George Washington, the Writer: A Treasury of Letters, Diaries, and Public Documents

Besides being a great soldier, farmer, politician, and president, George Washington liked to write. Washington kept journals and diaries, wrote letters, and prepared speeches and official documents throughout his life. His writings fill volumes and number in the thousands. Here is a selection of Washington's writings that follow his life from an entry in his journal written as a teenager to his last diary entry written the day before he died. Some of the writings are personal, expressing love and concern for his family, friends, and home. Some of the writings are national in focus. Each Washington selection is accompanied by an introduction that provides historical background. By being introduced to Washington's words, readers will get to know a man who was not superhuman--only dedicated to family, friends, home, and the country he helped shape.

Carolyn P. Yoder is senior editor of history at Highlights for Children magazine and a writer/editor for The New Jersey Historical Society. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey.