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Introductory Information for Parson Weems' - The Life of Washington
Parson Weems compiled material about George Washington - legends spread by word of mouth - and polished them into a work of myth entitled The Life of Washington. The book, published in 1800, presented young George Washington's life in a series of parables, or stories with symbolic action and a moral message. Published only a few months after Washington's death, when the young nation was mourning the loss of its first and most beloved leader, The Life of Washington was highly successful. This was due in part to the book's constant reprinting. Portions of the book were reprinted in pamphlets (the equivalent of today's paperbacks), ensuring that nearly everyone could afford a copy. In time, these stories became word of mouth again, as people learned the tales of Washington (like the "cherry tree" story") from elders rather than the book itself. Stories about the young Washington's honesty, integrity, and physical strength were important to a young nation eager to shape its own collective character.
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Parson Weems - The Life of Washington
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| Born to be a soldier, Washington early discovered symptoms of nature's intentions towards him. In his 11th year, while at school under old Mr. Hobby, he used to divide his play-mates into two parties, or armies. One of these, for distinction sake, was called French, the other American. A big boy at the school, named William Bustle, commanded the former, George commanded the latter. And every day, at play-time, with corn-stalks for muskets, and calabashes for drums, the two armies would turn out, and march, and counter-march, and file off or fight their mimic battles, with great fury. This was fine sport for George, whose passion for active exercise was so strong, that at play-time no weather could keep him within doors. His fair cousins, who visited at his mother's, used to complain, that "George was not fond of their company, like other boys; but soon as he had got his task, would run out to play." But such trifling play as marbles and tops he could never abide. They did not afford him exercise enough. His delight was in that of the manliest sort, which, by stringing the limbs and swelling the muscles, promotes the kindliest flow of blood and spirits. At jumping with a long pole, or heaving heavy weights, for his years he hardly had an equal. And as to running, the swift-footed Achilles could scarcely have matched his speed. "Egad! He ran wonderfully," said my amiable and aged friend, John Fitzhugh, esq. who knew him well. "We had nobody here-abouts, that could come near him. There was young Langhorn Dade, of Westmoreland, a confounded clean made, tight fellow, and a mighty swift runner too…but then he was no match for George: Langy, indeed, did not like to give it up; and would brag that he had sometimes brought George to a tie. But I believe he was mistaken: for I have seen them run together many a time; and George always beat him easy enough." Col. Lewis Willis, his play-mate and kinsman, has been heard to say,
that he has often seem him throw a stone across Rappahannock,
at the lower ferry of Fredricksburg. It would be no easy matter to find
a man, now-a-days, who could do it.
SOURCE: Mason L. Weems,
The Life of Washington. Ed. Marcus Cunliffe. Cambridge: Harvard
University Press, 1962), pp. 20-21. |
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