George Washington, action hero . . .
Long before Washington was the old man on the dollar bill, he was a fatherless boy with few resources and even less education. So how did he become the most famous person in American history?
Becoming George Washington tells the story of a young man with boundless energy, bravery, and passion, who grew from a fatherless boy into a self-confident leader. At the same time, he struggled to suppress both an awful temper and his love for a married woman, Sally Fairfax. A courageous war hero, Washington rose to the pinnacle of Virginia politics. His experiences as a young man allowed him, decades later, to lead the Revolution.
This compelling historical novel reveals the person behind the famous face and how he grew to become America’s leading Founding Father.
Did a Scottish Revolutionary Teach George Washington to be a Rebel?
By Stephen Yoch
Many know that George Washington’s first job was as a county surveyor in Virginia; in fact, at 17, he was one of Virginia’s youngest in the profession. But few know who instructed him how to master the complicated task of 18th-century surveying. The journal of George Hume supports a claim that he was the man who taught young Washington the trade of surveying.
In 1715, the first Jacobite Rebellion sought to restore James II and the ancient Stewart line to the Crown. Hume’s father, the Tenth Baron of Wedderburn, led his 17-year old son and other Scottsmen at the Battle of Sheriffmuir where they were defeated, captured, and then sent to Marshalsea Prison in London. Later, awaiting his fate. Lord Hume chose to forfeit all of his lands and titles to avoid the English axe, and his son was banished to the colonies.
Upon arrival in the New World, the highly educated young Hume, with the assistance of other Scottish expatriates, became a surveyor for Spotsylvania, Orange, and Frederick counties in Virginia. Sometime in 1747 or 1748, this failed revolutionary trained the young and impressionable Washington. A number of surveys in the Virginia Tidewater are signed: “George Hume, Surveyor: George Washington, Assistant Surveyor.” These surveys and the journals of George Hume support Hume acting as Washington’s instructor and mentor. Hume later recommended Washington as a surveyor of the newly formed Culpepper County in 1749.
We know that Hume and Washington greatly respected each other. Hume’s son, Captain Francis Hume, served under Washington during the Revolution and was an original member of the Society of Cincinnati. It is a remarkable coincidence that the greatest leader in American Revolution was taught by a failed and exiled Scottish rebel. It is certainly possible that, along with the knowledge of surveying, the early seeds of revolution were planted in young Washington by Hume.
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About the Author:
Steve doesn’t golf or fish and is a below average hunter, but his love of history and writing compelled him to pick up his pen and tell the little-known stories behind the men that made American history. After years of extensive research, Steve wrote his first book on young George Washington.
Steve lives in a suburb north of St. Paul, Minnesota with his supportive wife and two fantastic teenage sons. He graduated with honors from Boston College and the University of Minnesota Law School. He has enjoyed over two decades of practicing law in the Twin Cities, helping individuals and businesses solve complex problems.
Becoming George Washington is on a blog tour!
Thanks for this fascinating historical which I would enjoy greatly. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI love HF because it lets inside motivations of historical figures. We never know the truth, but it's a good as you can get. please enter me in the giveaway and thank you. annfesATyahooDOTcom
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