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May 15, 2024 · Visit the site where George Washington was born in 1732 and explore the history and natural beauty of the park. Learn about the Memorial House, the bicentennial celebration, the historic resource study, and more.
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Explore George Washington Birthplace. Spend a day at the...
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George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was an American Founding Father, military officer, and politician who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Second Continental Congress as commander of the Continental Army in 1775, Washington led Patriot forces to victory in the ...
- Who Was George Washington?
- Early Life and Family
- Mount Vernon
- Childhood and Education
- Pre-Revolutionary Military Career
- French and Indian War
- Commander of Virginia Troops
- Martha Washington
- Enslaved People
- Teeth
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George Washington was a Virginia plantation owner who served as a general and commander-in-chief of the colonial armies during the American Revolutionary War, and later became the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797.
Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was the eldest of Augustine and Mary’s six children, all of whom survived into adulthood. The family lived on Pope's Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia. They were moderately prosperous members of Virginia's "middling class." Washington could trace his family's presen...
In 1735, Augustine moved the family up the Potomac River to another Washington family home, Little Hunting Creek Plantation — later renamed Mount Vernon. They moved again in 1738 to Ferry Farm on the Rappahannock River, opposite Fredericksburg, Virginia, where Washington spent much of his youth.
Little is known about Washington's childhood, which fostered many of the fables later biographers manufactured to fill in the gap. Among these are the stories that Washington threw a silver dollar across the Potomac and after chopping down his father's prize cherry tree, he openly confessed to the crime. It is known that from age seven to 15, Washi...
In the early 1750s, France and Britain were at peace. However, the French military had begun occupying much of the Ohio Valley, protecting the King's land interests, particularly fur trappers and French settlers. But the borderlands of this area were unclear and prone to dispute between the two countries. Washington showed early signs of natural le...
On October 31, 1753, Dinwiddie sent Washington to Fort LeBoeuf, at what is now Waterford, Pennsylvania, to warn the French to remove themselves from land claimed by Britain. The French politely refused and Washington made a hasty ride back to Williamsburg, Virginia's colonial capital. Dinwiddie sent Washington back with troops and they set up a pos...
In August 1755, Washington was made commander of all Virginia troops at age 23. He was sent to the frontier to patrol and protect nearly 400 miles of border with some 700 ill-disciplined colonial troops and a Virginia colonial legislature unwilling to support him. It was a frustrating assignment. His health failed in the closing months of 1757 and ...
A month after leaving the army, Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis, a widow, who was only a few months older than he. Martha brought to the marriage a considerable fortune: an 18,000-acre estate, from which Washington personally acquired 6,000 acres. With this and land he was granted for his military service, Washington became one of the mo...
During his retirement from the Virginia militia until the start of the Revolution, Washington devoted himself to the care and development of his land holdings, attending the rotation of crops, managing livestock and keeping up with the latest scientific advances. By the 1790s, Washington kept over 300 enslaved people at Mount Vernon. He was said to...
Much has been made of the fact that Washington used false teeth or dentures for most of his adult life. Indeed, Washington's correspondence to friends and family makes frequent references to aching teeth, inflamed gums and various dental woes. Washington had one tooth pulled when he was just 24 years old, and by the time of his inauguration in 1789...
Learn about the life and achievements of George Washington, the first president of the United States and a Founding Father. He was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia, and became a prominent military leader and landowner.
Mar 12, 2024 · Visit the site where George Washington was born in 1732 and explore the history and nature of the park. Learn about the fees, hours, directions, and amenities of this national monument in Virginia.
May 23, 2024 · 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.
Jan 2, 2024 · Explore George Washington Birthplace. Spend a day at the park exploring the Memorial Area, relaxing at the Potomac River Beach, enjoying lunch at the Picnic Area, or connecting with nature during a walk along one of the park trails.
Lawrence Washington (Mount Vernon Ladies' Association) George Washington was born at his family's plantation on Popes Creekin Westmoreland County, Virginia, on February 22, 1732, to Augustineand Mary Ball Washington. George's father was a leading planter in the area and served as a justice of the county court. Augustine Washington's first wife ...
