History Daily Saturday Matinee: This American President
Oct 17, 2026
Richard Lim, a historian and author of Refusing a Crown, brings George Washington vividly to life beyond the dollar bill. He explores Washington’s reckless youth, battlefield heroics at Monongahela, and leadership during the Revolution’s darkest moments. Hear how the daring victories at Trenton and Princeton revived the Patriot cause and helped save American independence.
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The Dollar Bill Hides Washington’s Prime
- George Washington’s iconic image makes him seem distant because it shows an exhausted elder rather than the energetic leader contemporaries knew.
- Gilbert Stuart’s 1796 portrait became the dollar-bill image, reproducing Washington’s stern expression roughly 19 million times daily.
Washington’s First Battle Started A War
- At 22, Washington led an ambush that killed French envoy Joseph Jumonville and helped ignite the French and Indian War.
- He later wrote that hearing bullets whistle was “charming,” revealing youthful swagger before combat’s consequences changed him.
Four Bullets Hit Washington’s Clothes
- During Braddock’s disastrous 1755 retreat, Washington rode through musket fire while ill, organizing a rearguard after two horses were shot beneath him.
- Four bullets struck his clothing without wounding him, creating the legend that Providence protected him.
