68 Presidents and American Symbols: Supplemental Guide 4A | George Washington: The “Father of Our Country”
Presenting the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
George Washington: The “Father of Our Country”
Show image 4A-3: Heroic George Washington
General George Washington had been leading the American army for
eight years, trying to free America from the rule of the British king.[Remind students that at that time, the British king ruled over the American
colonies in North America. Point to England on a world map and then point to
where the American colonies were located.]
He and his men did not want to be controlled by a king. They fought
many long and difficult battles for their freedom. When they lost some
battles, George Washington convinced his soldiers not to give up.
When they did not have enough food or blankets during the freezing
cold winters, he tried his best to keep his soldiers’ spirits up—he tried
to encourage them and keep them happy.Finally, General Washington and his men defeated the largest British
army. Show image 4A-7: Washington and his men
Now that they had defeated—or beaten—the largest group of British
soldiers, the American soldiers thought they could finally go home.
They missed their families.But Washington thought, “The British still have one army left. They
could change their minds and attack again. We have to make sure the
war is really over before we all go home.” General Washington had to
try to convince his soldiers to keep fighting until the end. Show image 4A-8: Unhappy men
This did not make his soldiers happy. Besides not seeing their families
for a very long time, the soldiers were not happy for another reason.
They had not been paid in a very long time either. They began to say
to each other, “Maybe we should take over—or take control of—the
new country. Then we know we’ll be paid. We could make everyone
do what we want them to do.”George Washington had heard about the soldiers’ idea. This made
him sad and disappointed. He thought, “I am proud of being a soldier,