Where Did George Washington Go To School ?
Ironically, the education and learning phases in the life of George Washington, the first President of the United States, remains shrouded by many mysteries. There are several theories doing the rounds. |
One theory says that George Washington had very little education compared to his contemporaries and his successors. In England, where he lived during his childhood, he did not attend school. Consequently he never had the chance to go to college or study other languages.
Another theory claims that George Washington attended a school that was equivalent to an elementary school. According to another theory Washington was admitted to a nearby churchyard school from where he received his primary education. After this, he was reportedly sent to a boarding school. However, almost all theories agree on one count that his childhood education was not complete and he had no access to literary classics of the day or in reading or writing different languages.
Irrespective of the theories, George Washington had himself said once that his education was ‘defective.’ However, this did not deter the man to pursue his search of knowledge. He used books to learn and utilized every single available opportunity to his seeking knowledge.
According to one source, Washington's first school papers dated back to 1741 when he was 9 years old. From these papers it was evident that Washington knew about reading, writing and mathematics.
A popular theory claims that during his brief schooling days George Washington learnt surveying. One of his school papers is a testimony to this fact as it shows a survey by Washington of his half-brother's turnip field. From his other school papers, George Washington was learnt to have studied geography, the basics of accountancy like calculating interest on money and had even learnt to copy the various legal forms in usage at that point in time in Virginia.
It seems that learning manners was also a part of George Washington’s school curriculum. There are school papers to prove this, along with the copies of a list of rules for good behavior and manners which were more popularly known as Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation.
The knowledge of mathematics, accountancy, and good manners appeared to have helped George Washington during his path to Presidency days and even after assuming the highest office which he effectively used for his official communications.
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