Five amazing George Washington facts

George Washington took the oath of office in 1789 to become an American historical legend. Here are some facts you might not know about the man…

1. He originally trained to be a surveyor. Seeing as the job of president of the United States of America was not a solid career path (there never having been one before!) George Washington trained in the field of surveying. Apparently he had a knack for happening upon lucrative plots of land.

2. He never lived in the White House. Of the 43 US presidents (since Grover Cleveland held the office on two separate occasions), Washington was the only one to have never lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as it wasn’t completed until after his death.

3. He owned the country’s largest distillery. After his time at the helm of the US came to a close, Washington turned to distilling whiskey from rye and corn. The venture blossomed, producing over 10,000 gallons of whiskey in 1799.

4. He released his slaves. Despite starting out as an advocate of slavery, Washington is the only slave-owning president to have released his slaves upon his death. His attitude towards slavery mellowed as he got older.

5. He was a huge dog lover. Washington bred hounds for a hobby and loved his pets enormously. His choice of names was somewhat interesting though, his pets being called, amongst others, True Love, Sweet Lips and Tarter.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR US READERS

Subscribe today and get 13 issues for just £40 – to take advantage of this bargain just click here

Happy 4th July, and cheers from across the pond! via GIPHY

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆