Legends of the First President Everyone knows that George Washington was the first U.S. president. If you are like most people, you have heard popular tales about him. But some of the things that people believe are not completely true. One legend about young George is that he chopped down a cherry tree. When his father asked him if he had done it, George told the truth even though he knew he would be punished. It’s not certain whether or not this actually happened. Most likely, though, it is just a good story meant to teach children not to lie. Another popular story is that Washington threw a silver dollar across the Potomac River in Virginia. That would be impossible because the Potomac is a mile (1.6 km) wide. Another story says he threw a rock across the Rappahannock River, which is near his childhood home in Virginia. That river is only 300 feet (91.4 m) wide. That makes this story more likely. When people look at Washington’s portraits, they think he wore a puffy white wig. But that’s not true, either. He just powdered his hair. It was fashionable to do so at that time. People say that Washington had wooden teeth. He did lose his teeth as a young man, and he wore false teeth. But they were not made of wood. Washington’s false teeth were made from ivory, gold, and even human teeth. Washington never lived in the White House, either. It wasn’t built until after he died. There are many legends about George Washington. They are tales of things he did during his lifetime, in the 1700s. The legends have been told for years, probably to show how strong and honest the first president was. Even though some of the legends aren’t totally true, some things are certain. He was America’s first president, he served for eight years, and then he stepped down so that another man could become president.
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