--Abraham Lincoln, February 22, 1842
The most comprehensive biography ever written about the man who occupies the top spot in our countdown was authored by Douglas S. Freeman. The late Pulitzer-winning author's attention to detail and his powerful work ethic are legendary. His biography on the greatest hero the United States has ever known remains definitive to this day. And in the end, unlike many modern authors who do their best to discover hidden sins or flaws, Freeman drew a different conclusion. Speaking of his subject, he wrote: "The more I study George Washington, the more am I convinced that the great reputation he enjoyed with his contemporaries and with men of the next generation was entirely justified. He was greater than any of us believed he was."
Previous generations, including the one that received Freeman's original edition, needed little convincing. For years, Americans showered accolades on the name of George Washington, learning as much as they could about the man they respected as their father and greatest hero. Why was he so universally acclaimed by our grandparents and great-grandparents? The answer is simple. He deserved it.
It was, after all, George Washington that made possible our independence itself, by achieving victory over the British Empire, the most dramatic David v. Goliath saga in world history (other than the original itself, of course). He epitomized the succinct, immortal advice of Winston Churchill: "Never, never, never, never give up!"
When the Continental Congress searched for a man fit to command the new American army, they needed a man they could trust to wield such awesome power. Moreover, they recognized the awesome task that lay before such army. Enthusiasm and patriotism would be insufficient alone to bring down the well-funded and properly equipped British army known for its professionalism and rigid discipline and supported by ruthless, yet effective mercenary soldiers from Europe as well as more than a few "Loyalists" from North America. And since they had organized resistance to the British Crown and would later affix their names to an officially treasonous document (the Declaration of Independence), they were staking not only the success of America but their own personal safety on the shoulders of the man they would ultimately choose.
 |
 |
 |
