In the Footsteps of Our First President (Part Two)

To continue the young George Washington's travel in 1754:  From this time forward, Washington's task and desire was to establish a total of 21 forts to protect the colonists chiefly against the Natives, and to gather recruits for the Army, and train them for defensive battles.  This proved very difficult as "he was sorely handicapped by lack of men, clothing, food and other supplies" (p. 38).  Washington wrote to Governor Dinwiddie (of Virginia) who accused him of ingratitude.  Then Dinwiddie went abroad to Scotland.

Washington was asked to support "General Forbes, in command of the Pennsylvania militia, whose objective was to wrest Fort Duquesne from the French" (p. 39).  Victory!  In 1758, he informed Governor Fauquier, the new (British) Virginia governor, that the French burned the fort and retreated down the Ohio River" (p. 39).

Washington felt he had done his public duty and retired to Mount Vernon where he married Martha Custis.  He was 27 years old, and spent the next 12 years as a gentleman farmer.

In 1770, Washington wanted to locate land given him and his soldiers by the Virginia House of Burgesses for their service in the French and Indian War.  He set off to the Ohio River.  Before he could get very far, chiefs of the Six Nations (native Americans) desired a pow-wow with him.  The natives wanted to assure the Virginians that they were friendly and desired good relations with them.  Washington accepted their offer of peace.  At one point along the Ohio River, George Washington hunted buffalo among the abundant wildlife.

Washington marked his property and noted in his diary how well the natives managed canoes.  Then he returned to Mount Vernon.

In 1774, Washington set out for Philadelphia to the meeting of the First Continental Congress.  Then in 1775, he left Mount Vernon again for the Second Continental Congress.  He was elected "General and Commander-in-Chief of all the forces raised or to be raised by the United Colonies" (p. 44).

The next periods of his travels were for his Army during the War for Independence, documented well in other articles.

"Finally, with the last British soldier evacuated. . . he journeyed to Anapolis, Maryland, where he resigned as Commander of the Continental Army and turned in his accounts of expenses, refusing any salary for the whole period of the war (p. 53).  On Christmas Eve, 1783, he came home to his beloved Mount Vernon.

In 1787, Washington again left for Philadelphia to attend the Constitutional Convention, collaborating with Benjamin Franklin and others.  Washington was elected First President and toured the New England states.  In 1791, he toured the Southern States.  He expressed delight "that the last of the 13 states was now in the fold" (p. 62).  There were great celebrations in all the cities.

Mr. William Showalter, the article's author, concludes: "As we of his Bicentennial times read his descriptions of the regions through which he traveled. . . we come to realize that he was America's First Geographer as well as her First Citizen" (p. 63).  It would have been interesting to know how very many miles Mr. Washington logged!