3. Mason Locke “Parson” Weems and the myths of George Washington
Parson Weems wrote the first biography of George Washington, publishing it in 1800, less than one year following Washington’s death at Mount Vernon. It did not contain a story of the boy Washington chopping down one of his father’s treasured cherry trees. Nor did the second edition, nor even the third and fourth. In the fifth edition, revised by the author, the story of the cherry tree appeared when it was published in 1810. The story was included in the McGuffey Reader in the mid-18th century, and could still be found in that widely used primary school textbook well into the 20th century. Generations of American children learned the story in history and reading classes.
Though the story is false, an exaggeration of Washington’s character, its influence on American history is much greater than generally realized. The story had a profound effect on Abraham Lincoln during a time when it was accepted as true. As President elect, Lincoln addressed the New Jersey assembly where he referenced Weems’ stories of Washington. Weems applied his hyperbolic style to other figures of American history, including Benjamin Franklin (the grossly exaggerated story of the kite, the key, and the thunderstorm), and Frances Marion. His stories of the latter did much to create the legend of the Swamp Fox in the American South.