Most Americans know that George Washington was the first president of the U.S., and that Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the U.S.

Most Americans probably also know that it was Washington to whom Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Va., and that Lincoln was president during the U.S. Civil War.

However, the lives of these two presidents for which President’s Day was declared a holiday go far beyond what they did and when. The lives were partly defined by the virtues they upheld and lived out everyday.

On Monday, Gary Kline, Ph.D., professor of political science at Georgia Southwestern State University, shed light on some of those virtues at the Presidents’ Day program at the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site (NHS) Monday, the day observed by the federal government as the holiday.

“It’s important for us to remember why they deserve a special day,” Kline said. “They had character and traits that were worth emulating.”

For instance, although Washington was a man of the military, he was not a fan of war, Kline explained. He was an advocate of peace.

Having pointed out that once the Revolutionary War was over, Washington relinquished his power as commander of the Army of the Potomac, Kline said.

Kline added that Washington was a “servant of the people. He manifested this all his life.”

The professor also pointed out that Washington was the only president ever chosen unanimously by the Electoral College. Kline also added of Washington’s military prowess that he was a man of ingenuity and perseverance.

Of Lincoln, Kline said he — and Washington — held with “republican ideals,” those found in the governments of ancient Greece and Rome.

“They observed moderation, honesty and integrity,” Kline said of Washington and Lincoln. He added that Washington and Lincoln thought deeply about the legacy for the country and future generations.

When referring to Lincoln, Kline said he observed the traits of benevolence, moderation and wisdom, and that these were important during the time of the Civil War — one where brother fought brother almost — when it was easy to become bitter.

Kline explained that after the war, a lot of Northerners held the sentiment that the South should “pay” for provoking the war with secession. Kline added that Lincoln did not hold this view, and persuaded his fellow Northerners not to be angry with the South.

“He didn’t allow vindictiveness to dominate,” Kline said.

Before concluding his part of the presentation, Kline added that both Lincoln and Washington were statesmen and they wanted what was best for the entire country.