Audiences headed to theaters on the 4th of July holiday to watch the film. young washingtonNew film about George Washington’s younger years during the French and Indian War.
The film depicts Washington struggling to defeat the archaic hierarchies of the British colonies, which threatened to consign him to a mundane life as a tenant farmer. But Washington had larger military intentions. This post will contain some spoilers for the film.
The film introduced many Americans to little-known historical figures, such as Washington’s brother, Lawrence; his widowed mother; and his first love interest, Sally Carey. Much of the film focuses on the beginning of Washington’s legend, when he became involved in the battle for the British Crown, competing with France and Native American tribes for control of the Ohio frontier. Washington loses an important battle, but he learns from it, and, within those lessons, one can see the seeds that led to the American Revolution.
However, what is true in the film? Is this a real story?
Is it true that George Washington could not be hit by bullets?
(Photo by MPI/Getty Images)
The film depicts indigenous leaders and fellow soldiers stunned by Washington’s ability to dodge bullets during the battle. In one scene, the leader of an opposing Native American tribe siding with the French reveals that he had instructed all of his warriors to fire on Washington and was surprised that all the bullets missed. He decided that Washington was protected by a spiritual force.
according to Vault of History, This is generally true; The site reports, “George Washington’s survival in battle often defies logic. From the chaos of the Monongahela to the daring charge at Princeton, he emerged unscathed, while death took those around him. His men saw it. His enemies noted it.”
“In July 1755, a young George Washington accompanied British General Edward Braddock to the Ohio Valley. Their mission: to seize Fort Duquesne from French and Native American forces.” Vault of History Informed. As the film shows, Washington no longer had any formal orders.
in a letter Protected by Mount Vernon, Washington wrote, “By the almighty providence of Providence, I have been preserved beyond all human possibility and expectation; for there were four bullets in my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet I escaped unharmed, though death surrounded my companions on every side.”
according to American heritage“On at least five occasions when there was great danger from bullets, George Washington remained safe. His hat was blown off his head; his clothes were torn; horses were killed under him, but the hero was not so much as scratched by a bullet. For this immunity he thanked ‘Providence’.”
Did George Washington really lose the battle at Fort Necessity due to poor tactics?
The film depicts Washington making several strategic mistakes while fighting for the British crown during the French and Indian War. He builds a fort in a low-lying area that is flooded and allows the French to take potshots from the trees, winning the battle. Due to this he had to give up his title of Colonel. However, Washington uses this failure as a learning experience. Is it true?
according to Washington Post“At Fort Necessity, he experienced the humiliation of surrender and the importance of matching military tactics with the surrounding environment.”
The battle of 1754 remained exactly as it appears in the film. “In this Pennsylvania skirmish, Washington – only in his early 20s – suffered a humiliating defeat that sparked the French and Indian War between France and Great Britain and their indigenous North American allies,” according to biography.com. “It also provided valuable lessons before the revolution that would cement his legacy two decades ahead.”
This is also true, according to biography.com, Washington served as a surveyor, was named an emissary to try to negotiate with the French, was given command of a militia, and requested an armistice after rains turned the fort into muddy terrain and his army was trapped inside. It is also true that Washington was accused of provoking the conflict, causing the death of a French commander, and that the French took advantage of his misunderstanding of the translation.
Was George Washington in love with Sally Cary and what happened to her?
The film depicts Washington falling in love with an aristocratic woman named Sally Cary. Of course, most history buffs realize that he married a woman named Martha. So, what gives?
Sarah “Sally” Fairfax was born in 1730 into one of the oldest and wealthiest families in Virginia. according to Women’s History Blog.“Sally Cary married George William Fairfax on December 17, 1748, and the couple moved with her father, William Fairfax, to Belvoir Plantation.” It is true that Washington wrote letters to Sally and that he was interested in her.
“Sally was well educated, and as a young man with limited education and a low rung on the social ladder, George Washington was impressed by this attractive and intelligent woman,” Women’s History Blog Informed. “She was a major inspiration for the future president to elevate himself to a higher social, cultural and intellectual sphere, which is evident in his letters to her.”
George wrote a letter to Sally that read, “Don’t misinterpret my meaning; don’t doubt it, nor expose it. The world has nothing to do with knowing the object of my love thus declared to you, when I wish to conceal it.”
George Washington’s brother Lawrence Washington was his real-life surrogate father and a military officer.
In the film, George Washington’s mentor is his older brother Lawrence Washington, who married into a wealthy aristocratic landowning family and is presented as a military officer and owner of Washington’s final estate, Mount Vernon. Lawrence then falls ill with consumption, helping open the door to Washington’s military career. The brother is also shown encouraging Washington to study and helping to train him. But is it true?
According to George Washington BarbadosLawrence Washington was George’s half-brother in real life, and played a “significant role in shaping the early life and career of the first President of the United States. Lawrence’s life story is imbued with leadership, resilience, and elements that had a profound impact on one of the most important figures in American history.” That site says Lawrence and George had the same father named Augustine Washington.
It is true that Lawrence was a military officer, that site says, “Lawrence was commissioned as a captain leading an infantry battalion that played a vital role during the battle.” according to George Washington Financial PapersLawrence “was appointed Adjutant General of the colony and married Ann Fairfax, daughter of Colonel William Fairfax of Belvoir, on 19 July 1743.” George’s surrogate father Lawrence falls ill; Lawrence’s “marriage into the powerful Fairfax family introduced GW to the social life of the beautiful Fairfax estate at Belvoir, about four miles from Mount Vernon, where he met the most influential class of Virginia society,” George Washington Financial Papers Report.
George Washington’s father, Augustine Washington, died when George was a young boy
The film depicts George grieving the death of his father, Augustine Washington, when he was still a young boy. Is it true? Yes. According to the National Park Service“Augustine died at Ferry Farm in 1743, when George was eleven. At this age, George was old enough to see how his father managed a plantation and iron furnace business, as well as how he held leadership positions in society and interacted with various members of his community.”
It is true that George Washington’s mother, Mary Ball Washington, lived as a widow without remarrying.
The film depicts George’s mother, Mary Ball Washington, as a strong and determined widow who manages the farm single-handedly after her husband’s death.
According to the National Park Service, In real life, Mary “married Augustine Washington on March 6, 1731. Their first child, George Washington, was born the following year. Although Mary later had a daughter, Betty, and three additional sons—Samuel, Charles, and John Augustine—she first learned the responsibilities and expectations of motherhood with George on the banks of Pope’s Creek.”
After Augustine’s death, Mary “remained in charge of his children and estate. She chose not to remarry, a somewhat unusual decision for a woman in the 18th century. By remaining unmarried, she took responsibility for the management of the plantation and the support of the family, while also protecting her children’s inheritance.” She lived to see her son become the first President of the new United States.
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