When George Washington died in December 1799, his comrade in arms in the Revolution, Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee, eulogized the great general and president in the House of Representatives, describing him as “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” If anything, such words were a restrained expression of American sentiment, for Washington was the one man of whom it could be said that the United States of America owed its very existence to him. Indeed, he was a world-historical figure, renowned even in the country from which we had won our independence for his virtue, his statesmanship, and above all his self-abnegation in twice relinquishing power willingly and peacefully.  Today, statues and monuments of George Washington are under siege, chiefly because of his ownership of slaves. Does he in fact still deserve the honor and veneration of his countrymen?  What sort of man was Washington, and what qualities in him made his achievements possible? Can those achievements be separated from his record as a slaveholder and as an ambitious man of affairs? What can we say of George Washington entire?