Photo of the Day: George Washington’s Mount Vernon

In the old days, Americans trooped to Mount Vernon to pay tribute to America’s first President. When I visited the estate of George Washington seven years ago and took the accompanying photo, I wanted to better understand him, and I came away doing so, discovering a figure all too human (not always the sharpest military strategist—and, of course, a slaveholder), but also capable of learning from his mistakes (not only eventually triumphing at Yorktown, but setting free his slaves in his will—a bold, unique act among the Founding Fathers).

Nowadays, I think a trip to Washington’s beloved home on the Potomac River might be even more important for Americans to visit, so that they can learn about a President who tried to rise above hyperpartisanship, who believed in steering clear of debt, who could never be accused of being influenced by a corrupt foreign power—and who, despite the sorry spectacle of republics until his time, continually renounced power. 

Americans have become accustomed to taking these qualities for granted. We should not. George Washington’s life inspires us to keep in mind that we, as a people, can be better, and that we as individuals, through the daily discipline Washington practiced, can make ourselves better.