(BPT) - Key Takeaways:
- George Washington's voice didn't match his appearance.
- A viral infection caused Washington to speak in a high, breathy voice.
- Washington's voice and poor dental health may have caused him to struggle had he lived in the modern era.
Two hundred and fifty years after the founding of the United States, most people know what George Washington looked like. But what did he sound like?
There are many well-known paintings of Washington. The museum at Mount Vernon displays a painstakingly accurate facial reconstruction to definitively show his appearance during his lifetime. He was a big, strapping guy at 6 foot 3 inches tall (which makes him equivalent to 6 foot 9 inches today), with large shoulders and legs.
Knowing this you likely imagine him having a commanding, masculine voice. However, according to Stephen Yoch, author of "Becoming George Washington," America's first president didn't sound like he looked.
What did Washington sound like?
"We all imagine Washington as a strapping guy who had a voice to match," said Yoch. "But Washington suffered from pleurisy - a viral infection that causes an inflammation in the lining of the lungs - as a child and because of this he spoke in a high, weak and breathy voice."
According to author Stephen Yoch, America's first president didn't sound like he looked.
Washington's contemporaries often described him as soft-spoken. Yoch says this undoubtedly came from his unexpectedly high voice and from his notoriously bad teeth, which gave him the habit of keeping his mouth closed to hide their appearance and the bad breath that comes with tooth decay.
Would Washington have succeeded as a modern president?
As is so often the case with past presidents, Washington would have struggled in the modern era. "Certainly his dental problems could be corrected," said Yoch, "but his quiet demeanor and high voice would not have played well in our modern 24/7 news cycle."
For more about George Washington's early life and his rise to prominence, visit Amazon.com. Here you can also access Yoch's newest book, "Becoming Benedict Arnold," about one of America's most infamous traitors.
Historical fiction writer Stephen Yoch is based in Minneapolis/St. Paul. He is the author of "Becoming George Washington" and "Becoming Benedict Arnold."
