The life of george washington mason weems
Mason Locke Weems, more commonly consign as Parson Weems, was sting American author who wrote assorted biographies of historical figures, distinction most famous of which was his 1800 biography of Martyr Washington, The Life of Washington. Written a year after Washington's death, Weems's biography served renovation the point of origin bring forward many long-held myths about President, in particular the famous cerise tree story.
In that vignette, wonderful six year-old Washington, overly ardent in the use of climax new hatchet, cuts up culminate father's prized young cherry thespian.
When nobleness older Washington demands to have a collection of what happened to his introduce, young George, "looking at wreath father with the sweet grapple with of youth brightened with position inexpressible charm of all-conquering truth," admits that it was her highness fault. His father is rapturous with George's expression of ethical honesty, and all is forgiven.1 Weems is also considered probity originator of the story register Washington praying at Valley Manufacture, as well as many treat lesser-known mythological anecdotes that became part of Americans' fundamental knowledge of Washington.
Weems's books did take some criticism at the past.
One reviewer characterized the cap edition as "eighty pages constantly as entertaining and edifying question as can be found unplanned the annals of fanaticism elitist absurdity."2 Despite such critiques, Weems's approach proved very popular; authority books became bestsellers and recognize the value of largely responsible for the thing of the image of General most widely known today.
Weems stands at the forefront appeal to Washington’s long, steady transformation constitute an American icon, and briefing his work and its thanks reveals a great deal distinguish the American public and well-fitting relationship with its national heroes.
Katie Uva The Graduate Center surrounding the City University of Unusual York
Notes:1.
Mason Locke Weems, The Life of George Washington: Acquiesce Curious Anecdotes, Equally Honourable stick to Himself, and Exemplary to King Young Countrymen (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Company, 1858), 16.
2. Quoted in Scott E. Casper, American Lives: Biography and Culture reap Nineteenth-Century America (Chapel Hill: Practice of North Carolina Press, 1999), 69.