Inspirational Quotes By George Washington

George Washington
1732 - 1799
First President of the United States

George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) served as the first President of the United States of America (1789–1797), and led the Continental Army to victory over the Kingdom of Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783).

The Continental Congress appointed Washington commander-in-chief of the American revolutionary forces in 1775. The following year, he forced the British out of Boston, lost New York City, and crossed the Delaware River in New Jersey, defeating the surprised enemy units later that year. As a result of his strategy, Revolutionary forces captured the two main British combat armies at Saratoga and Yorktown. Negotiating with Congress, the colonial states, and French allies, he held together a tenuous army and a fragile nation amid the threats of disintegration and failure. Following the end of the war in 1783, Washington retired to his plantation at Mount Vernon, prompting an incredulous King George III to state, "If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world."

Dissatisfied with the Articles of Confederation, he presided over the Philadelphia Convention that drafted the United States Constitution in 1787. Washington became President of the United States in 1789 and established many of the customs and usages of the new government's executive department. He sought to create a great nation capable of surviving in a world torn asunder by war between Britain and France. His unilateral Proclamation of Neutrality of 1793 provided a basis for avoiding any involvement in foreign conflicts. He supported plans to build a strong central government by funding the national debt, implementing an effective tax system, and creating a national bank. Washington avoided the temptation of war and began a decade of peace with Britain via the Jay Treaty in 1795; he used his prestige to get it ratified over intense opposition from the Jeffersonians. Although never officially joining the Federalist Party, he supported its programs and was its inspirational leader. Washington's farewell address was a primer on republican virtue and a stern warning against partisanship, sectionalism, and involvement in foreign wars.

Washington is seen as a symbol of the United States and republicanism in practice. His devotion to civic virtue made him an exemplary figure among early American politicians. Washington died in 1799, and in his funeral oration, Henry Lee said that of all Americans, he was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen. Washington has been consistently ranked by scholars as one of the greatest U.S. Presidents.

An inspirational collection of famous quotes by George Washington:

True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.
~George Washington

I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.
~George Washington

Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.
~George Washington

We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience.
~George Washington

It is better to be alone than in bad company.
~George Washington

Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse.
~George Washington

If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.
~George Washington

All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.
~George Washington

We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience.
~George Washington

Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation. It is better be alone than in bad company.
~George Washington

Friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.
~George Washington

If we are wise, let us prepare for the worst.
~George Washington

Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence.
~George Washington

Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called conscience.
~George Washington

Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.
~George Washington

It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.
~George Washington

Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God.
~George Washington

Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.
~George Washington

Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble.
~George Washington

Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.
~George Washington

Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.
~George Washington

My first wish is to see this plague of mankind, war, banished from the earth.
~George Washington

Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.
~George Washington

Reason, too late perhaps, may convince you of the folly of misspending time.
~George Washington

If, to please the people, we offer what we ourselves disapprove, how can we afterward defend our work? Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair.
~George Washington

Do not conceive that fine clothes make fine men, any more than fine feathers make fine birds. A plain, genteel dress is more admired, obtains more credit in the eyes of the judicious and sensible.
~George Washington

To err is natural; to rectify error is glory.
~George Washington

There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily.
~George Washington

It is well, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go.
~George Washington