The inclusion of George Washington in a Literary Encyclopedia may seem curious. He published no books, was often admired by contemporaries more for his silences than his speeches, and had no pretensions to literary greatness. Yet he made three important contributions to American letters: his writings, public and private, constitute a key record of the American revolutionary experience; they also contributed to the process of writing the new nation into existence; and, finally, he spawned a considerable sub-genre of fictional portrayals of his life and times.
Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia on February 22, 1732. Although born into reasonable comfort, it took talent, good fortune and a judicious marriage to raise him to the social heights. During that rise he
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Citation: Pollard, Alistair Finn. "George Washington". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 April 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4619, accessed 25 November 2024.]
