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A George Washington Education - What Made Him Great?

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Written by Kayley Kenzie

Friday, 21 March 2008

by KayleyKenzie

George Washington was born on his father's plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on February 22, 1732. His father, Augustine Washington was not only the leading planter in the area, but he also served as a justice of the county court.

George was born from Augustine's second marriage, after his first wife died leaving two sons and daughter to be raised. George was the oldest of the six children Augustine had with his second wife, Mary Ball.

Very little is known about the kind of childhood George Washington had, and we know very little about the George Washington education.

In the state of Virginia, most children were either taught in local private schools or at home by private tutors. When boys turned seven, they would usually begin formal education. They began by learning arithmetic, reading, and writing.

As they got older they were taught Greek and Latin. They also learned bookkeeping, surveying, and geometry. Wealthy planters would usually send their sons of to England to finish their education.

George might have gone to England to further his education like his two older half brothers did, but he wasn't able to after his father died.

George Washington education probably started with a school close to home for the first few years. Possibly he went to another school later. What we know for certain was that he was skilled in mathematics and learned surveying.

Although most sons of gentlemen learned Greek and Latin, George never learned any other language. Nor did he ever go to college. It's been estimated that the George Washington education came to an end around the age of 15.

The gentry class held social skills to be very important as part of a young man's or woman's education. After George's father died, he started spending more and more time with his half brother Lawrence at his home, Mount Vernon.

Lawrence gave George the help he needed by tutoring him in his studies. Lawrence also taught him his social graces and introduced him into society.

Through his life, the George Washington education was considered defective. He consciously tried to make up for some of what he did not learn in school by constantly reading and learning from those he respected.

Through the years of his personal studying, he built up an enormous library. He also subscribed to many newspapers. He also wrote a lot.

It is thought that his lack of formal education made him put a value on education. He left money in his will for establishing a school in Alexandria, Virginia, in addition to a national university.

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