Mount Vernon

The History of George Washington's Famous Plantation

De: Charles River Editors

Narrado por: Tom Lennon

"I can truly say I had rather be at Mount Vernon with a friend or two about me, than to be attended at the Seat of Government by the Officers of State and the Representatives of every Power in Europe." (George Washington, letter to David Stuart, June 15, 1790)

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 ragtag 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 demobilize his army voluntarily, 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.

©2012- Charles River Editors (P)2015 Charles River Editors

Worth your time

In an hour and a half you are not going to get all that much detail, but you do get a lot. Unless you are a serious student of the era and in need to a much more thorough treatment of the subject, this is a nice way to learn a lot about Washington the non-general. Very interesting and worth the time and money.

History Lesson

Good little brief history lesson on our first presidents famous plantation. For all you libs who are dying to cancel him out because he had some slaves, we probably would not even have a country today if it wasn't for old George. He did put in his will that all slaves were to be set free upon his death. Tom Lennon did a good job narrating.