Final Essay #1

We have had many great leaders in this country. But the most significant one that we think is our first president, George Washington. He was devoted to this country as soon as he joined the army as a scout at the age of 21. This shows a dedication and love for a country that would eventually lead to him leading us in many of the great battles of our time. Although he struggled in some battles such as the Battle of Brooklyn Heights. This was not a good battle to have fought at all. But he still prevailed and learned from it. There was also Valley Forge. This was one of the toughest winter that the troops had probably ever experienced but they were commanded by General Washington so they recovered and were ready to fight and end the war.
George also fought in the French and Indian War. This was going to be a learning experience for him. He was brought up in England and the way that they "organized war was different. England had troop standings. There were ranks such as general or colonel. Indians did not have this kind of organization. The Indians were not trained in military tactics and they knew nothing of having ranks or troop standings. Their idea of fighting in a war was something like hide and seek. The Indians knew the land that they were fighting on so they had the upper hand. They could hide and then, when the French came to fight them, the Indians could pop out and shoot them. This was new to George Washington. Washington first became involved in this war when the Governor asked him to take a letter to the General a letter warning him to move his troops from the site they were at because it was time to change forts. This was a learning process for George because in order to deliver the letter he had to think like the Indians or else they would outsmart him and he would be a captive. So this was one way the Washington was versatile. He could learn new tactics specific to the situation that he was in. This is the sign of a good leader and a good soldier.
He also had a big part in the American Revolution. As a General in the Continental Army there is a lot of pressure to win battles. If you do not win a battle and your opponent does, then they have one up on you. A perfect example of this is the Battle of Brooklyn Heights. As this was fought on a peninsula George thought that if he stationed his men at the tip and around the he could prevent them from getting to land. This was just the opposite though. He was wrong and the British came in from land and pushed them off the peninsula. This was thought to be the end of the war for George Washington because the British thought that they were going to ambush Washington and end it there. But Washington outsmarted them and got away. This was the start to a great chase for Washington and his soldiers. This battle shows that he sometimes does not think the situation out thoroughly. Had he thought about the different ways that his plan could have failed he should have changed it so that he could have had more of an advantage. This is one flaw that is shown. But also is shows a determination to win. He was not going to just give up and let them beat him. Another way that his good leadership is shown is at Valley Forge. Although this was one of the hardest winters that the troops had ever seen they did not give up. Washington helped them through it and it became an experience to learn from.
These are just a few of the reasons that this great man became our founding father. He first began as a 21 year old scout that was sent to try to come up with an agreement between French and British. He later was chosen to warn the french during the French and Indian War. Then he evolved into a General. He led troops into battle and succeeded in fighting off the enemy. Sometimes this was proved as false but he did not let that get him down. He picked himself back up and began to fight again. He did not get discouraged and he continued to grow and learn. This is the sign of a true leader. This is also why he is our founding father and the reason America was started in such a positive way.