Metro Voice News Celebrating Faith, Family & Community
Presidents’ Day is a holiday that comes and goes without much fanfare. But George Washington‘s legacy continues to shape modern leadership principles and national traditions. Official records show that Mount Vernon welcomes approximately one million visitors annually, demonstrating the enduring public interest in America’s first president.
His portrait has appeared on the one-dollar bill since 1869, according to “The Epoch Times.” The nation’s capital and a state are named after him, as well as 31 towns, 263 townships, 31 counties and five universities. At least two famous Americans — millionaire and builder of Asheville’s Biltmore Estate, George Washington Vanderbilt II, and agricultural scientist George Washington Carver — carried his name. He is the most prominent of the four American presidents on Mount Vernon, and more than 200 other statues and memorials around the country honor him. Historic Mount Vernon averages one million visitors every year.
Until 1968, the nation recognized February 22, Washington’s birthday, as a legal holiday. In that year, however, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which created the current system of three-day weekends and designated the third Monday in February as Washington’s “birthday.”
Presidential legacy scholars have long studied Washington’s influence. His dual role in the founding of the country accounts for his special place in history. From start to finish of the war against the British, Washington commanded the army, and though he lost more battles than he won, his persistence and ever-improving wartime strategy brought victory to his forces and acclaim both at home and abroad. His two-term presidency served as an example and set a number of precedents for future holders of that office. It greatly benefited the new republic that as president of the Constitutional Convention, Washington witnessed firsthand the debates and compromises that had gone into the making of the Constitution. His “Farewell Address” is still read and studied today for its wisdom, and by restricting himself to two terms in office, he set a precedent that is now the law of the land.
Today’s celebrations at Mount Vernon continue to honor Washington’s legacy, ensuring that future generations understand the principles that guided America’s first president. From an early age, Washington demonstrated a fascination with character and the virtues, and believed that these played an immense role in the affairs of mankind.
–Alan Goforth
