by Ron Chernow.
Everyone knows George Washington was the military leader who defeated the British in the American Revolutionary War and is regarded as the Father of the Country. Some may also be aware that he ranked near the best among all the US Presidents, but probably not much more about the life and work of George Washington. (How many know that Washington was also the Father of the American Mule?) Many years ago, I had read the books “1776” by David McCullough and “His Excellency – George Washington“ by Joseph Ellis. However, with the passage of time, whatever I learned have faded from memory. Recently, after reading “Team of Rivals” by Doris Kearns Goodwin and “Jefferson” by Jon Meacham, I thought I should read “Washington – A Life” by Ron Chernow. The page numbers of these books are 754, 505, and 817 respectively, not including footnotes. They are long, but thankfully they all are engrossing page-turners and are easy to read. I thought all three books are excellent. In particular, I believe that anyone who invests the time to read “Washington – A Life” will be rewarded with much information not only about George and Martha Washington but also a number of interesting events and colorful personalities in early American History. To wet the reader’s appetite, below is a sample of what I learned. - The name Mount Vernon was given in honor of the British Admiral Edward Vernon, whom George Washington’s half-brother, Lawrence served under, while he was in the Colonial “Regiment of Foot” (Infantry). “Thus the name of a forgotten British admiral would implausibly grace America’s secular shrine to the revolt against British rule,” stated the author. - The bravery of George Washington in battles was well established during the French and Indian War. To his brother Jack, Washington speculated that he was still alive “by the miraculous care of Providence that protected me beyond all human expectation. I had 4 bullets through my coat and two horses shot under and yet escaped unhurt.” In the battle of Fort Necessity, a young doctor named James Craik, observed: “I expected every moment to see him fall. His duty and station exposed him to every danger. Nothing but the superintending care of Providence could have saved him from the fate of all around him.” Washington’s daring even fostered a lasting mystique among the Indians. A folk belief existed among some North American tribes that certain warriors enjoyed supernatural protection from death in battle, and this mythic statue was projected onto Washington. It was his legendary bravery that enabled his military reputation to keep rising despite losing the battles of Fort Necessity and Fort Monongahela. - The strategy that resulted in the Victory at Yorktown against the British which ended the Revolutionary War was actually originated by the French Lt. Gen. Comte de Rochambeau. Washington’s plan was to retake New York, which was repeatedly not agreed to by the French. That Lt. Gen. Comte de Rochambeau hesitated to go along with Washington’s plan turned out to be a blessing for America. - The first suggestion of what eventually became the structure of the new American Government came from a letter to Washington from John Jay in early 1787, which stated: “Let congress legislate, let others execute, let others judge.” Jay was then serving as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, appointed by Congress of the Confederation. (Jay later served as the 1st Chief Justice of the United States). - When Benjamin Franklin died on April 17, 1790, America was curiously devoid of public eulogy to this founding father. The French outdid the U.S. Congress by the eloquent homage to “the genius who liberated America and poured upon Europe torrents of light.” - It seemed that Washington was short of cash most of the time and his estates in Mount Vernon and neighboring counties were not financially profitable. When he was elected as the first president of the US, he had to borrow money to make it to New York City for his own inauguration in 1789. Washington was beset by health problems from time to time, ranging from dysentery, thigh tumor to pneumonia. In particular, he had bad teeth. Indeed, in his first Presidential Inauguration in April 30, 1789 he had only one good tooth remained. Martha Washington suffered an inordinate number of family deaths - two husband including Washington, four children and seven siblings. Nevertheless, neither George nor Martha ever reacted to grave setbacks in a maudlin, self-pitying manner. Both believed in a world replete with suffering in which one muddled through with as much dignity and grace as one could muster. - Thomas Jefferson once boasted that “If I could not go to heaven but with a (political) party, I would not go there at all”. Yet, Jefferson and his supporters were founders of the Republican Party, which fought fiercely with the Federalist Party led by Alexander Hamilton. The intensity of the political infighting as narrated in the book is evidence that the political bickering and partisanship we witness today date all the way back to the earliest days of the Republic. In the book “Jefferson” by Jon Meacham, Hamilton appeared to be a scheming politician. In the present book, on the other hand, Hamilton appeared to be extremely intelligent and it was Jefferson and James Madison who were cunning and duplicitous. Washington was on the side of Hamilton. - Many interesting characters appeared in the book, including Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine, the arrogant but brilliant French Architect Pierre Charles L'Enfant, who conceived the architectural layout of the new capitol Washington, D. C. A most interesting personality was Marquis Lafayette, who is “considered a national hero in both America and France”. The quote about Washington which appeared in the front of the book was that by Abigail Adams: “Simple truth is his best, his greatest eulogy.” The more famous eulogy of George Washington, given at his funeral by Henry Lee, did not appear until the end of the book: "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." After reading the book, the reader will better understand the rationale and context of these quotes. He/she can then decide whether the sentiments expressed therein resonate. Lastly, did you know that Henry Lee was the father of famous Civil War Confederate General Robert E. Lee? What an irony that he was the close friend of George Washington and author of the famous eulogy.
Audio Version on YouTube:
Link of review in amazon.com.
Review by Kai Fong Lee.
Mount Vernon
Washington Monument
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