Dear reader,

President George Washington is one of our nation’s most iconic presidents—if not the most iconic president. And for good reason, too.

In him, we find a man of great character, rock-solid beliefs, and high ideals: a visionary from whom we can all learn.

Washington was an ambassador and major in the French and Indian War, the commanding general of the Continental Army, and the first American president (1789–1797).

But one of the less-known facets of his life is that he was also a successful farmer and entrepreneur.

His vision for America was one of a free and prosperous country, a republic fueled by innovation, self-reliant citizens, and the use of its own resources. Washington himself lived by these principles.

In a recent article, Epoch Times contributor Rachael Dymski wrote that Washington owned and operated an integrated farming operation. 

“He grew the grain, ran it through his innovative and highly efficient 16-sided chafing barn, processed the grain at his own gristmill, and sold flour, bread, biscuits, and whiskey under the brand name G. Washington. … In the 1790s, he retooled his gristmill with a new design, where each step of his process was hydro-powered. In his ability to innovate at every step of the process, Washington was the quintessential American,” Dymski wrote.

However, beyond his vision of the entrepreneurial spirit of America, Washington believed in a nation grounded in virtue, tradition, and citizens of high moral character.

He knew—as did other Founding Fathers—that the best of man’s abilities and intelligence could be killed by having a poor character. He believed that the grandeur of a people and ultimately, a nation, was founded on virtue.

Washington had another, less-known vision regarding America—a vision of America’s greatest tribulations.

Our colleague Joshua Phillips tells the story in his video, Washington’s Vision of the Greatest Peril.

Washington reportedly had a vision of the spirit of America talking to him. This story was told by one of his soldiers, Anthony Sherman, but was never confirmed or denied by Washington. The story went public in 1861 when Sherman told the story to The Guardian Magazine (Volume 12, 1861).

 

In this vision, a voice Washington called “the Spirit of America” told him that America was going to face three perils by the end of every century.

The first one was the American Revolution. The second one was the American Civil War.

The third and most fearful peril is the one we should pay special attention to today. The Spirit said:

“Son of the republic, look and learn. … And taking water from the ocean, it sprinkled it upon Europe, Asia, and Africa. … From each of those countries, arose thick, black clouds that were joined into one. Throughout this mass, there gleamed a dark-red light. … I saw hordes of armed men who ...marched by land and sailed by sea to America. ... I dimly saw these vast armies devastate our whole country. ...”

With everything going on in our nation, there’s reason to believe that we’re living in this third peril right now.