"First in the hearts of his countrymen": George Washington, the father of his country
"Everything about him suggested the commander": a challenging boyhood in Virginia
"I now exist . . . by the miraculous care of Providence": the wilderness frontier provides lessons in leadership
"He is a soldier . . . a warrior": planter, patriot, and commander-in-chief
"The sacred cause of my country": wartime defeat, retreat, and a bold counterattack
"A great and capital change": heartbreak, hope, and renewed determination at Valley Forge
"I wish to see my countrymen roused": defeat turns to triumph in the South
"The world turned upside down": victory at Yorktown
"I bade adieu to private life": life on the banks of the Potomac
"Long live George Washington, President of the United States! America's first president.
