13 Of George Washington's Best Quotes

How much do you know about the first president of this wonderful and beautiful country? If your knowledge is limited to dollar bills, powdered white hair, and a cherry tree myth, then these 13 George Washington quotes below might help pump up what you know about the guy... because he was a pretty cool dude. (Oh, and the cherry tree story isn't even true.)

Reading through these quotes gives me some hope for America. They also give me some hope for humanity. While the United States has progressed in many great ways throughout the past two hundred years since George Washington was our commander-in-chief, there's something to be said for the inevitable truths that were established way back in the late 18th century by our first president. From tips about friendship to the ever crucial issue of freedom, President Washington knows what he's talking about.

Since you're probably getting Monday off for Presidents' Day, the least you can do is check out these 13 quotes by the first American president. It seems only right... right? And you know what, I think these quotes might just surprise you with how applicable they are even today. When something is timeless, it never becomes obsolete.

1. "It is far better to be alone, than to be in bad company."

2. "If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."

3. "Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth."

4. "Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse."

5. "Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all."

6. "We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience."

7. "Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called conscience."

8. "I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man."

9. "Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected."

10. "My first wish is to see this plague of mankind, war, banished from the earth."

11. "True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity, before it is entitled to the appellation."

12. "It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one."

13. "Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God."

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