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SAR speaker: Washington was the ‘GOAT’

Addressing the April 12 meeting of the Richard Henry Lee chapter of the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution, Dr. Peter R. Henriques, Professor Emeritus for History at George Mason University, began his talk by describing George Washington as a “GOAT.”

Henriques then laid out why, in his opinion, Washington deserved the title of “Greatest of All Time.” First, he said, with Washington’s leadership, America won its independence from Great Britain; and then, under his leadership, America became an independent nation—two distinctly different achievements.

He listed 10 factors which led to this success. The first, he said, was good fortune—one example was that Washington exposed himself to personal danger, but survived. Another was physicality—6’2” ramrod straight, with a combination of great strength and grace. Other factor included ambition (Washington strove not only to outdo all competitors but also to conquer and surpass himself) and determination (firmness in mind a...

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