George Washington: Man, Myth and Much More
Course | Available
Join Dr. Rebecca Staton-Reinstein for a three-session course exploring the multifaceted life of George Washington beyond childhood myths. Discover how his early experiences as a militiaman and planter shaped his views on colonial rule. Despite minimal formal education, Washington developed his character through extensive reading, introspection, and discipline. Known for adopting surrogate sons like Hamilton and Lafayette, his presidency reflected an enlightened approach to governance. Beyond politics, Washington was an innovative entrepreneur, experimenting with crops, pioneering milling and distilling, and engaging in land speculation. His evolving views on race and liberty are seen in his relationships with Native Americans and African Americans, illustrating a nuanced journey in early American history.
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Rebecca Staton-Reinstein
Rebecca Staton-Reinstein, Ph.D., president of Advantage Leadership, Inc. has served as an executive in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and as a consultant in strategic leadership. She is the author of several books on strategic leadership and planning. Her best-selling Conventional Wisdom: How Today’s Leaders Plan, Perform and Progress Like the Founding Fathers allowed her to draw on her lifelong passion for history to draw parallels between the founders and contemporary leaders. Growing up in Virginia, the daughter of history-loving parents, the family visited every battlefield and historic home and read every historic highway marker. She followed in her mother’s footsteps and graduated from William and Mary. While there, she worked for the Restoration as a costumed guide and was hooked on the 18th century. Her programs examine the Enlightenment, the transition from colonies to independence, the creation of the Constitution, and lead up to the Civil War and its aftermath. In profiles of the women and men who were critical in the development of the U.S., she helps her audience understand them as human beings with their admirable qualities and their flaws. “Because these people were humans and not idealized superheroes, we can learn from them and apply the lessons of history to our situation today.”