Presidential Genius

My brother dressed up like Washington

This week our genius learned about our first President...George Washington!  This is what he had to say about this genius of our early American history:

George Washington was a good boy.  He loved his father, but his father died when he was a young boy.  He thought his brother, Lawrence, was his hero.  Lawrence was a soldier for the English king.

George Washington went to school in the colonies.  He learned to ride horses along with reading and writing.  He was the best rider in Virginia.  He loved to ride horses with his brother.  He also would visit Lawrence at Mount Vernon.  After school, George became a map maker.

Then one day George Washington found out some sad news.  His brother had died.  George decided to become a soldier like his brother.  He had to fight in a war against the French.  He also had to fight Indians.  George knew how to fight the battles but his leaders would not listen to them.  After a long war, the English won.

My family at Mt Vernon before I was born

After the war, George decided to go back to Virginia.  He met Martha and her children, Patsy and Jack.  George married Martha and they moved to Mount Vernon.  George decided to become a farmer.  However, King George III who was the leader of England, wanted more money to pay for the war.  The more the people bought, the higher the taxes they paid.  Our genius says, "the King wanted them to waste their money!  So, the people in the colony had to fight for their money."

George Washington was asked to go to a meeting about the problem.  He was later asked to stop being an Englishman and lead the soldiers for the war against England.  He became the leader and fought for eight years.  It was a very hard time, but with the help of the French the colonies won the war.

A picture of the Washington Memorial

George Washington went back to Mount Vernon!  He was happy to go back to farming.

Then there was ANOTHER meeting!  In this meeting, the leaders all asked George Washington to become the leader of the new country...the United States of America!  He was the president for another eight years.  He then told the people that he did not want to be the president.  He wanted to go home to Mount Vernon.  After a few short years, George Washington died at his home.  They buried him under his favorite tree.  They named a city after him...Washington, DC.  This is where the president lives.

I liked learning about George Washington because he was a good leader during war and peace.  He sure was a genius!


" It is better to be alone than in bad company."
-George Washington

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin, was the youngest of ten sons.  He also had seven sisters.  He was a very smart boy, he loved to read.  He was a hard worker, and became an apprentice printer for his brother.  His brother was very strict, so he ran away to New York City then Philadelphia.  He worked hard and made many friends.  Benjamin traveled to London and became a master printer.

He came back to Philadelphia, got married and opened his own print shop.  He loved his city and wanted to make it better.  He opened a public library, started a school, created the first Volunteer Fire Department, a night watch to stop crime, and founded a hospital.

Benjamin also liked science and inventing.  He invented a new stove to heat houses, the Franklin Stove.  He experimented with electricity, and proved that lightning was made of electricity.  This helped him create lightning rods to protect houses from lightning strikes.

The people in America were not happy with the King of England, so they asked Benjamin to go to England to help them.  But the King did not listen, so Benjamin came home.  Benjamin helped write the Declaration of Independence.  The Americans needed help to beat the English, so Benjamin went to France to get help.  He was very popular in France, and helped to get the French king to help the Americans.

He came back to America after the war.  He helped to create a new government for the United States, by helping write the Constitution.  After this Benjamin retired to read his books in peace.