His Excellency by Joseph J. Ellis5/8/2023 ![]() He died as a Roman stoic rather than a Christian saint. The historical evidence suggests that Washington did not think much about heaven or angels the only place he knew his body was going was into the ground, and as for his soul, its ultimate location was unknowable. The inevitable renderings of Washington’s death by nineteenth-century artists often added religious symbols to the scene, frequently depicting his body ascending into heaven surrounded by a chorus of angels. His statement also calls attention to a missing presence at the deathbed scene: there were no ministers in the room, no prayers uttered, no Christian rituals offering the solace of everlasting life. Do you understand me?” Washington believed that several apparently dead people, perhaps including Jesus, had really been buried alive, a fate he wished to avoid. ![]() Have me decently buried, and do not let my body be put into the Vault in less than two days after I am dead. A revisionist life of the Founding Father, motes and warts and all. “Doctor, I die hard,” he muttered, “but I am not afraid to go.” Then he gave an intriguing final instruction to Lear: “I am just going. ![]() ![]() Ellis described how Washington's experiences in earlier leadership contributed to his actions and development as president. “Eventually Washington ordered his doctors to cease their barbarisms and let him go in peace. In His Excellency: George Washington (2004), Ellis sought to penetrate myth and examine Washington during three major periods of his life. ![]()
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