Washington the Model of Character for American Youth

Delivered in 1846 before the boys of Baltimore's Central High School, this address offers a snapshot of American ideals. The speaker, a clergyman, frames George Washington as the exemplar of the character the young nation wishes to cultivate. He ties the school’s motto, “Palmam qui meruit ferat,” to a broader vision of personal merit and civic duty.

The heart of the talk is the concept of the “domestic altar”—the home as the first place where virtue, religion, and reason are taught. Contrasting ancient Greek and Roman youths, who chased public glory at the cost of family ties, the speaker argues that American education should blend patriotism with social affection. He urges teachers and parents to nurture both public ambition and private morality as inseparable.

While praising the progress already made, the address also laments that the ideal has not yet been fully realized in schools across the country. Its language is earnest and reflective, offering a window into the hopes and anxieties of a republic. Listeners will gain insight into how 19th‑century educators imagined the formation of an American character.