For this special Fourth of July episode of High Questions, Sober Answers, I take a moment to celebrate America's 250th birthday. Anniversaries give us an opportunity to pause, reflect, and appreciate the generations that came before us, the freedoms we enjoy today, and the responsibility we share in shaping the future.

Whether your reflections are centered on history, family, service, or simply gratitude, I hope this Independence Day offers a chance to appreciate how far we've come while remembering that every generation contributes a new chapter to the American story.

Happy 250th Birthday, America—and Happy Fourth of July!

In the first episode of a new series, I begin exploring the life of young George Washington by going back to the historical record. Over the years, stories have been told about Washington surviving battle under extraordinary circumstances and receiving a remarkable prophecy from a Native American chief. But what evidence actually exists, and what do the original sources say?

Rather than relying on retellings, this series follows the documents themselves. In this episode, I begin examining the historical record surrounding Washington's early military experiences and the accounts that have shaped these enduring stories.

Primary sources discussed in this episode:

• George Washington's letter to John Augustine:
Founders Online – Letter to John Augustine Washington (18 July 1755)

• Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington (full text):
Internet Archive – Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington

In this episode of the George Washington series, I begin examining George Washington's own writings to better understand his religious beliefs. Rather than relying on later interpretations, I read his Circular Letter to the States and highlight every place where he refers to—or clearly alludes to—a higher being.

As I work through the document, I ask a simple question: What does Washington's own language tell us about what he believed? Was he a deist, an atheist, an agnostic, or something else entirely? This episode marks the beginning of that investigation by letting Washington speak for himself.

If you'd like to read the letter yourself, you can find it here:

George Washington's Circular Letter to the States (1783)