Good Essay About George Washington

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In this essay, I am going to be taking a critical look at George Washington and evaluating him based on whether or not I believe he was a fantastic leader. Specifically, I am going to be examining George Washington’s early leadership skills, his time a surveyor, the fact that he greatly valued education, and the fact that he was the first President of the United States. Ultimately, using these three specific characteristics, I aim to show that Washington was an amazing leader and an amazing man.
George Washington assumed a great deal of leadership quite early in his life. Specifically, he was a leader of the Revolutionary Army at an incredibly young age. This is important because it means that others saw what great potential Washington had. Further, it shows how respected Washington was within the military and revolutionary movement. Simply put, in today’s day and age, regardless of how skilled someone is or what potential they might have, people have to go through the ranks and the process of being a great leader or general in the army. This simply wasn’t the case for Washington. The colonies, as the United States hadn’t formed at this time, was in dire need of a great man to lead the army. Further, the leader of this army was of even more importance than it would be in a time like today due to the fact that if Washington failed, the revolution would have failed as well. The country that they were fighting to create, the rights that they were fighting to protect and gain, and the people they were fighting for all rested on Washington’s leadership. Thus, to lead, in some cases, men with more experience, more knowledge, and more battle skill was a great challenge and honor and showcases how great of a man Washington was. Thus, Washington, at an incredibly young age, stepped into this role. Ultimately, it was, in a large part, because of his leadership that the colonies won the Revolutionary War against the British. This in itself would have cemented Washington as a great man and a great leader in our country’s history.
Washington was known for being a man of integrity. Often when we see politicians or military leaders, there is some level of corruption or using one’s position for ill-will. This was not the case for Washington and everything that historians know about him suggests that he was an honest man with integrity. This is important because often when we consider political leaders, their contributions to the society matter more than their individual characteristics. While I don’t necessarily disagree with this practice, it is important to note those that are good human beings beyond their societal contributions as well. Washington certainly fits this bill and this adds credence to the argument that he was a great man.
Washington also served a great deal of time as a surveyor and mapmaker. This is incredibly important in our nation’s history, especially when we consider how far the United States had to come when creating accurate maps. This is a part of Washington’s history that few know about, but it is equally as important, perhaps, as some of Washington’s other legacies. This is something that Washington was interested in as a young boy and helped to pay dividends for our country.
George Washington also greatly valued education. There is a reason why there are so many colleges and universities in the nation that have some tie to his legacy. At a time when education was not something that was a universal value like it is today, and certainly not something that was expected of his peers, Washington knew and understood the importance of education. He knew that it could be a great equalizer and be the foundation for a great nation. Thus, Washington placed great emphasis on education. This is another reason why he is such an integral figure in our nation’s history.
George Washington was the first President of the United States. Considering the turmoil that the country was in, just having successfully won a war against the greatest empire in the world at the time, the country could have absolutely faltered. When we think about current new countries, such as the South Sudan, and the struggles those countries are going through in today’s world, consider how difficult it must have been to have just come out of a terrible war in the late 1700’s and trying to start and unite a new country that did not have the amenities and technological help that we have in the modern day. In addition to having to think about the fact that the country just fought a war, Washington was having to consider questions that we must take for granted today: how much power will we give the federal government? How much power do we give state governments? How much will taxes be? What will these taxes be used for? What types of government would work best? How do we elect leaders? All of these questions were things that Washington was responsible for keeping track of. For Washington to unify the colonies and create a functioning nation and government is incredibly impressive. This is, I believe, Washington’s greatest legacy and adds so much value to who he was as a leader and as a person. This is his greatest strength.
In conclusion, George Washington was, indeed, a great leader and a great man. Due to the fact that he was able to lead the army at such a young age, the fact that he was an incredible surveyor, and was an incredibly successful first President of the United States, George Washington was, arguably, a leader unlike anything the United States has seen since. Without Washington in the roles he was in, this country could look incredibly different, if the country itself would have ever been formed. Ultimately, Washington rightfully holds an incredibly place in our country’s history, and it is one that should never be forgotten. George Washington was a great leader and a great man.