At 10:00 p.m. on December 14, 1799, George Washington died at his Mt. Vernon
home after five decades of service to his country. His last words
reportedly were: “I feel myself going. I thank you for your attentions;
but I pray you to take no more trouble about me. Let me go off quietly. I
cannot last long.” Washington was sixty-seven years old.
I leave you with undefiled hands, an uncorrupted heart, and with
ardent vows to heaven for the welfare and happiness of that country in
which I and my forefathers to the third or fourth progenitor drew our
first breath.
Washington. From the original portrait painted by Rembrandt Peale… Boston: Pendleton’s Lithograhy, [1827?]. Popular Graphic Arts. Prints & Photographs DivisionAfter the Revolutionary War, Washington hoped to live as a gentleman
farmer in Virginia, yet he repeatedly deferred this wish in order to
serve his country. Called to the presidency in 1789, he told the
citizens of Alexandria, Virginia, on April 16 of that year, “my
love of retirement is so great, that no earthly consideration, short of
a conviction of duty, could have prevailed upon me to depart from my
resolution ‘never more to take any share in transactions of a public
nature.'” Unanimously re-elected to the presidency, he completed a
second term and retired in 1796. As late as 1798, however, when war with
France seemed imminent, Washington again accepted command of American
forces. Mount Vernon. Washington’s Tomb at Mount Vernon. Theodor Horydczak, photographer, ca. 1920-1950. Horydczak Collection. Prints & Photographs DivisionHenry Lee’s eulogy for Washington External —“first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen”—accurately
and touchingly memorialized the man so often called the “father of our
country.” By the time of his death, Washington was admired throughout
the world. As the news spread, Napoleon’s armies and the British channel
fleet paid homage to his memory. In this country, Gouverneur Morris delivered an“Oration Upon Washington” urging Americans to uphold the standards of wisdom and honesty set by Washington. The astounding array of places named for the first president and the
memorials celebrating his life attest to Washington’s honored position
in the national memory. Among these places are the United States
capital, Washington, D.C., its Washington Monument, and Washington
State. Commemorative artwork celebrating Washington and his
accomplishments was a common feature of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century homes. The many turn-of-the century postcard views of portraits, Washington’s plantation, and even his military quarters further evidence public fascination with the life of George Washington.
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen