all over! It is all over! It is all over!."9

Although the British still had thousands of troops in North America, the Battle of Yorktown proved decisive. The war technically continued until September of 1783, but the battle had broken the British Resolve in North America, and no major battles would take place thereafter. War-weary, with broken spirits, while engaged in other military conflicts around the globe, the British finally gave in. After seven miserable years of sacrifice, struggle, and  persistence, the United States would be free.

George Washington began his military career as a minor officer in the British Army, and ended it as the commander in chief of an entire nation, victorious in a war against that same British Empire, the largest to ever exist in  human history. 

From the opening days of the war to the very last major battle, George Washington fought on the front lines, enduring unimaginable conditions, single-handedly keeping the entire American Revolution alive on more than one occasion. It is rare in history a single man has such a radical impact on a series of events, and whose significance is noted universally by his contemporaries. On multiple occasions during the war the entire fate of the American Revolution came down to a decision Washington did or did not make, often leaving enemy commanders stunned as he led an Army around New England for seven years unable to ever be captured or killed. Many great men contributed to the creation of this country, but none had as significant of a role in physically shaping its destiny as a nation as George Washington. It is truly difficult to put into words just what Washington personally sacrificed and how much was at stake in order to secure America's independence. Through superhuman displays of commitment, an unbreakable will, and undisputed skill on the battlefield, he was able to pull off a near miraculous victory over what was arguably the best army in the world.  

On December 23rd, 1783, mere months after the treaty of Paris officially ended the  American Revolution, Washington walked into the statehouse at Annapolis, Maryland, and  surrendered his military commissions to an ecstatic Congress. He triumphantly declared:

 "Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theatre of  Action—and bidding an Affectionate farewell to this August body under whose orders I  have so long acted, I here offer my Commission, and take my leave of all the  employments of public life." 10

This drew international prestige to Washington; he could have very easily declared himself King. After all, this was the 18th century, and many expected him to at least retain the levers of power or seize the executive office like Caesar before him or Napoleon after. It even drew  praise from the last person one would ever expect: near the end of the war, American painter  Benjamin West, exiled in England, was asked by King George III what Washington would do when he had won the war. When West replied that he would likely simply return back to his farm, the King retorted, "If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world."12

As a civilian, Washington upheld the highest degrees of humility, and displayed his wisdom politically as America's first President. It was as President where Washington's ideals truly left the largest impact on America. Despite his wishes to retire to his home at Mount Vernon, in 1789 the first presidential election was held after the ratification of the  new constitution in 1788. The results were the only unanimous presidential election in United States history, when 69 out of 69 votes cast in the electoral college went for George Washington. Though initially reluctant, Washington would accept the inevitability of his election and would execute his duties with the usual vigor and grace he had exhibited in every other facet of his life. Supremely aware that each and every one of his actions would be precedent-setting in the young republic, Washington wrote to his friend James Madison saying:

"As the first of everything in our situation will serve to establish a 

Precedent, it is devoutly wished on my part, that these precedents be fixed on true  principles." 13

Being one of the richest men in all of the United States, Washington wished to serve in his role as President without receiving a salary, but Congress demanded he accept the $25,000  (~$ 1 million 2023) per year salary. On April 30th,1789, he would say in a speech in the Senate  Chamber after being inaugurated:

"It would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official Act, my fervent  supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the Universe, who presides in the  Councils of Nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that his  benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the People of the United  States…In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good I  assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own; nor those of my  fellow citizens at large, less than either. 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." 14

His presidency would set the precedents for the inaugural address, messages to Congress, the cabinet form of the Executive branch, the President's role as Chief foreign diplomat,  international neutrality, the title "Mr. President" rather than "His Excellency", the placing of  one's hand on the Bible while being sworn in, two terms of office for presidents, appointments of  judges, farewell addresses at the end of presidential terms, and many others. His tenure as  President defined the role of the Executive branch in the United States, and many of the  formalities he established are still respected and observed to this day. Thus, no single man has had such wide-reaching and profound an impact on the United States as George Washington. From personally commanding the attack that started the French and Indian War, leading soldiers from the frontlines throughout the entirety of the American Revolution, to defining and refining this nation's political institutions, George Washington alone among our Founding Fathers can claim credit in being not just involved, but instrumental, at every link in the chain of events that led to  the creation of one of the strongest and wealthiest nations in human history. 

Part IV: Meditations

I would like to ask the readers to refer to the initial question I proposed: does greatness beget greatness? I would imagine it is self-evident to state that George Washington is more than admirable and for his actions he is deservedly revered. The ideals he embodied, his humility, and his willingness to do the seemingly impossible are why he is remembered by all in this great nation. In a certain sense, George Washington's story is the story of America. His legend helped to establish "The City on the Hill," otherwise known as American exceptionalism; without Washington and his rule not only America but the world would be radically different today. His story is so monumental that at times it becomes almost hard to believe; subsequently, the quasi-myth of Washington became foundational in the ways in which the  United States developed as a civilization.

Creation myths are instrumental in defining civilizations, and every human society on the planet has had unique creation stories that culturally bonds its members with one another. These stories create the conditions for the social cohesion necessary to form civilizations and nations. The American creation story is epic from start to finish: hard men in a hard world triumphantly  defeated a despotic empire, bound on their subjugation. Every American grows up hearing  stories of those times, now nearly 250 years ago, since then Washington has been a universally respected figure, and for over two centuries, Americans have drawn great pride from these events. Not only did it instill a sense of pride in the American population, but it ingrained in them an example of greatness to strive for. Americans have always been a proud people that have never shied away from a fight, much like our Founders themselves. Additionally, the attitudes Americans hold toward individual liberties, innovation, friendship, aggression, and their moral convictions can all be traced back to the American Revolution and men like George Washington. The American Revolution was truly a profoundly world-changing event, but as of late, the validity of this pride is more and more often being called into question by academia, politicians, and the media.

The signs of decay in the Western world are all around us. Just over a century ago, Western civilization dominated the planet. The thrones of Europe controlled vast swaths of the African and Asian continents, and the United States was the undisputed ward of the Western  hemisphere.Tragically, tensions in the West flared up so high in the 20th century that in many ways it burnt itself to the ground; after two world wars, Europe is a mere shell of its former self, and the US is rapidly falling from its former glory and preeminence itself. This decay—this decline of civilization—has coincided with a new view of history. Academics today more often than not hyper-fixate on the dirty corners of Western civilization's history. They ignore its heights and achievements: abolishing slavery within  its borders, inventing thousands of devices that contributed to the construction of the modern world, creating and then mass-producing vaccines eradicating diseases that claimed hundreds of millions in the past, establishing trade across the planet subsequently interconnecting all of the world's civilizations, and establishing moral principles and codes of laws based off of Christian values. These things truly changed the planet, altering our species' destiny in more profound a way than anything has since the discovery of fire. But what does this negative historic  grandstanding accomplish, and why should we re-adopt a more charitable historic perspective? 

~
"Those who control the present, control the past, and those who control the past  control the future." – George Orwell, 1984. 

~

In his 1928 esoteric masterpiece, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, Manly P. Hall writes: 

"They proved that it was possible to produce beauty in life by surrounding life  with beauty. They discovered that symmetrical bodies were built by souls continuously in  the presence of symmetrical bodies; that noble thoughts were produced by minds  surrounded by examples of mental nobility. Conversely, if a man were forced to look  upon an ignoble or asymmetrical structure it would arouse within him a sense of  ignobility which would provoke him to commit ignoble deeds. If an ill-portioned building  were erected in the midst of a city there would be ill-portioned children born in that  community; and men and women gazing upon the asymmetrical structure. Would live  inharmonious lives. Thoughtful men of antiquity realized that their great philosophers  were the natural products of aesthetic ideals of architecture, music, and art established as  the standards of cultural systems of time."14

With one simple paragraph, Hall describes the critical importance of greatness in society, its effects on a population, and the disastrous results of negative or false ideations. He even goes on to say that this indomitable truth was recognized even in ancient times, it is no coincidence that in the modern West, our decline has coincided with cultural  revolutions and a mainstream disdain for this civilization's great history.  

Continuity provides an identity in a nation and establishes an element of cohesion by creating a shared connection to the past. If that shared legacy is one of great heights of human achievement it provides a powerful motivating force helping to create an urge to continue that legacy of greatness. If that shared legacy is a negative one it can create a defeatist attitude in a culture; if a shared legacy is bad or insignificant, then its people are far less likely to want to carry  that legacy into the future. 

In this way, a people's interpretation of history can have tremendous effects on their psyche and actions. It can create incredibly powerful motivating forces, or create incredibly demoralizing forces. As a result, whoever controls the narrative of a people's history can inspire or demoralize that people. In the modern West, it seems our academic institutions and  the media are the ones that control the historic narrative. It is no coincidence the West's rapid decline has coincided with mass propaganda campaigns aimed at demonizing the great men that built Western civilization. Instead of focusing on the good things  they did, instead of using our history to inspire our youth, those in control of our historic narrative hyper-fixate on the negative aspects, and in many cases flat out slander people, who for centuries, were universally respected for important reasons. This has been remarkably effective in killing the pride in the storied past of the Western world; one hardly has to look to find dozens of articles about the history of racism and oppression in the West. While not insignificant to our historic narrative, that overly cynical historic perspective only serves one purpose: to kill any and all pride in the history of the Western world.

For this reason, it is vitally important that we, as the torchbearers of the Western world, reclaim our great history. These great men like Washington, their legacies, and the nations that arose from Christendom are ours to defend. To let faceless journalists and globalist propaganda campaigns take them from us after 2,000 years of development would be one of the greatest tragedies in world history.