Honor George Washington by Refuting False Arguments against the Greatest American

           Today, I return to one of my favorite subjects: to honor George Washington on his birthday.  Alas, it has become necessary to refute some of the false arguments made against the Father of our country. 

These myths or unfair criticisms of Washington are based upon various motivations.  They are intended to give legitimacy to radical views, are intended to besmirch the American Revolution, or represent iconoclasm based upon jealousy or insecurity or to defend the misbehavior of others by maligning the reputation of the Father of our country and other Founders.  Although, like everyone, Washington was imperfect, he strove mightily to improve himself and achieved greatness – a greatness that is unparalleled in American history and among only the best in world history – as a result. 

            I have extolled Washington’s virtues and accomplishments in my post of February of 2009, George Washington the Great, http://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2009/02/george-washington-great.html.  In my post from April of that year, Two Big Myths about the Founding Fathers: The Myth about the Three Fifths Rule and the Myth that Washington Warned against “Entangling Alliances,” http://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2009/04/two-big-myths-about-founding-fathers.html, I corrected the frequent error that Washington advised against “entangling alliances” in his Farewell Address, in which he advised only against “permanent alliances.”  There are other dubious, false, exaggerated or unfair accusations against the American Founding Fathers in general, but the purpose of this post is limited to the refuting the specific repeated personal ones against Washington.

Washington Was Not a Deist

            There is a myth that most of the Founding Fathers, including Washington, were deists.  Deists believe that God created the universe, but did not intervene in it, and thus prayer was pointless.  Although Washington practiced the ancient Greek philosophy of stoicism, he attended church, usually worshipping as an Anglican/Episcopalian, prayed and gave public thanks to God.  He believed that God had protected him numerous times in battle and had favored the cause of the American Revolution. 

There Is No Convincing Evidence Washington Committed Adultery

            Washington did maintain a close relationship with a woman, which we know about through his correspondence, although it must be considered in the context that he was among the most prolific letter-writers of all time.  There is no evidence of anything further, or we would certainly know it by now.  Of course, it cannot be proven whether or not someone committed “adultery of the heart,” as President Jimmy Carter put it.  Regardless, what the historical record reveals is that Washington’s wife often joined him at his battlefield headquarters and he was eager to retire from public service, both as general and President, and to return to his farm with her.  The absurd accusation that he died of syphilis is easily disproved by the historical record; Washington contracted a respiratory infection after riding his horse on his farm on a rainy December morning at nearly 69 years of age, which was exacerbated by the medical practice of bleeding the patient.  Moreover, Washington practiced morals and self control and maintained a good reputation.

That Washington Lost More Battles than He Won Does Not Prove He Was a Bad General

            I submit that the fact that Washington lost more battles in the American Revolution than he won, especially considering that he was leading an untrained army against the greatest fighting force in the world, is proof that he was a great general.  Washington practiced Fabian tactics, meaning that he avoided a potentially disastrous direct confrontation with a superior force from an inferior position.  He maneuvered his forces to harass the enemy and seized opportunities to attack when conditions were most favorable.  As a result, when Washington lost, he usually lost barely, but when he won, he usually won decisively, such as at Trenton or Yorktown.  His only major defeat was his first battle, at Long Island, but he executed a great escape and learned from his mistake.  Sometimes, Washington won without even firing a shot, as he did when he drove British forces from Boston by placing cannon on ground overlooking the city.  He was a master at espionage, maintained discipline over his almost unruly army, and was loyal to the civilian authorities who had granted him extraordinary power.  Washington inspired his soldiers with his personal bravery in battle.  Although he was not as great as Alexander, Washington’s successful military record is exemplary. 

          It is right as we honor Washington on the anniversary of his birth to learn more about the great model and source of inspiration and dismiss the ignorant and malevolent accusations that are without merit.  The American people can rightly have George Washington as their hero.