George Washington in Pennsylvania
While the Father of Our Country was certainly a Virginian, Washington's
life was shaped to a great degree in Pennsylvania. He surveyed Western
Pennsylvania. He ran a diplomatic errand to Fort LeBeouf. He fired the first
shot of a war that eventually spread across the world near present-day
Uniontown. He wintered at Valley Forge. He presided over the Constitutional
Convention. He led troops against his fellow citizens in the Whiskey Rebellion.
He served most of his presidency in Philadelphia. At the end of his life, he was
a man whose vision of the future of the country was obviously shaped by his
time here.
– Richard Arthur, M.A.
Richard Jay Arthur, M.A., is a native of Pittsburgh. A 23-year veteran Army
officer, he has a lifelong interest in history with particular focus on the American
Colonial period. He has given talks on the Founding Fathers and the Continental
Army and lectured on the role of Pennsylvanians on the planning and actions of
D-Day, including stories based on interviews with participants. A website features
stories from his Butler County youth at www.butlercountyboyhood.com. He earned his
bachelor’s degree from Allegheny College, and his master’s from George Washington
University. He and his wife, Mary Lou, live in rural Erie County, where they operate
Winter’s End, an environment that supports bees and butterflies.
