Describe George Washington. What contributed to his legendary character, and what traits did he have that made him the perfect man to lead our young nation?

George Washington, a legend in his own time, stood as symbol for national unity before there was ever a nation. From the onset of the Revolutionary War to his last days in office as President of the United States, Washington held the hopes of the nation in his hands. In this chapter, Ellis uses both hindsight and foresight to examine the power of myth, and how this individual's power became mythic partially because of how he used it.

Ellis compares Washington the legend to Washington the man from the historical perspective of hindsight. History has revealed that Washington was not a handsome man; he was pockmarked with large feet and hands, and had decayed teeth and sunken eye sockets. He was always a head taller than the other Founding Fathers, which had prompted John Adams to remark that the reason Washington was always chosen as leader was because he was always the tallest man in the room. Taken on their own, his features were an oddity, but combined with an inherent honesty and earnest willingness to defend his ideals, his physical appearance became “sheer majesty.” A combination of bravado, intellect, and cultured aloofness, Washington was king-like even without a title.