George Washington

Term Paper # 117960

History > Leaders
History > U.S. Presidency

George Washington

An exploration of how George Washington's childhood and young adulthood influenced his development as a leader and revolutionary.

2,948 words () | 6 sources | MLA | 2009 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper explores the impact of Lawrence, George Washington's older half brother, on Washington's education, manners, passion for the military and exploration, sustenance and guardianship, and even his first job. The paper discusses the effects of his father's death, the way his mother Mary ruled her home and the death of Lawrence. The paper paints a picture of how George's childhood helped create a man that was daring, independent, a little cold, calculating, introverted, motivated and envious; traits that were important in making him a leader.

Outline:
The Early Facts
Lawrence's Impact
The Childhood's Creation
Conclusions

From the Paper:

"Washington was born on February 22nd of 1732. (Irving, Washington, p4, 1994) Much like many in colonial America, Washington was not born into education, and instead grew intellectually thanks to endless self-teaching, some old-fashioned 'strong suggestion' from his father's whipping stick, and his older brother Lawrence. (Irving p5) (Unger, Harlow, p.13 2006) Washington was the son of Gus and Mary Washington, Mary being his father's second wife. (Unger, Harlow, p.11, 2006) Mary, known more for her selfishness, than strong parenting, exhibited this when she sent Lawrence, a child from Gus's previous marriage, to boarding school. Mary would then go on to have six children in seven years, including George. (Unger at p.11) "

Sample of Sources Used:

Ellis, Joseph J., His Excellency, Faber & Faber Publishing, 2005, copyright 2004 by Joseph J. Ellis.
Ellis, Joseph J., His Excellency, Taped interview with the author, presented by Massachusetts School of Law.
Irving, Washington, The Life of George Washington, Cosimo Publishing, August 30, 2005, copyright by Cosimo Inc, 2005.
Johnson, Paul, George Washington: The Founding Father, Harper Collins Publishing 2005, Copyright 2005 by Paul Johnson.
Mount Vernon Online, George Washington A Brief Biography, <http://www.mountvernon.org/learn/meet_george/index.cfm/ss/21/cfid/7428660/cftoken/77156446>.