Perhaps the most well-known of these is George Washington's "I cannot tell a lie". Did he actually say that? No. The story first appeared in the fifth edition of Mason Locke Weems's biography, The Life of George Washington, published in 1806. Mr. Weems knew it wasn't factual when he included it in his book. He said that his plan was to tell Washington's history, then go on "to show that his unparalleled rise and elevation were due to his Great Virtues." I first heard the story when I was in elementary school (a very long time ago) and it's a pretty safe bet most of you did too. So, why is this little story, which most people know is not true, better known than most of the documented facts of our first president's life? Why has it lasted for more than two hundred years when many facts have been lost? It has the appeal of myth. It's a tangible example of the good we, as Americans, like to believe is the basis of our country.
What comes to mind when you think of Abraham Lincoln? If you're anything like me, first is a picture of his noble, craggy face. Next is an image of the log cabin in which he supposedly was born. While it is true that he was born in a log cabin, the actual cabin, much like Washington's cherry tree, is the stuff of myth. That humble little log cabin has become a symbol of that American icon: a man of humble beginnings, proof that if you work hard and follow your dreams, anything is possible.
There is a tourist attraction representing the cabin but no one pretends it's the real thing. It's a facsimile and is enclosed inside a miniature Greek temple. One account I read described the temple as "pure and serene and utterly unrelated to the historical Lincoln". The temple has sixteen columns, representing the fact that Lincoln was our sixteenth president, and fifty-six steps representing the years of Lincoln's life. The closest they dare claim to authenticity was to say that there is a possibility that some of the logs might have come from the site of his actual birthplace. It other words, it's a symbol, a myth.
Does the fact that these stories are not true lessen their importance? I don't think so. They are part of our heritage, fantasies we have molded from fact to remind us who we are and what we aspire to be. They are stories to pass down through the generations in the hope that the values they represent will be an inspiration for our children and grandchildren, and, equally important, to ourselves.
