George Washington, Surveyor (and a bunch of other stuff, too)
George Washington is famous for:
Leading the outnumbered patriot army to victory in the Revolutionary War
Contributing to the Constitution of the United States – He was integral to its creation
Becoming the first president of the United States
His portrait on our one dollar bill and the quarter-dollar coin
Cutting down a cherry tree and not lying about it (legend, but not verified)
Wearing a wig – NOT! – likely was his own hair, powdered white as was the fashion back then
Wearing wooden dentures - NOT! – they were dentures made of a variety of materials, including gold, lead, ivory and human teeth
George Washington is not famous for:
Helping to spark the French and Indian War
Belonging to the Freemasons
Earning a living as a surveyor
George Washington’s physical strength and endurance are well documented in biographies of his time as a soldier. His vigorous physicality made the art of surveying a natural fit as an occupation.
Though he was not formally educated in schools, he was taught the basics of surveying and land measuring as a home-schooled youth. He began surveying by measuring land at Mount Vernon, and when he was only 16, he was invited to join a survey party to lay out lots in western Virginia.
At age 17, he received a commission from the College of William and Mary as a professional surveyor for the newly formed Culpeper County. By 1750 (just one year later), he abandoned that position but continued to survey for the next three years. He completed at least fifty more surveys (often related to his own property).
Washington didn’t do a lot of professional surveying after 1752, as he was busy with his military career. His surveying, mapmaking and wilderness skills contributed to his rapid rise in the military. By the time he was in his twenties, he had been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel during the French and Indian War. During this conflict, he led the construction of a chain of forts covering more than 400 miles (as well as the construction of roads in the area).
George Washington's survey of the site of Belhaven (Alexandria) Virginia made in 1748. From the Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3884a.ct000368r/?r=0.132,0.096,0.698,0.421,0
Print showing George Washington, half-length portrait, facing front, standing in front of a chair with right arm extended toward a table on the left and holding a sword in left hand. After a painting by Gilbert Stuart.
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2009633671/
It’s likely that Washington’s surveying and mapping background contributed to his prowess as a tactician during the Revolutionary War. He relied on maps to plan his military engagements and was so concerned about the lack of accurate maps available to his army that he created the office of the Geographer to the Continental Army.
George Washington’s youthful understanding of the art of surveying provided the strong foundation that enabled his success as a general. Throughout his life as a statesman, president, father and farmer, he continued to use his surveying skills. In fact, he was surveying until just five weeks before his death at age 67.
From the birth of our nation until today, surveying has played a critical role. The surveys created by our founders and enterprising pioneers literally laid the foundation of our country. For nearly a half-century, Berntsen has been working right beside surveyors by providing quality markers that withstand the test of time.
Contact us. We’ll help you leave a lasting surveying legacy for years to come.
This is a second in the series “The Surveyors of Mount Rushmore”