2026 Winning Essay (High School)
David De Costa
Bishop Ireton High School
In his powerful farewell address, George Washington said, "The unity of government which constitutes you one people is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquility at home, your peace abroad; of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very liberty which you so highly prize".
As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, we should reflect not only on the great events of 1776 but also on how one of the most important founding leaders, George Washington, was shaped by his local community. George Washington stands apart not only as a military commander but as a unifying symbol at a moment when unity was fragile and far from guaranteed. When the Continental Congress appointed Washington as Commander-in-Chief in 1775, the colonies were divided. However, by mid-1776, Washington’s leadership and his efforts to build a disciplined Continental Army had given Americans considerable confidence that independence from Britain was achievable. Washington played a critical role in transforming the colonies into a united revolutionary cause through both his actions and his words.
However, his story did not begin there; his public life took shape in Alexandria, Virginia, where he was shaped and prepared for his future role of Commander-in-Chief. In the spring of 1754, early in his career, Washington marched out of Alexandria on his first military campaign during the French and Indian War. This marked the beginning of his lifelong connection to military service and public duty. Here in Alexandria, Washington recruited his first soldiers and drilled them in the town’s Market Square. These experiences taught him to lead diverse men and enforce discipline, skills that later proved essential in commanding the Continental Army. The following year, British General Edward Braddock made Alexandria his base as he prepared for his campaign against the French. Washington’s connection to Braddock exposed him to British military organization and strategy, and the campaign’s failure offered him a clear-eyed view of imperial power that later shaped his leadership in the Revolution.
Washington settled at Mount Vernon after the French and Indian War and was a regular presence in Alexandria’s civic life. In 1763, he was chosen as a town trustee and two years later, as a burgess representing Fairfax County in the Virginia House of Burgesses. At that time, Alexandria was a commercial town with close economic ties to Britain, and its residents were not uniformly supportive of radical resistance. Founded in 1749 by Scottish merchants, Alexandria was a busy port city that traded tobacco and grain with Great Britain. Although leaders like George Washington supported resistance, some merchants stayed loyal to Britain because of their economic ties. Growing up among these merchants and landowners with diverse political perspectives taught Washington the value of moderation, persuasion, and unity - principles that later shaped his leadership on a national scale.
In 1774, attitudes began to change, mostly because of the Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts) passed by Parliament to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party, and Alexandria then became an active center of resistance to British policies. As tensions with the empire intensified in the early 1770s, Washington took on a more prominent role in organized opposition. On July 18, 1774, he chaired a meeting of the Fairfax County Committee at the Alexandria courthouse, where the group adopted the Fairfax Resolves. This document affirmed American rights and denounced British overreach; while more measured in tone than some revolutionary writings, it firmly rejected Parliament’s claim to tax and govern the colonies without their consent. The Fairfax Resolves marked a pivotal stage in Washington’s political development, revealing his shift from a loyal subject of the British crown to a principled advocate for colonial rights. The meeting also highlighted his skill in mobilizing local leaders while balancing resolve with moderation, an approach that preserved unity in a community that could have easily divided under political strain.
That winter, Washington began traveling frequently to Alexandria to prepare the Fairfax Independent Company, a local militia formed in anticipation of armed conflict. These prewar exercises underscore his growing conviction that military force might be required to defend liberty.
In April 1775, when fighting broke out at Lexington and Concord, the colonies were far from united. Colonial loyalty often took precedence over a broader sense of national identity, and many hoped that reconciliation with Britain was still achievable. The Continental Congress faced the challenge of forming a unified army while avoiding the appearance of imposing centralized authority.
The selection of George Washington as Commander-in-Chief was a deliberate and strategic decision. As a Virginian, he helped assure the southern colonies that the conflict was not solely a New England uprising. His experience as a veteran of the French and Indian War gave him credibility and a sense of balance. Upon accepting his commission on June 16, 1775, Washington emphasized humility over personal ambition. In his acceptance statement, he stated, “I do not think myself equal to the Command I am honoured with.” He declined a salary, agreeing only to have his expenses reimbursed. This act eased fears of potential military tyranny and reinforced his reputation as a dedicated servant of the public good.
When Washington arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in July 1775, he found soldiers who identified more with their individual colonies than with a national cause. Leveraging the leadership skills he had developed, Washington quickly began instilling discipline and fostering a sense of common purpose.
In his General Orders of July 2, 1775, Washington told his soldiers that “the fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army.” This demonstrates how he presented the war as a shared struggle with far-reaching consequences, aiming to shift their allegiance from local interests to a broader sense of national duty. The successful fortification of Dorchester Heights in March 1776 forced the British evacuation of the city. Though bloodless, the victory was very significant and proved that colonial forces, when united under a single commander, could defeat Britain’s professional army.
Like many colonists, Washington had initially hoped for a negotiated compromise. Yet British actions soon made clear that liberty could not endure under imperial control. In an August 1775 letter to his brother John Augustine Washington, he warned that Britain was following “a regular system for subjugating the colonies.” This reflects his increasing belief that independence was becoming inevitable.
By mid-1776, Washington’s leadership had strengthened the credibility of the revolutionary cause at a critical moment, as the Continental Congress was moving toward declaring independence. After the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, Washington ensured that copies were read aloud to his troops. This act helped turn abstract political principles into a shared purpose on the battlefield. Soldiers who had previously fought as Virginians, New Englanders, or other colonists began to see themselves as part of a united American force.
What strikes me most about George Washington’s life is how he chose unity over personal power. He placed collective responsibility over ambition and sacrificed personal comfort for the public good.
As we approach our country’s semiquincentennial anniversary, the events of 1776 continue to shape our national identity. The unity Washington helped forge created a framework that we could expand. Alexandria’s role in Washington’s life reminds me that national leadership begins in local communities.
In my view, Washington’s greatest legacy is his ability to unite diverse people around shared principles. Washington’s life challenges us to ask ourselves whether we are still willing to place the future of “unborn millions” above our own divisions, and whether, like him, we are prepared to reconcile our differences with a broader sense of national unity.
References
Chernow, R. (2010). Washington: A life. Penguin Press.
Fairfax County Committee. (1774, July 18). The Fairfax Resolves. Alexandria, VA.
Flexner, J. T. (1969). George Washington and the new nation. Little, Brown and Company.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon. (n.d.). George Washington and Alexandria, Virginia. https://www.mountvernon.org
Middlekauff, R. (2005). The glorious cause: The American Revolution, 1763–1789. Oxford University Press. National Park Service. (n.d.). George Washington and the French and Indian War. https://www.nps.gov Washington, G. (1775, June 16). Acceptance of command of the Continental Army. In The Papers of George Washington. Library of Congress.
Washington, G. (1775, July 2). General orders. In The Papers of George Washington. National Archives.
Washington, G. (1775, August). Letter to John Augustine Washington. In The Papers of George Washington. University of Virginia Press.
Washington, G. (1775, October). Letter to John Hancock. In The Papers of George Washington. National Archives.