History Focus
October 11

Early American writer and Anglican minister.

Lets teach our children to tell the truth by telling a little lie!

The Rev. Mason Locke Weems was born October 11, 1759 in colonial Maryland. There are a number of stories about his early years, but few can be confirmed. He may have studied medicine in England. Perhaps at one time he was a surgeon in the Royal Navy. He probably studdied for the ministry in England, since he was ordained by the Arcbishop of Canterbury in 1784.

Weems served as rector of at least two churches in Maryland. He also wrote religious books, almanacs and sermon tracts. By 1793 he had given up the ministry and was a full-time bookseller. In 1800 he wrote a children's biography called "Life and Memorable Actions of George Washington." Weems wrote several other biographies of founding fathers including: Marion, Penn, and Franklin, but none achieved the wide popularity of the Life of Washington. It was in the 1806 that Weems included the story of the hatchet and the cherry tree.

George Washington, who, as a little boy had chopped down his father's cherry tree with a hatchet. Little George could not tell a lie, so he told his father what he had done. George Washington was to be an example for us all.

This fictitious anecdote of the cherry tree was added in order to encourage children to be honest.

Weems would fictionalize history in stories of other founding fathers. The readers of his books loved the stories and often believed that they were true. The fables got the readers interested in history and Parson Weems had some best sellers on his hands. Weems died while on a bookselling tour in Beaufort, South Carolina, on May 23, 1825. Some of his tales live on today -- like the story of George and the cherry tree.

Sources: On This Day | Various