Ferdinand Schmidt traces the life of George Washington from his birth in Virginia on the twenty-second of February, seventeen hundred and thirty-two, through his formative years as a meticulous student and surveyor, to his emergence as commander-in-chief of the American revolutionary forces and the first President of the United States. The author emphasizes the moral foundation instilled by Washington's mother and the early cultivation of a strong sense of duty, self-discipline, and thoroughness in every task he undertook.
The narrative follows Washington into the wilderness where he gained vital knowledge of the terrain during his surveying expeditions and early military campaigns against the French and Indians. Schmidt details the severe trials of the revolutionary war, including the crossing of the Delaware, the bitter hardships at Valley Forge, and the persistent internal and external challenges Washington faced while holding together an undisciplined army against the disciplined British forces.
The book highlights Washington's steadfast refusal of personal ambition and his repeated rejection of monarchical power when offered by elements within the army after the peace. Throughout the struggle for independence, Schmidt presents Washington as a reluctant leader called by providence who consistently placed duty above personal desire, retiring to his beloved estate at Mount Vernon whenever public service permitted.
Attention is also given to the decisive support of foreign allies such as Lafayette, Kosciuszko, and Steuben, whose military expertise and dedication aided the American cause. The narrative covers the eventual surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, the formal declaration of peace, and the subsequent establishment of the constitutional government under Washington's presidential administration.
The final chapters reflect upon Washington's farewell address, his warnings against political factionalism and moral decay, and his peaceful final days at Mount Vernon. Schmidt concludes with Washington's death in seventeen hundred and ninety-nine, noting the freedom of his slaves and his enduring legacy as a leader defined by integrity, religious conviction, and unyielding devotion to the rule of law.
