A Holiday for Presidents with a Handful of Quotes from Our First

When I was a kid we celebrated both Abe Lincoln's and George Washington's birthdays. For convenience the two were merged into a Federal holiday called President's Day.  The Washington illustration was created as part of my Mapped Life Series in which I painted faces on pages of a Rand McNally Atlas. Pennsylvania is where our Founding Fathers met to hammer out the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, one of the defining documents of our American experiment.

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Here are some George Washington quotes to ponder and enjoy on this day.

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"Example, whether it be good or bad, has a powerful influence."

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"We are either a united people, or we are not. If the former, let us, in all matters of general concern act as a Nation, which have national objects to promote, and a national character to support. If we are not, let us no longer act a farce by pretending to it."

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"There is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do, to see a plan adopted for the abolition of slavery."
--Letter to Robert Morris

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"Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth."
--Letter to James Madison

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"To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."

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"It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one."
--Letter to his niece

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"Rise early, that by habit it may become familiar, agreeable, healthy, and profitable. It may, for a while, be irksome to do this, but that will wear off; and the practice will produce a rich harvest forever thereafter; whether in public or private walks of life."

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"It is infinitely better to have a few good men than many indifferent ones."
--Letter to James McHenry