George Washington, Entrepreneur: How Our Founding Father’s Private Business Pursuits Changed America and the World

Contact Your Elected Officials

A business biography of George Washington, focusing on his many innovations and inventions.

George Washington: general, statesman…businessman? Most people don’t know that Washington was one of the country’s first true entrepreneurs, responsible for innovations in several industries. In George Washington, Entrepreneur, John Berlau presents a fresh, surprising take on our forefather’s business pursuits.

History has depicted Washington as a gifted general and political pragmatist, not an intellectual heavyweight. But he was a patron of inventors and inveterate tinkerer, and just as intelligent as Jefferson or Franklin. His library was filled with books on agriculture, history, and philosophy. He was the first to breed horses with donkeys to produce the American mule. On his estate, he grew countless varieties of trees and built a greenhouse full of exotic fruits, herbs, and plants. Unlike his Virginia neighbors who remained wedded to tobacco, Washington planted seven types of wheat. His state-of-the-art mill produced flour which he exported to Europe in sacks stamped “G. Washington”โ€•one of the very first branded food products. Mount Vernon was also home to a distillery and became one of the largest American whiskey producers of the era.

Berlau’s portrait of Washington, drawn in large part from his journals and extensive correspondence, presents a side of him we haven’t seen before. It is sure to delight readers of presidential biography and business history.

Buy It Now!

Editorial Reviews

Review

โ€œJust when you think the scholarship on our first president has become exhausted, along comes a book like George Washington, Entrepreneur to open your eyes and impart new knowledge about our greatest president. Berlau is an exquisite writer and historian.โ€
โ€•Craig Shirley, author of Mary Ball Washington, presidential historian, and Reagan biographer

โ€œSurveyor, agribusinessman, patron of inventors: John Berlau shows how Washington brought his skillsetโ€•curiosity, persistence, flexibilityโ€•to his life as an entrepreneur.โ€
โ€•Richard Brookhiser, senior fellow, National Review Institute, and author of Founding Father.

โ€œA fascinating look at a little-known and (not surprisingly) little taught aspect of George Washingtonโ€™s lifeโ€ฆa timely reminder of the role entrepreneurship played in this countryโ€™s history, and the role that opposition to infringements on economic liberty played in the American revolution.โ€
โ€•Dr. Ron Paul, former U.S. congressman and presidential candidate

โ€œAn impressive work of scholarship that enlarges our understanding of the founding era.โ€
โ€•Norm Singleton, Campaign for Liberty president

โ€œGeorge Washington, Entrepreneur tells a dramatic storyโ€ฆIn no small part, British efforts to curb American entrepreneurialism led to the American Revolution.โ€
โ€•Kevin J. Hayes, author of George Washington: A Life in Books, winner of the George Washington Prize

Buy It Now!

โ€œWashington’s entrepreneurial spirit and business skills are relevant not only to the hundreds of thousands of present day FFA and Farm Bureau members, but important to the founding of our nationโ€ฆbusiness is at its heart a creative act, necessary to liberty, and Washington’s dedication to freedom in commercial pursuits may well have been the impetus for his role in the Revolution and the founding. Berlau’s book is timely and important, and I highly recommend it.โ€
โ€•Blake Hurst, farmer and Missouri Farm Bureau president

โ€œSmart, searching, and absorbing, George Washington, Entrepreneur is a must-read for twenty-first-century innovators, tinkerers, and pragmatists who believe innovation is never at rest.โ€
โ€•Erin Holmes, managing partner, Invested Media

“At a time when others downgrade so many historical figures, John Berlau lifts a worthy man higherโ€•Washington. Berlau gives us a fascinating tour of Washington’s business side, illuminating the relationship between entrepreneurial, military and political achievement.”
โ€•Amity Shlaes, biographer, author of Coolidge

About the Author

John Berlau is an award-winning journalist, recipient of the National Press Clubโ€™s Sandy Hume Memorial Award for Excellence in Political Journalism, and Senior Fellow for Finance and Access to Capital at CEI. He is a columnist for Forbes and Newsmax, and has contributed to Financial TimesWashington PostPolitico, Wall Street Journal,and Washington TimesHe is a frequent guest on CNBC, CNN, Fox News, and Fox Business. Berlau lives in Alexandria, VA, 7 miles from the Mount Vernon estate.

Buy It Now!
Book Knowledge
Book Knowledgehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/previews/books-magazines/
Book Knowledge shares books, magazines and other sources that help us grow in our knowledge of conservatism and help us make a difference in our country.

The Sacred Honor of the 56

Today we're celebrating the sacred honor of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence.

Alligator Alcatraz: A Bold Step Toward Secure Borders

Alligator Alcatraz funded through FEMA, represents a decisive move by the Trump admin to address illegal immigration with efficiency and resolve.

Is America Broke?

Silicon Valley investor and economic commentator Balaji Srinivasan made...

Hungary: Prideโ„ข Cometh Before the Color Revolution

The EU engaged in a diplomatic siege of the Eastern European nation-state of Hungary pressuring it into embrace global trannyism or face wrath of Brussels.

Understanding the Trump/Musk Feud

The passion Trump and Musk exhibit over the OBBB is not contrived or for show. Each is addressing the problem from completely different approaches.

Federal Reserve Rates Are Too High, Says Former World Bank Chief

Rates should be between 0.25 and 1.75 percent rather...

Noem Waives Environmental Restrictions to Fast-Track Water Barriers in Rio Grande

DHS Sec Kristi Noem waived federal environmental laws to fast-track construction of 17 miles of waterborne barriers in the Rio Grande in South Texas.

Federal Officials Warn of โ€˜Lone Wolfโ€™ Terror Threats on July 4, NY Governor Says

NY Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed that federal officials informed her about a possible terrorist threat ahead of the July 4 Independence Day holiday.

Record 1 in 5 Buyers of New Cars Committing to $1,000-Plus Monthly Payments: Edmunds

The share of new car buyers committing to make monthly payments of $1,000 or more hit an โ€œall-time highโ€ in the second quarter of 2025.

US Keeps Pressure on Chinese Goods Amid Vietnam Trade Deal

Transshippingโ€”rerouting goods through a third country to disguise the origin of the productsโ€”is a focal point of trade negotiations with Asian markets.

White House Report Reveals Top Earners, Staffers Working for No Salary

The Trump admin released its yearly report that shows the salaries for White House staffers, also revealing officials who arenโ€™t accepting salaries at all.

Transportation Secretary Urges Governors to Remove Political Messages From Crosswalks, Intersections

Duffy sent letters to governors, mayor of D.C., and gov of Puerto Rico urging them to remove political messaging from intersections and crosswalks.

Bessent: US, India Near Agreement to Lower Tariffs

The United States and India are โ€œvery closeโ€ to a trade agreement, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday.
spot_img

Related Articles