“I know [patriotism] exists, and I know it has done much in the present contest. But a great and lasting war can never be supported on this principle alone. It must be aided by a prospect of interest, or some reward.”

George Washington (1732 to 1799)

General George Washington, also called Father of His Country, was an American general and commander in chief of the colonial armies in the American Revolution (1775-1783) and subsequently first president of the United States (1789-1797).