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It is very hard to go anywhere in America and not be reminded of George Washington. Our nation's capital is named after him, and one of its most familiar landmarks was built in his honor. He is the only president with a whole state named after him. And all across America, there are thousands of towns, streets, squares, and schools named for George Washington. In many classrooms, there is a picture of Washington hanging on the wall, perhaps alongside that of Abraham Lincoln, another great American president. It is Washington and Lincoln, whose birthdays are in February, whom we celebrate every year on Presidents' Day.
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So George Washington — the leader of the army that won America's independence
from Great Britain and America's first elected president — is certainly
one of the most famous Americans. But who was he? What was he like?
How did he grow up? Perhaps more than any other American, George Washington
has inspired stories, legends, and myths. He was a good little boy
who never told a lie, even when he cut down his father's cherry tree.
He was so strong he could toss a coin across a wide river. He didn't
smile in his portrait because he had wooden teeth.
There are elements of truth behind these stories, some of which were made up long after Washington died. Washington was very honest, by most accounts, and he did wear false teeth. But those stories are not who George Washington really was. And you know what? The real person and the things he did are much more interesting than those made up stories.
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