Here’s something I didn’t know before. In addition to being the Father of our Country, George Washington also gave America the first “Mammoth Jackass.” Yes, the large donkey. In Washington’s time the donkeys were short in height and lacked the stamina Washington needed them to have for work.

He imported donkeys from Spain and France. He received one donkey from the Marquis de Lafayette, which was named the “Knight of Malta.” But this animal was only 4 ½ feet tall. Washington was very disappointed.

So George bred his “jennys” with this gift animal. The result was the first American line of Mammoth Jacks—a breed which included both males and females. They were much larger and had more stamina that the jackass he received from his friend, Lafayette. So how about that. Along with his other achievements, George Washington gave us a new breed of donkey! (Since the Revolutionary War, George was used to dealing with jackasses.)