Share and Follow
Before ascending to the presidency, George Washington was at the forefront of pivotal military efforts that shaped the early United States. One of his notable achievements was directing the Siege of Boston during the Revolutionary War, a campaign that played a significant role in his future military and political triumphs — a legacy honored on Presidents Day.
In the wake of the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, colonial militias effectively trapped British forces in Boston. Recognizing the necessity of a more structured military strategy, the Continental Congress appointed Washington as the leader of the nascent Continental Army.
What was the Siege of Boston
Two and a half centuries ago, Washington was nearing the conclusion of an intensive siege that had confined approximately 11,000 British soldiers and numerous loyalists within Boston. At that time, the city was under British control, and the siege aimed to compel their withdrawal.
One of Washington’s key strategic moves was dispatching Henry Knox, a young bookseller, to Fort Ticonderoga in New York to procure a substantial cache of cannons. Knox’s mission involved transporting these heavy artillery pieces over treacherous winter landscapes. Once in place, the cannons were used to bombard British positions, pressuring the British to evacuate Boston by sea on March 17, 1776, due to diminishing supplies.
Historians note that the British retreat, commemorated as Evacuation Day in Boston, not only expelled loyalist forces at a crucial juncture but also deprived the British of a strategic port and significantly bolstered American morale.
“The success of the Siege of Boston gave new life and momentum to the Revolution,” Chris Beagan, the site manager at Longfellow House in Cambridge, a National Historic Site that served as Washington’s headquarters during the American Revolution. “Had it failed, royal control of New England would have continued, and the Continental Army likely would have dissolved.”
How the siege shaped Washington
The siege was also a critical test for Washington. A surveyor and farmer, Washington had been out of the military for nearly 20 years after commanding troops for the British during the French and Indian War. His successful campaign ensured Washington remained the commander-in-chief for the remainder of the revolution.
Doug Bradburn, president of George Washington’s Mount Vernon, said Washington took the first steps to creating a geographically diverse army that included militiamen from Massachusetts to Virginia and, by the end of the war, a fighting force with significant Black and Native American representation. It was the most integrated military until President Harry S. Truman’s desegregated the armed forces in 1948, he said.
Washington, a slave owner most of life who depended on hundreds of slaves on his Mount Vernon estate, was initially opposed to admitting formerly enslaved and free Black soldiers into the army. But short of men, Washington came to realize “there are free Blacks who want to enlist and he needs them to keep the British from breaking out” during the siege, Bradburn said.
Ridding Boston of the British also turned Washington into one of the country’s most popular political figures.
“He comes to embody the cause in a time before you have a nation, before you have a Declaration of Independence, before you’re really sure what is the goal of this struggle,” Bradburn said. “He becomes the face of the revolutionary movement.”
Commanding the military more than eight years also prepared Washington for the presidency, Pulitzer Prize-winning military historian Rick Atkinson said. “Perhaps most important, it gave him a sense that Americans could and should be a single people, rather than denizens of thirteen different entities.”
Myths of Washington
His rise to prominence also led to plenty of myths about Washington, many which persist to this day.
One of the most popular is the cherry tree myth. It was invented by one of Washington’s first biographers, according to George Washington’s Mount Vernon, who created the story after his death. Supposedly, a 6-year-old Washington took an ax to a cherry tree and admitted as much when caught by his father, famously saying “I cannot tell a lie … I did cut it with my hatchet.”
The second one is the wooden teeth myth. It was rumored that Washington had wooden dentures and scholars, well into the 20th century, were quoted as saying his false teeth were made from wood. Not true. He never wore wooden dentures, instead using those with ivory, gold and even human teeth.
More than a statesman
During his lifetime, Washington had a myriad of pursuits. He was known as an innovative farmer, according to the George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and an advocate for Western expansion, buying up to 50,000 acres of land in several Mid-Atlantic states. After returning to Mount Vernon, he built a whiskey distillery that became one of the largest in the country.
His connection to slavery was complicated. He advocated for ending slavery, and his will called for freeing all the slaves he owned after the death of his wife, Martha Washington. But he didn’t own all the slaves at Mount Vernon so he could’t legally free all of them.
Celebrating Presidents Day
For fans of George Washington, Presidents Day is their Super Bowl. Originated to celebrate Washington’s birthday, which falls on Feb. 22, the holiday has become associated with good deals at the mall. Still, there are plenty of places celebrating all things Washington on this day.
There will be a wreath-laying ceremony at Washington’s tomb at Mount Vernon, and there will be a Continental Army encampment. There will be a parade honoring Washington in Alexandria, Virginia, and, in Laredo, Texas, a monthlong celebration features a carnival, pageants, an air show and jalapeno festival.