Includes:
•Charles River Editors’ original biography of George Washington
•The Life of George Washington, all 5 volumes, by John Marshall
•The Journal of Major George Washington, 1754
•Washington’s inaugural addresses and farewell address
“Every post is honorable in which a man can serve his country.” –George Washington, in a letter to Benedict Arnold, 1775.
Every American is taught a pristine narrative of the life and legacy of George Washington and can easily recite the highlights of the “Father of Our Country”. The remarkable Virginian led an under-resourced rag-tag army to ultimate victory in the American Revolution before becoming the nation’s first president, setting it on its path toward superpower status. He may not have actually chopped down a cherry tree or tossed a silver dollar across the Potomac, but his contemporaries considered his character above reproach. When Washington voluntary resigned as commander of the armies, he stunned the world. Everyone in the colonies and the world realized that Washington, at the head of the last army standing in the colonies, could have made himself king of the new United States on the spot, and it would have been a move supported by his rank and file soldiers. Instead, Washington became the first Westerner to voluntarily demobilize his army, ensuring civilian control of the new nation. King George III called Washington "the greatest character of the age" for making that decision.
As President from 1788-1796, Washington set every precedent for the executive branch of the new government, from forming a “Cabinet” to limiting himself to two terms. He even set precedents with his farewell address, which helped guide the policies of subsequent presidents.
Washington did more than any other man to ensure the success of the American Revolution and the safe passage of the new United States from fledgling nation to budding power, but what actually made the man tick? Underneath his steel surface burned an almost insatiable political ambition, and a man who was acutely self-conscious of himself.
The Ultimate George Washington Collection profiles the life and legacy of the Father of Our Country, along with some of Washington’s own classic works, including his inaugural addresses and seminal Farewell Address. This collection also includes a Table of Contents and pictures of important people, places, and events in his life.
