Letters from an American
· collected 2026-08-31 · by Heather Cox Richardson
commentary
In his The Life of Washington, first published in 1800, minister and writer Mason Locke Weems, more commonly known as Parson Weems, wrote down for the citizens of this new nation the qualities they should require in a leader.
asserted
they → publish → leader
The book was written not to reflect the facts of Washington’s life—biographies would not focus on facts for almost a century—but to show virtues the nation’s youth should imitate and to establish a set of attributes against which future voters could judge those vying to lead the nation.
uncertain
voters → write → nation
And, beginning with an 1806 edition of the book, he could not tell a lie.
uncertain
he → begin → lie
According to Weems, when George was about six years old “he was made the wealthy master of a hatchet, of which, like most little boys, he was immoderately fond, and was constantly going about chopping every thing that came in his way.
uncertain
that → accord → way
One day, in the garden…he unluckily tried the edge of his hatchet on the body of a beautiful young English cherry-tree….
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he → try → tree
The next morning the old gentleman finding out what had befallen his tree…, came into the House; and with much warmth asked for the mischievous author….
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what → find → author
Nobody could tell him anything about it.
uncertain
Nobody → tell → it
Presently George and his hatchet made their appearance.
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George → make → appearance
‘George,’ said his father, ‘do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry tree yonder in the garden?’
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who → say → garden
“This was a tough question; and George staggered under it for a moment; but quickly recovered himself: and looking at his father, with the sweet face of youth brightened with the inexpressible charm of all-conquering truth, he bravely cried out, ‘I can’t tell a lie, Pa; you know I can’t tell a lie.
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I → stagger → lie
I did cut it with my hatchet.’
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I → cut → hatchet
“‘Run to my arms, you dearest boy,’ cried his father in transports, ‘run to my arms; glad am I, George, that you killed my tree; for you have paid me for it a thousand fold.
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you → run → it
Such an act of heroism in my son is more worth than a thousand trees, though blossomed with silver, and their fruits of purest gold.’
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act → blossom → gold
Like many of the other anecdotes Weems delivered, this story was almost certainly invented.
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story → deliver → anecdotes
But it established the importance of truth-telling in a leader.
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it → establish → leader
On Friday, Rick Maese of the Washington Post reported that despite orders from U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes saying that she wanted advance notice before the government took down more than ten trees from the East Potomac Golf Links or brought equipment larger than a sedan onto the property, the Trump administration has taken down more than sixty trees in apparent preparation for Trump to redesign the golf course.
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Trump → report → course
Opponents have sued to stop the redesign of the historic publicly owned course.
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Opponents → sue → course
Trump has said the makeover will begin on September 1, but Maese notes that the administration has released “no final design, construction schedule or estimated cost.”
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administration → say → design
It has apparently not conducted either environmental or historical preservation reviews.
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It → conduct → reviews
It has not said how changes to the course will affect public access to the three courses and to the popular recreation path on the property.
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changes → say → property
Reyes said she would not stop administration officials from doing routine maintenance on the property, and the administration says the tree removal is routine maintenance.
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removal → say → property
A spokesperson for the Interior Department said: “Arborists are doing routine maintenance at East Potomac Park with selective removal of hazard trees, non-native invasive trees, and declining and dying trees that cannot be brought back to good health through any degree of intervention.”
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that → say → intervention
One of the trees they have cut down is a cherry tree.
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they → cut → trees
It seems like the writers for the 250th season of American democracy are becoming increasingly desperate to get the country’s attention.
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writers → seem → attention
On Friday, Trump announced: “The United States of America has just entered into an Agreement with the Country of Venezuela on, THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY!
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States → announce → HISTORY
At my direction, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, working closely with Highly Respected Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, and, through a partnership with private business, have secured majority U.S. control of more than 65 BILLION BARRELS of proven Oil Reserves in Venezuela, at no cost to the American Taxpayer.
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Rubio → work → Taxpayer
This Historic Transaction MORE THAN DOUBLES American Oil Reserves, greatly increases our Oil Supply, and will substantially lower Gas Prices for all Americans, long into the future, while helping to continue to set Venezuela on a course toward Tremendous Success and Great Prosperity.
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Transaction → double → Success
This Transaction will greatly strengthen the already growing relationship between Venezuela and the United States!
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Transaction → strengthen → Venezuela
A U.S. official told Megan Messerly, Ben Lefebvre, and Scott Waldman of Politico that this deal was a new venture between the U.S. government and an “experienced private operator in Venezuela.”
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deal → tell → Venezuela
Although the official did not identify which operator that is, it became clear over the weekend that the person in question is Alejandro Betancourt López.
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person → identify → question
Rebecca F. Elliott, Anatoly Kurmanaev, and Edward Wong of the New York Times explained that Betancourt’s family controls Venezuela’s second largest private oil producer, North American Blue Energy Partners.
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family → explain → producer
Betancourt has been accused of corruption for years; Switzerland has investigated him for money laundering and has issued a warrant for his arrest, although it has not charged him.
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it → accuse → him
According to the New York Times reporters, it appears the plan is for the U.S. government to back North American Blue Energy Partners, which will, in turn, develop oil reserves in 17 of Venezuela’s oil fields.
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which → accord → fields
The U.S. official who talked to the Politico journalists said the new venture would be the second-biggest private oil company in the world, after Saudi Aramco.
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venture → talk → Aramco
The U.S. would control 55% of the venture’s output.
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U.S. → control → output
When production starts, the person told the journalists, “the resulting stable supply of at-cost oil in our Hemisphere will go toward filling the U.S. strategic petroleum reserve and fulfilling the supply needs of our Great U.S. Military.”
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supply → start → Military
But an executive in the oil industry told the journalists that the deal was “built on a legal environment that does not exist.
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that → tell → environment
The Venezuelan constitution does not allow for anyone other than [Venezuela’s state-owned oil and gas company] to own rights to oil and gas in the country,” the executive pointed out.
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executive → allow → country
“The end of story,” the person said, “is the president wants to say we have billions of barrels of oil in reserve.
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we → say → reserve
That would act as a price stabilization nuclear bomb.
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That → act → bomb
…and 19 more, not listed.
