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Three Myths About George Washington
Let’s set the record straight
It’s hard to dispute that over the nearly 250 years since America became a nation George Washington has moved squarely from the realm of historical figure to legendary icon. Numerous cities, one state, and our nation’s capital are all named after him. His image is ubiquitous, from our currency to ads for the latest gadget. That’s what you get when you are known as the Father of the Nation, when every president from John Adams to Joe Biden is compared to you.
What you also get is a lot of myths, and these myths need correcting. Some of the myths surrounding George Washington are so outrageous that they’re easy to spot (and most were debunked long ago). He did not chop down a cherry tree as a child and then confess to his father; the “I cannot tell a lie” quote was invented by one of his first biographers in 1800, a year after Washington died. He didn’t visit Betsy Ross in 1776 to ask that she sew the first American flag; there is no record that they ever even met.
Another easily dispelled myth is that he was the first president to live in the White House in the city that bore his name. This was simply not historically possible, because while Washington did approve the plans for the new capital’s construction it was not completed until after he left office. His successor, John Adams…
