George Washington decides that he is not the man to sink the entire island of Great Britain into the ocean. The navy can do that.

>[…] [George Washington](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Gilbert_Stuart_Williamstown_Portrait_of_George_Washington.jpg), to who as a member of Virginia’s House of Burgesses in 1775 met secretly to discuss the worsening situation with Britain. At Williamsburg’s [Raleigh Tavern](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Raleigh_Tavern_elevation_%2810819427246%29.jpg) the dissident colonials talked strategy. Young [Tom Jefferson](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Official_Presidential_portrait_of_Thomas_Jefferson_%28by_Rembrandt_Peale%2C_1800%29.jpg) said, “As for me, there is no country in the world I would rather be dependent on that Britain, but if the Tory government continues to deny us our rights, I would move body and soul to sink that island to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.” >Colonel Washington replied, “The sentiments of Mr. Jefferson are also mine. It is the time to move for independence. But as a military man, I must say as to Mr. Jefferson’s specific plan to routing the British, I will leave that to the naval experts.” ____________________________________ **Source:** Humes, James C. *Speaker's Treasury of Anecdotes About the Famous*. New York: Harper & Row, 1978. 28. Print. ____________________________________ **Further Reading:** [George Washington](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington) [House of Burgesses](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Burgesses) [Raleigh Tavern](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raleigh_Tavern) [Thomas Jefferson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson) [Tory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tory)