"George Washington is the best-documented figure in the entire eighteenth century.But he remains remote and mysterious" writes author Paul Johnson as he sets the stage before exploring the world of this great man. Historian Paul Johnson is a British historian who has written "A History of the American People" a thick volume covering early America to the present. I recently picked up his new title on George Washington and throughly enjoyed it. Finally a historian who is looking at the facts and brings out the qualities of this man with balance not over sentimentalizing while not bashing his character. I appreciated his handle on the topic.
Concerning slavery and Washington's opinion on the topic, Mr. Johnson had some interesting sources and revelations. George Washington disliked the practice and hoped to see it slowly recede from the American scene. In his will he decreed his slaves be given freedom once his wife passed away and made it clear they were not to be sold or transported out of Virginia. Apparently in those days this was a remarkable thing for a Virginian to decree.
He had a remarkable interest in land and the development of navigation and unity within it. He owned plenty and constantly explored new ways to utilize it. Mount Vernon housed several experiments on agriculture and the like as he possessed great curiosity.
These were a few topics broached in the biography. The book is a through yet simple and short book by a trustworthy historian. I recommend it!
Johnson, Paul. George Washington:The Founding Father. HarperCollins Publishers, New York 2005.
Concerning slavery and Washington's opinion on the topic, Mr. Johnson had some interesting sources and revelations. George Washington disliked the practice and hoped to see it slowly recede from the American scene. In his will he decreed his slaves be given freedom once his wife passed away and made it clear they were not to be sold or transported out of Virginia. Apparently in those days this was a remarkable thing for a Virginian to decree.
He had a remarkable interest in land and the development of navigation and unity within it. He owned plenty and constantly explored new ways to utilize it. Mount Vernon housed several experiments on agriculture and the like as he possessed great curiosity.
These were a few topics broached in the biography. The book is a through yet simple and short book by a trustworthy historian. I recommend it!
Johnson, Paul. George Washington:The Founding Father. HarperCollins Publishers, New York 2005.
No comments:
Post a Comment