The cherry tree myth and other stories showed readers that Washington’s public greatness was due to his private virtues. A Federalist admirer of order and self-discipline, Weems wanted to present Washington as the perfect role model, especially for young Americans. Weems was also able to counter the early tradition of deifying Washington by focusing on his private virtues, rather than his public accomplishments. Profit was certainly one of them he rightly assumed that if he wrote a popular history book about Washington it would sell.

Weems had several motives when he wrote The Life of Washington and the cherry tree myth. However the cherry tree myth did not appear until the book’s fifth edition was published in 1806.Īlthough there were other myths about Washington in Weems’s book, the cherry tree myth became the most popular. As he explained to a publisher in January 1800, “Washington you know is gone! Millions are gaping to read something about him…My plan! I give his history, sufficiently minute…I then go on to show that his unparalleled rise and elevation were due to his Great Virtues.” 2 Weems’ biography, The Life of Washington, was first published in 1800 and was an instant bestseller. After Washington’s death in 1799 people were anxious to learn about him, and Weems was ready to supply the demand. Ironically, this iconic story about the value of honesty was invented by one of Washington’s first biographers, an itinerant minister and bookseller named Mason Locke Weems. Young George bravely said, “I cannot tell a lie…I did cut it with my hatchet.” Washington’s father embraced him and rejoiced that his son’s honesty was worth more than a thousand trees.

When his father discovered what he had done, he became angry and confronted him.

In the original story, when Washington was six years old he received a hatchet as a gift and damaged his father’s cherry tree. The cherry tree myth is the most well-known and longest enduring legend about George Washington.

Cherrytree