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George Washington, American general and commander-in-chief of the colonial armies in the American Revolution (1775–83) and subsequently first president of the United States (1789–97). He is known as ‘the Father of His Country.’. Learn more about Washington’s life and career.
- Mount Vernon. But Washington had also experienced other aspects of war—the meddling of politicians and the disdain of the British for the American officers.
- The Coming Revolution. That, of course, was not to be. Like his fellow Virginians in the House of Burgesses, Washington became increasingly disillusioned with George III and his colonial minions.
- Washington at War. In early July he arrived in Cambridge to meet his “army,” finding an obstreperous, disorganized gaggle of New England militiamen, most hardscrabble farmers and small-time merchants, holding the British army at bay in Boston.
- Peace at Last. By 1781 Washington’s resolve had triumphed over the British, and two years later America could officially claim her hard-won independence.
George Washington, the first American general, president, and national hero was born in rural colonial Virginia on February 22, 1732. After the early death of his father, a young George Washington (only seven years old at the time) learned the ways of farming and planting as he became the primary owner of his family's plantation farm.
The presidency of George Washington began on April 30, 1789, when Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the United States, and ended on March 4, 1797. Washington took office after the 1788–1789 presidential election, the nation's first quadrennial presidential election, in which he was elected unanimously by the Electoral College.
- Overview
- February 22, 1732
- 1743
- 1748–49
- 1752
- Late 1752–53
- May 28, 1754
- 1755–58
- January 6, 1759
- September 1774
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George Washington is born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, the son of Augustine Washington and Mary Ball. Augustine’s grandfather had migrated in 1657 from England to the Virginia colony, where George spends his childhood on the family farm.
After his father’s death, George Washington is taken into the care of an elder half-brother, Lawrence, who builds an estate called Mount Vernon.
A teenaged Washington starts his career as a surveyor. Landowner Lord Fairfax sends Washington as an assistant on a surveying trip of the Shenandoah Valley. Lord Fairfax then gives him an appointment in 1749 as official surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia.
Upon the deaths of Lawrence and his daughter, Washington inherits Mount Vernon, becoming the head of a large plantation at a young age. He takes great interest in farming and works to expand his landholdings. (Though Washington later privately expresses disapproval of the institution of slavery, on which his plantation relies, and hopes for some wa...
Washington begins his military career when he is appointed adjutant for the southern district of Virginia in November 1752. In October 1753 he is sent as a messenger with an ultimatum to French posts to leave lands claimed by Britain in the Ohio Valley. The French refuse.
Now a lieutenant colonel, Washington leads a surprise attack on the French post of Fort Duquesne. This skirmish marks the beginning of the French and Indian War. Washington is later named a full colonel but soon resigns due to resentment of the low pay and the lack of respect Britain gives to colonial officials.
British General Edward Braddock and his army arrive in Virginia in 1755. Washington accepts his offer to be his aide-de-camp. Washington is made commander of all Virginia troops upon Braddock’s death later that year. Washington resigns from his post in 1758 when he is elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.
Upon resigning his commission, Washington marries Martha Dandridge Custis, a widow with two children. He focuses on running the prosperous Mount Vernon estate and serving in the House of Burgesses.
Virginia legislators send Washington as one of their seven delegates to the First Continental Congress.
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Aug 1, 2016 · Overview. Virginian and Revolutionary War General George Washington became the United States's first president in 1789. His actions in office set a precedent for a strong executive branch and a strong central government.
George Washington: Life in Brief. By Lindsay M. Chervinsky. George Washington was born to Mary Ball and Augustine Washington on February 22, 1732. As the third son of a middling planter, George probably should have been relegated to a footnote in a history book. Instead, he became one of the greatest figures in American history.
