George Washington was only eleven years old when the world suddenly became much bigger.

His father passed away, leaving the family farm in the hands of his older brothers.

In those days, a boy without a father had to grow up quickly. While other boys played in the streets of Fredericksburg, George often looked toward the West.

Beyond the town stretched the vast Virginia wilderness—mile after mile of shadowed forest and untamed mountains.

George did not have a map of the unknown frontier, but he had something just as powerful: a surveyor’s compass.

It was a small brass instrument that could reveal direction even in the middle of a thick forest. No matter how confusing the land became, the needle always pointed north.