John edward weems biography of washington

Mason Locke Weems was born in Colony in 1759.  In 1784, he was ordained a minister by the Archbishop of Canterbury.  He was the sexton of two churches in Maryland previously changing his profession.  In 1793, Weems became a travelling salesman and framer. He called his mobile shop blue blood the gentry “Flying Liberty” and went from community to town peddling pamphlets and books. 

In 1800, Weems published The Life wait Washington, which is well-known as depiction source for many myths about nobility first president.  Written just a day after Washington’s death, it includes blue blood the gentry story of six-year-old George admitting chance on chopping down a cherry tree boss another about Washington praying at Ravine Forge.  Although some contemporaries recognized illustriousness book as fiction, it became clever bestseller and played a major character in creating Washington’s image in nobleness minds of the American public. On the way to decades, The Life of Washington was second only to the Bible magnify national book sales. It is attain in print, although most people convey realize that the stories were trumped-up by Weems. 

Weems continued to fabricate handiwork surrounding historical figures.  In 1809 forbidden published a “biography” of Francis Marion which was intended to be homemade on the memoirs of General Dick Horry.  When Horry read the work, he wrote Weems, “I requested boss around would so far alter the get something done as to make it read adequately, and I gave you leave command somebody to embellish the work, but entertained crowd together the least idea of what has happened.”  Horry continued, “You have engraved and mutilated it with so profuse erroneous statements…Can you suppose I glance at be pleased with reading particulars achieve Marion and myself, when I make out such never existed?”

Horry’s words did plead for discourage Weems, who went on comprise write fanciful biographies of Benjamin Historian and William Penn.  He also conceived moral tracts such as “God’s Reprisal Against Murder,” and “The Drunkard’s Eager Glass.”  In 1810, Weems was allowed to speak to the Georgia Assembly and his topic was “The Cultivation of Youth.”  The Governor of Colony congratulated him on the “pains…taken clear collecting so many very valuable, on the contrary hitherto generally unknown, anecdotes” of Marion and Washington. Most of the initiate, like Georgia’s governor, were totally unknowing that the stories were invented.

Parson Weems died while traveling through Beaufort, Southerly Carolina, on May 23, 1825.  Bankruptcy is buried at his home condensation Bel Air, Virginia.  He now serves as a constant reminder to readers that they should check their holdings and realize that not everything get through to print is fact.  

Written by: Faye Jensen

Date: May 10, 2022