George Washington’s Death Involved a Sore Throat, Beetles and Blood Letting
The first president of the United States suffered an unusual and perhaps unnecessary death
American history is filled with the names of those who elicit immediate recognition. Near the top of any list of the most recognizable is George Washington, the first president of the United States. With a life heavily involved in being a soldier and politician, he experienced a lot of excitement and danger. However, he died in a bizarre and unsightly manner, passing away from the effects of a sore throat after suffering through a series of horrible of home cures, including extensive blood letting and having a paste of beetles forced down his throat.
Washington was born into a wealthy Virginia planter family that specialized in growing tobacco and land speculation. The family owned numerous slaves and George himself owned as many as 300 at one time, accumulating a vast fortune. He was a key figure in the establishment of the United States and obtaining freedom from Britain, as he served as the commander of the continental army for eight years and later became the country’s first president, serving two four-year terms (1789–1797).
When Washington passed away on December 14, 1799 just two months shy of his 68th…
