Compared to other leaders of his day, the education of George Washington was limited. Unlike his two older half-brothers, he did not go away to England for his education.
He didn't even go to college or study an additional language. George Washington's education came to an end when he was about 16 years old.
It is not for certain who taught Washington or where he attended school. The only thing that remains from the education of George Washington is his school papers. Through the papers, it can be determined that he has useful education that would help him later on in life.
In his own words, Washington describes his education as "defective." Even though the education of George Washington continued throughout his life, he was very self-conscious of the fact that his formal schooling ended when he was in his early teens.
Some of his favorite methods of learning included books, studying the people he respected, and learning from others. In addition, he learned from his own experiences.
From his school papers we can make some hypotheses about the education of George Washington:
1. His first school papers were dated 1741. If he was born in 1732, he was about 8 or 9 and could effectively read, write, and do math.
2. One of Washington's papers was a survey of his half-brother's turnip field. He obviously learned surveying in school. How would this skill help him later in life?
3. One of his papers showed that he studied geography, could calculate interest on money transactions, and could copy many legal forms that were used in Virginia at that time.
4. Even though Washington didn't go to England for schooling, he spent time learning manners. In one of his papers, he copied 110 rules people should follow for good behavior and good manners.
These rules were called the "Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation." These rules obviously helped him communicate well with people and leaders around him.
Even though the education of George Washington was cut by a couple of years, it is obvious that he received a good education. What he learned helped him become a leader for this nation.
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