At last the war ended at Yorktown. The world was stunned. A small group of colonies had defeated the greatest empire on earth.

George Washington became a hero. Crowds cheered his name in the streets. Some even suggested that he should become a king.

But Washington remembered the compass he once carried in the wilderness. The needle always pointed north. Not toward power. But toward what was right.

In a quiet room in Annapolis, George Washington did something that surprised the world. He resigned his command.

"I have finished my work."

Then he returned home.