How Well Do You Know George Washington?

You probably know George Washington was the first president of the United States of America. You may also know that he served as a general during the American Revolution. But how many of you know he was a war hero by the ripe old age of 22, that he was the richest president ever, or that the man made his own whiskey?

Here in the Revolutionary City, Ron Carnegie has portrayed George Washington for almost a decade and he’s been a Colonial Williamsburg interpreter for close to 20 years. Carnegie has been doing first-person interpretation since 1979 and during an interview with history.org in 2006, he shared a little about his background in both history and performing arts—a skill set that made him the perfect candidate for the role of a founding father.

Thanks to Hollywood, we know that the really good actors, those who win awards, manage to completely immerse themselves in their character. They learn to walk, talk, and think like the person they’re portraying. Our interpreters are no different. After the Department of Public History first approached Carnegie about the role, he spent a year researching and preparing for his audition. He says he pored through biographies of the president and even made it a point not to shy away from the controversial ones. Being part of a “living” history museum, Carnegie says he has to be ready for any question that guests may throw his way.

Impress him with your knowledge during your next visit to the Revolutionary City. We found some lesser known aspects of George Washington’s private life. I mentioned he was wealthy. But just how wealthy? The answer may surprise you! Check out this list of 10 forgotten facts from the National Constitution Center.

And just in case you missed our previous post on the mystery surrounding Washington’s teeth and whether they were really made of wood, click here to see what we discovered.