On June 1, 1774, George Washington entered the following words in his diary: “Went to church and fasted all day.” It was at this time the colonies were seeking God’s will in the situation they were facing. Should they break away from England, or should they continue under English bondage?

Washington’s answer to the question was handled by praying and fasting and waiting for God to, in some way, let him know what God wanted for this great land.

So this brings me to this point concerning George Washington. Just what kind of man did he become?

The best way to answer this question is to look at his speeches, his actions and his writings. I’m not the type of person who gets my impression of someone by what others tell me about him or her. I want to observe the person in these ways. And all three ways are necessary to get a true picture.

Besides what we have learned to this point about Washington, I have learned through my reading that he was a descendant of King John of England.

In 1749, George started his life by receiving his surveyor’s license from William and Mary College, where he became the college’s chancellor in 1788. He continued as such until his death.

In November 1753, Washington heard these words from his mother, Mary Washington, which he later recorded. “Remember that God is our only sure trust. To him, I commend you. My son, neglect not the duty of secret prayer.” As seen in our opening statement in this article, Washington never forgot these words.

Many Americans do not realize that Washington’s military experience started by serving along the side of the British general Edward Braddock. The events of his service with General Braddock will be explored in our next article, due to the fact that I have run out of space in this article.