Print of George Washington as a boy confessing to his father Augustine that he killed one of his cherry trees with a hatchet.
Print engraving of George Washington entitled "Father, I cannot tell a lie: I cut the tree". It depicts Washington as a young boy confessing to his father Augustine (1694 - 1743) that he had killed one of his cherry trees with a hatchet. The legend, designed to show Washington's honesty, goes that Washington was given a hatchet at the age of about six and began chopping at things in the garden, hitting and killing one of his father's trees in the process. When his angry father discovered the tree he questioned the young boy who immediately confessed - delighting his parent with his honesty. Washington (1732 - 1799) grew up to become the commander of the Continental Army (1775 – 1783) in the American Revolutionary War and the first US President (1789 - 1797). Engraving circa 1867 by John C McRae, based on a painting by George Gorgas White.
Size: 6342px × 4404px
Photo credit: © Archive Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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