In 1751, at the tender age of 19, George Washington visited Barbados as a companion to his half-brother Lawrence, who suffered from tuberculosis. It was hoped the tropical climate would prove therapeutic.
The two rented a house in the Garrison area south of Bridgetown and stayed on the island for six weeks. Unfortunately, George contracted smallpox while on Barbados, which left his face permanently scarred, and Lawrence died the following year. The Barbados trip was the only overseas journey George Washington ever made.
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