Amazon.com description: Product Description: This collection of some of George Washington's most important letters and speeches documents key moments of his military and political career as a general in the American army during the War of Independence and as the first President of the United States. Published in 1800 following Washington's death in 1799, this collection is dedicated to Washington's widow Martha and contains details of Washington's state funeral and memorial, and letters of condolence. The book includes a short biography covering the triumphs and tribulations of the war and presidency and describing the dedication to his country that caused Washington to be referred to as the 'Father of Our Country'. The public letters and speeches that Washington gave to Congress, the army and the public, such as The Address on the Cessation of Hostilities, mark a turning point in American history and the establishment of the modern democracy.