The sense of adventure, the thrill of diving into the unknown—George Washington's childhood prepared him for the momentous tasks ahead. Join Mike Smith on today's Home School Heartbeat to find out how it all started.
Mike Smith:
George Washington's father Augustine died in 1743 when George was just 11. He was raised by his mother Mary Ball Washington in Westmoreland County, Virginia.
Like most frontier families at this time, homeschooling was the most viable option for a child's education. George combined his academic studies with good doses of practical application. He farmed his father's land and trained as a surveyor.
At age 15, George Washington copied, in his own handwriting, 110 Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior. These rules focused on how a person should view God and his fellow man and they became integral to George Washington's life.
Character and integrity were central, and he learned these through the lessons taught by his parents.
After his father's death, George and his older brother Lawrence became very close. George often visited Lawrence at his home on the Potomac. Lawrence shared stories of his time in the British army, and, it seems, instilled in George a sense of adventure.
When George learned that a friend of Lawrence's, George William Fairfax, was leaving on a surveying trip to the Appalachian Mountains, George sought and received a place on the expedition. George was thrust into the world and began his amazing life of service. And until next time, I'm Mike Smith.
How can the Home School Legal Defense Association help you? To find out, contact us and ask for a free copy of You Can Homeschool!. Call us toll-free at 866-338-8614. That's 866-338-8614. Or visit us online at homeschoolheartbeat.com.
