The father of our country-Happy Birthday to George Washington. My first book is “The Life of Washington: Commander-in-chief of the American Army Through the Revolutionary War, and the First President of the United States”, by Aaron Bancroft, 1882. The topic of his youth is very short, stating that his father died when George was only ten. There was nothing about a cherry tree.
The next book “Parson Weems of the Cherry Tree” by Harold Kellock, 1928, states “Being a short account of the eventful life of the reverend M.L. Weems, author of many books and tracts, itinerant pedlar of divers volumes of merit: preacher of vigour and much renown, and first Biographer of G. Washington.” I visited where he lived and worked, The Weems-Bott Museum in Dumfries, Virginia. It is a wonderful little museum, and gives a nice look at life back then.
There, and in the book, I found that while he printed the first biography of Washington, he invented the cherry tree story, to help market Washington’s virtue, though he said that the story of the cherry-tree came to him from the lips of ‘an aged lady” connected with the household of the elder Washington, who has always remained anonymous. I have several newspaper clippings (that also show his house to be haunted), thanks to my brother-in-law (who lives near the museum) who after reading a newspaper, will clip articles that he will bring up in conversations, usually at dinner. It was at such a dinner, he presented them to me to discuss.
Next is the book “George Washington’s Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation.” 1988. These were a list of 110 rules that one should follow, that came from France. George Washington, around 14, wrote them down in his school book. It is said that they helped formulate what type of person George Washington would become.
Last is “George Washington-an Adventure in Courage” pop-up book from 1992. It is part of a series of pop-up books. I have Washington, Lincoln, Christopher Columbus, and Martin Luther King Jr.
What do you call George Washington’s false teeth? Presi-dentures.
What is the difference between a duck and George Washington. One has a bill on his face, and the other has his face on a bill.
Happy birthday, Mr. President. I cannot tell a lie, keep reading.
Librarytomes 