George Washington: Ten Fun Facts About George Washington

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There are many facts about George Washington that are very well known. If you were to ask most people about him than they would be more than likely to give you some very basic facts. Many people know that he was one of our founding fathers and the first president of the United States. But, there are many fascinating facts about this enigmatic figure that are lesser known. Today, we are going to be delving into these lesser known details of this complex man and tell you 10 fun facts about George Washington.

George Washington was an avid horse rider and he is often pictured mounted on his faithful steed during the American Revolution. But, did you know that George Washington is credited for introducing the mule to the United States? He was a big fan of mules and believed them to be better work animals than horses were. So, he embarked on a breeding program where his prized horses were mated with donkeys and thus produced mules. The first donkey he used in this ambitious breeding program was received as a gift from the King of Spain, after the end of the Revolutionary War. This donkey, along with another donkey that he received from the Spanish King, was used as breeding stock to stock his plantation with mules. His breeding program was so successful, Mount Vernon had almost sixty mules by 1799.

Our next fun fact about George Washington illustrates why he was often considered a man of few words. George Washington’s Second Inaugural Address was the shortest one ever given by a U.S. President. It rung in at a mere one hundred and thirty-five words and took only a few moments to recite. You can contrast that with the longest inaugural address, which was given by William Henry Harrison in 1841. Harrison’s speech went on for almost two hours and preceded on of the shortest presidencies in American history. Washington’s speech last only a few minutes, but marked one of the most important presidencies in American history. Now, isn’t that ironic?

Another fun fact about George Washington centers around his political beliefs. He was the only president not to belong to a political party. During his presidency, George Washington established many of the ceremonies and customs of the Office of the President of the United States, and as such gave shape to our political system. But, one thing that he hated was political parties. He believed political parties would contribute to stagnation and bitter rivalries within the government. Unfortunately, his views were superseded when his closest adviser, Alexander Hamilton, organized the Federalist Party.

Our fourth fun fact about George Washington involves him and the White House. While the White House and George Washington seem to go together like America and baseball, there is one thing that is often overlooked by most people. George Washington was the only president to never have lived in the White House. Yes, though he spent a considerable amount of time on its planning, and even helped choose the site for it, it wasn’t completed in time for him to use it as a residence. The first American President to live in the White House would be John Adams.

Coming in at number five on our list is George Washington’s famous dentures. Many people realize that President Washington had dentures, but most people believe that they were constructed of wood. Unfortunately, this belief is dead wrong. Wooden teeth would have been highly uncomfortable and most likely would have left splinters. George Washington had access to the best dentists of the time, who crafted him false teeth made out of ivory, gold, lead, animal bone and human teeth.

Number six on our list of fun facts about this founding father, involves the strange importance that Friday’s had in his life. Most of us have a day of the week we favor, but Friday’s seemed to be play a major role during important parts of his life. George Washington was born on a Friday, he became Lieutenant Colonel on a Friday, he laid the foundation stone for the White House on a Friday, and he was elected President of the Constitutional Congress on a Friday. He even completed the last day of his last term as president on a Friday!!

George Washington was a president who was particular about what he ate. Which brings us to number seven on our list. George Washington was very fond of peanut soup and ate it almost everyday. He was also fond of green beans served with mushrooms. But, his favorite food of all time was ice cream. In fact, he was so fond of ice cream that he had ice cream coolers installed in his home. An act that was nearly unheard of during the eighteenth century.

Our number eight fun fact about George Washington concerns itself with his widespread popularity. While many people realize that he was a popular president, many don’t know just how popular he was. There is one state (Washington State), thirty-one counties and eighteen cities named in his honor. Not to mention that his face adorns the dollar bill, Mount Rushmore and his face was placed on the first postage stamp ever created for the United States.

George Washington was also the first President of the United States to free all his slaves. President Washington had over one hundred slaves on his Mount Vernon estate when he died in 1799. Upon his death, these slaves were granted their freedom per the terms set down in his will.

Speaking of his death, brings me to number ten on our list. George Washington was supposed to be buried under the Capitol Building. In fact, there is an empty vault that is still there that was reserved for the first president. But, President Washington wanted to be buried at his Mount Vernon estate, and as such was buried there alongside his wife.

And that concludes our list of 10 Fun Facts about George Washington. This list illustrates the fact that George Washington was not only a great military leader and president, but he was first and foremost a human being. Complete with all the flaws and idiosyncrasies that we all have. And by the way, George Washington never chopped down his father’s cherry tree. That was a story that was conceived by Parson Mason Weems, writer of his biography, in order to sell more books!

Resource by S.Henniman

I am an aspiring artist and writer from Phoenix Arizona. I enjoy golfing, skiing, college football, and hanging out with my two favorite girls (my wife and 4 year old daughter).

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