freemasonry
Samuel Johnson was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. He was a devout Anglican, and a committed Tory. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography calls him «arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history». James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson was selected by Johnson biographer Walter Jackson Bate as «the most famous single work of biographical art in the whole of literature».
George Washington is the first popularly elected president of the United States of America and one of the founding fathers of the United States.
Born into a noble family in colonial Virginia in February 1732, George Washington served as a Virginian officer with British troops during the French-Indian War (1754-1763) from 1754-1758. This was a territorial war fought largely between the colonies of Britain and France that escalated into a worldwide conflict between the two countries. J. Washington was at the center of the conflicts in the disputed Ohio River Valley area.
In June 1775, he was elected commander-in-chief of the Continental forces in the war already for independence from Great Britain. He commanded American troops throughout the war, becoming famous for his perseverance and bravery.
In 1787, J. Washington represented the state of Virginia as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. This convention created the Constitution of the United States. In 1789, the Electoral College unanimously elected George Washington president, and in 1792 he was re-elected for a second term. Thus George Washington was in office as President of the United States from April 30, 1789 to March 4, 1797.
As head of state, he helped to strengthen the Union, implement the principles of the Constitution and build the capital of the United States. He was engaged in the formation of the central authorities and system of government, created precedents for the institution of presidents, encouraged the development of the economy, maintained friendly relations with Congress. In foreign policy Washington avoided interference in the affairs of European states.
After leaving the post of president, George Washington lived in Mount Vernon Manor.
Francis Holman is a British marine artist.
His father was a sea captain in a port town, and the future artist was surrounded by the world of shipping and navigation from childhood. Holman was first commissioned by captains to depict their ships, and then he began to create paintings of shipyards and general life in maritime Britain in the late eighteenth century. He also painted several patriotic paintings of naval battles during the American War of Independence.
Today, Holman's art is appreciated for what it is. His attention to detail and intimate knowledge of his subject make up a valuable record of eighteenth-century maritime life.
Francis Holman's student Thomas Looney later became a major marine artist.
