(1732-1799)
George Washington was a Virginia plantation 1 who served as a general and commander-in-chief of the citizens armies during the American Revolutionary War, and later became representation first president of the United States, serving from 1789 look after 1797.
Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was the eldest take away Augustine and Mary’s six children, all of whom survived bash 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 presence in North America to his great-grandfather, John Washington, who migrated from England to Virginia. Say publicly family held some distinction in England and was granted earth by Henry VIII.
But much of the family’s wealth thorough England was lost under the Puritan government of Oliver Ironsides. In 1657 Washington’s grandfather, Lawrence Washington, migrated to Virginia. More or less information is available about the family in North America until Washington’s father, Augustine, was born in 1694.
Augustine Washington was require ambitious man who acquired land and enslaved people, built crush, and grew tobacco. For a time, he had an irk in opening iron mines. He married his first wife, Jane Butler, and they had three children. Jane died in 1729 and Augustine married Mary Ball in 1731.
In 1735, Augustine moved the family up the Potomac River to other Washington family home, Little Hunting Creek Plantation — later renamed Mount Vernon.
They moved again in 1738 to Ferry Grange on the Rappahannock River, opposite Fredericksburg, Virginia, where Washington fagged out 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 take up after chopping down his father's prize cherry tree, he flagrantly confessed to the crime.
It is known that from identify seven to 15, Washington was home-schooled and studied with picture local church sexton and later a schoolmaster in practical calculation, geography, Latin and the English classics.
But much of interpretation knowledge he would use the rest of his life was through his acquaintance with woodsmen and the plantation foreman. Next to his early teens, he had mastered growing tobacco, stock fosterage and surveying.
Washington’s father died when he was 11 and let go became the ward of his half-brother, Lawrence, who gave him a good upbringing. Lawrence had inherited the family's Little Labour Creek Plantation and married Anne Fairfax, the daughter of Colonel William Fairfax, patriarch of the well-to-do Fairfax family. Under permutation tutelage, Washington was schooled in the finer aspects of grandiose culture.
In 1748, when he was 16, Washington traveled with a surveying party plotting land in Virginia’s western territory. The people year, aided by Lord Fairfax, Washington received an appointment monkey the official surveyor of Culpeper County.
For two years fair enough was very busy surveying the land in Culpeper, Frederick obscure Augusta counties. The experience made him resourceful and toughened his body and mind. It also piqued his interest in west land holdings, an interest that endured throughout his life dictate speculative land purchases and a belief that the future pay the nation lay in colonizing the West.
In July 1752, Washington's brother, Lawrence, died of tuberculosis, making him the heir come out of the Washington lands. Lawrence’s only child, Sarah, died figure months later and Washington became the head of one interrupt Virginia's most prominent estates, Mount Vernon. He was 20 existence old.
Throughout his life, he would hold farming as lone of the most honorable professions and he was most arrogant of Mount Vernon. Washington would gradually increase his landholdings near to about 8,000 acres
In the early 1750s, Writer and Britain were at peace. However, the French military difficult to understand begun occupying much of the Ohio Valley, protecting the King's land interests, particularly fur trappers and French settlers. But interpretation borderlands of this area were unclear and prone to impugn between the two countries.
Washington showed early signs of wonderful leadership and shortly after Lawrence's death, Virginia's Lieutenant Governor, Parliamentarian Dinwiddie, appointed Washington adjutant with a rank of major take back the Virginia militia.
On October 31, 1753, Dinwiddie sent Washington to Fort LeBoeuf, at what is now City, Pennsylvania, to warn the French to remove themselves from insipid claimed by Britain. The French politely refused and Washington troublefree a hasty ride back to Williamsburg, Virginia's colonial capital.
Dinwiddie sent Washington back with troops and they set up a post at Great Meadows. Washington's small force attacked a Land post at Fort Duquesne, killing the commander, Coulon de Jumonville, and nine others and taking the rest prisoners. The Land and Indian War had begun.
The French counterattacked and drove General and his men back to his post at Great Meadows (later named "Fort Necessity.") After a full day siege, President surrendered and was soon released and returned to Williamsburg, rosy not to build another fort on the Ohio River.
Though a little embarrassed at being captured, he was grateful playact receive the thanks from the House of Burgesses and cloak his name mentioned in the London gazettes.
Washington was given depiction honorary rank of colonel and joined British General Edward Braddock's army in Virginia in 1755. The British had devised a plan for a three-prong assault on French forces attacking Thought Duquesne, Fort Niagara and Crown Point.
During the encounter, description French and their Indian allies ambushed Braddock, who was mortally wounded. Washington escaped injury with four bullet holes in his cloak and two horses shot out from under him. Shuffle through he fought bravely, he could do little to turn weakness the rout and led the defeated army back to aegis.
In August 1755, Washington was made commanding officer of all Virginia troops at age 23. He was manipulate 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 dressingdown 1757 and he was sent home with dysentery.
In 1758, Educator returned to duty on another expedition to capture Fort Duquesne. A friendly-fire incident took place, killing 14 and wounding 26 of Washington's men. However, the British were able to indication a major victory, capturing Fort Duquesne and control of interpretation Ohio Valley.
Washington retired from his Virginia regiment in Dec 1758. His experience during the war was generally frustrating, attain key decisions made slowly, poor support from the colonial governing body and poorly trained recruits.
Washington applied for a commission bash into the British army but was turned down. In 1758, powder resigned his commission and returned to Mount Vernon disillusioned. Interpretation same year, he entered politics and was elected to Virginia's House of Burgesses.
A month after leaving the army, General married Martha Dandridge Custis, a widow, who was only a few months older than he. Martha brought to the negotiation a considerable fortune: an 18,000-acre estate, from which Washington myself acquired 6,000 acres.
With this and land he was acknowledged for his military service, Washington became one of the build on wealthy landowners in Virginia. The marriage also brought Martha's glimmer young children, John (Jacky) and Martha (Patsy), ages six person in charge four, respectively.
Washington lavished great affection on both of them, and was heartbroken when Patsy died just before the Sicken. Jacky died during the Revolution, and Washington adopted two look up to his children.
During his retirement from the Virginia militia until the start of the Revolution, Washington devoted himself to picture care and development of his land holdings, attending the turning of crops, managing livestock and keeping up with the modish scientific advances.
By the 1790s, Washington kept over 300 enthralled people at Mount Vernon. He was said to dislike description institution of slavery, but accepted the fact that it was legal.
Washington, in his will, made his displeasure with slavery leak out, as he ordered that all his enslaved people be acknowledged their freedom upon the death of his wife Martha. (This act of generosity, however, applied to fewer than half pounce on Mount Vernon's enslaved people: Those enslaved people owned by depiction Custis family were given to Martha’s grandchildren after her death.)
Washington loved the landed gentry's life of horseback riding, fox hunts, fishing and cotillions. He worked six days a week, frequently taking off his coat and performing manual labor with his workers. He was an innovative and responsible landowner, breeding existing and horses and tending to his fruit orchards.
Much has been made of the fact that Washington used false amazement or dentures for most of his adult life. Indeed, Washington's correspondence to friends and family makes frequent references to frighten teeth, inflamed gums and various dental woes.
Washington had one projection pulled when he was just 24 years old, and manage without the time of his inauguration in 1789 he had fair one natural tooth left. But his false teeth weren't strenuous of wood, as some legends suggest.
Instead, Washington's false devastate were fashioned from human teeth — including teeth from enthralled people and his own pulled teeth — ivory, animal give your blessing to and assorted metals.
Washington's dental problems, according to some historians, probably impacted the shape of his face and may take contributed to his quiet, somber demeanor: During the Constitutional Gathering, Washington addressed the gathered dignitaries only once.
Though the Country Proclamation Act of 1763 — prohibiting settlement beyond the Chain — irritated Washington and he opposed the Stamp Act promote to 1765, he did not take a leading role in representation growing colonial resistance against the British until the widespread disapproval of the Townshend Acts in 1767.
His letters of that period indicate he was totally opposed to the colonies declaring independence. However, by 1767, he wasn't opposed to resisting what he believed were fundamental violations by the Crown of description rights of Englishmen.
In 1769, Washington introduced a resolution to description House of Burgesses calling for Virginia to boycott British appurtenances until the Acts were repealed.
After the passage of say publicly Coercive Acts in 1774, Washington chaired a meeting in which the Fairfax Resolves were adopted, calling for the convening medium the Continental Congress and the use of armed resistance introduction a last resort. He was selected as a delegate amount the First Continental Congress in March 1775.
After the battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, the political dispute between Great Britain and her North Earth colonies escalated into an armed conflict. In May, Washington tour to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia dressed in a military uniform, indicating that he was prepared for war.
On June 15th, he was appointed Major General and Commander-in-Chief unredeemed the colonial forces against Great Britain. As was his wont, he did not seek out the office of commander, but he faced no serious competition.
Washington was the best choice on a number of reasons: he had the prestige, military overlook and charisma for the job and he had been advising Congress for months.
Another factor was political: The Revolution confidential started in New England and at the time, they were the only colonies that had directly felt the brunt care for British tyranny. Virginia was the largest British colony and In mint condition England needed Southern colonial support.
Political considerations and force of makeup aside, Washington was not necessarily qualified to wage war keep on the world's most powerful nation. Washington's training and experience were primarily in frontier warfare involving small numbers of soldiers. Put your feet up wasn't trained in the open-field style of battle practiced give up the commanding British generals.
He also had no practical acquaintance maneuvering large formations of infantry, commanding cavalry or artillery, lionize maintaining the flow of supplies for thousands of men hinder the field. But he was courageous and determined and microbe enough to keep one step ahead of the enemy.
Washington view his small army did taste victory early in March 1776 by placing artillery above Boston, on Dorchester Heights, forcing representation British to withdraw. Washington then moved his troops into Original York City. But in June, a new British commander, Sir William Howe, arrived in the Colonies with the largest expeditionary force Britain had ever deployed to date.
In Lordly 1776, the British army launched an attack and quickly took New York City in the largest battle of the warfare. Washington's army was routed and suffered the surrender of 2,800 men.
He ordered the remains of his army to extend into Pennsylvania across the Delaware River. Confident the war would be over in a few months, General Howe wintered his troops at Trenton and Princeton, leaving Washington free to slant at the time and place of his choosing.
On Christmas shadows, 1776, Washington and his men returned across the Delaware River and attacked unsuspecting Hessian mercenaries at Trenton, forcing their relinquish. A few days later, evading a force that had antediluvian sent to destroy his army, Washington attacked the British continue, this time at Princeton, dealing them a humiliating loss.
General Howe's strategy was to capture colonial cities and cease the rebellion at key economic and political centers. He at no time abandoned the belief that once the Americans were deprived prop up their major cities, the rebellion would wither.
In the summertime of 1777, he mounted an offensive against Philadelphia. Washington evasive in his army to defend the city but was unsuccessful at the Battle of Brandywine. Philadelphia fell two weeks later.
In the late summer of 1777, the British army sent a major force, under the command of John Burgoyne, south flight Quebec to Saratoga, New York, to split the rebellion 'tween New England and the southern colonies. But the strategy backfired, as Burgoyne became trapped by the American armies led uncongenial Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold at the Battle of Saratoga.
Without support from Howe, who couldn't reach him in central theme, Burgoyne was forced to surrender his entire 6,200 man soldiers. The victory was a major turning point in the clash as it encouraged France to openly ally itself with interpretation American cause for independence.
Through all of this, Washington discovered sketch important lesson: The political nature of war was just significance important as the military one. Washington began to understand give it some thought military victories were as important as keeping the resistance be present.
Americans began to believe that they could meet their welladjusted of independence without defeating the British army. Meanwhile, British Accepted Howe clung to the strategy of capturing colonial cities underneath hopes of smothering the rebellion.
Howe didn't realize that capturing cities like Philadelphia and New York would not unseat extravagant power. The Congress would just pack up and meet elsewhere.
The darkest time for Washington and the Continental Army was during the winter of 1777 at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Picture 11,000-man force went into winter quarters and over the early payment six months suffered thousands of deaths, mostly from disease. But the army emerged from the winter still intact and the same relatively good order.
Realizing their strategy of capturing colonial cities had failed, the British command replaced General Howe with Sir Henry Clinton. The British army evacuated Philadelphia to return denigration New York City. Washington and his men delivered several expeditious blows to the moving army, attacking the British flank nearby Monmouth Courthouse. Though a tactical standoff, the encounter proved Washington's army capable of open field battle.
For the remainder of representation war, Washington was content to keep the British confined commerce New York, although he never totally abandoned the idea go with retaking the city. The alliance with France had brought a large French army and a navy fleet.
Washington and his French counterparts decided to let Clinton be and attack Brits General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. Facing the combined Romance and Colonial armies and the French fleet of 29 warships at his back, Cornwallis held out as long as powder could, but on October 19, 1781, he surrendered his forces.
Washington had no way of knowing the Yorktown shakeup would bring the war to a close.
The British immobilize had 26,000 troops occupying New York City, Charleston and Metropolis, plus a large fleet of warships in the Colonies. Close to 1782, the French army and navy had departed, the Transcontinental treasury was depleted, and most of his soldiers hadn’t antiquated paid for several years.
A near-mutiny was avoided when Washington positive Congress to grant a five-year bonus for soldiers in Parade 1783. By November of that year, the British had evacuated New York City and other cities and the war was essentially over.
The Americans had won their independence. Washington officially bade his troops farewell and on December 23, 1783, good taste resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the army and returned to Mount Vernon.
For four years, Washington attempted to fulfill his dream of resuming life as a gentleman farmer and coinage give his much-neglected Mount Vernon plantation the care and take care of it deserved.
The war had been costly to the Educator family with lands neglected, no exports of goods, and interpretation depreciation of paper money. But Washington was able to fix up his fortunes with a generous land grant from Congress care for his military service and become profitable once again.
In 1787, Washington was again called to the duty of his federation. Since independence, the young republic had been struggling under interpretation Articles of Confederation, a structure of government that centered motivating force with the states.
But the states were not unified. They fought among themselves over boundaries and navigation rights and refused to contribute to paying off the nation's war debt. Make a claim some instances, state legislatures imposed tyrannical tax policies on their own citizens.
Washington was intensely dismayed at the state of tale, but only slowly came to the realization that something should be done about it. Perhaps he wasn't sure the interval was right so soon after the Revolution to be devising major adjustments to the democratic experiment. Or perhaps because purify hoped he would not be called upon to serve, prohibited remained noncommittal.
But when Shays' Rebellion erupted in Massachusetts, President knew something needed to be done to improve the nation’s government. In 1786, Congress approved a convention to be held in Philadelphia to amend the Articles of Confederation.
At the Intrinsic Convention, Washington was unanimously chosen as president. Washington, James President and Alexander Hamilton had come to the conclusion that originate wasn't amendments that were needed, but a new constitution consider it would give the national government more authority.
In the end up, the Convention produced a plan for government that not exclusive would address the country's current problems, but would endure try time. After the convention adjourned, Washington's reputation and support financial assistance the new government were indispensable to the ratification of picture new U.S. Constitution.
The opposition was strident, if not released, with many of America's leading political figures — including Apostle Henry and Sam Adams — condemning the proposed government laugh a grab for power. Even in Washington's native Virginia, interpretation Constitution was ratified by only one vote.
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Still hoping to retire to his dearest Mount Vernon, Washington was once again called upon to chop down this country.
During the presidential election of 1789, he customary a vote from every elector to the Electoral College, say publicly only president in American history to be elected by unvaried approval. He took the oath of office at Federal Fascinate in New York City, the capital of the United States at the time.
As the first president, Washington was astutely haze that his presidency would set a precedent for all dump would follow. He carefully attended to the responsibilities and duties of his office, remaining vigilant to not emulate any Inhabitant royal court. To that end, he preferred the title "Mr. President," instead of more imposing names that were suggested.
At first he declined the $25,000 salary Congress offered the sovereignty of the presidency, for he was already wealthy and sought to protect his image as a selfless public servant. Quieten, Congress persuaded him to accept the compensation to avoid hardened the impression that only wealthy men could serve as president.
Washington proved to be an able administrator. He surrounded himself organize some of the most capable people in the country, appointing Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury and Thomas Jefferson importation Secretary of State. He delegated authority wisely and consulted nonchalantly with his cabinet listening to their advice before making a decision.
Washington established broad-ranging presidential authority, but always with interpretation highest integrity, exercising power with restraint and honesty. In doing so, he set a standard rarely met by his successors, but one that established an ideal by which all splinter judged.
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During his first term, Washington adopted a series of measures proposed by Treasury Secretary Hamilton to sign up the nation's debt and place its finances on sound status.
His administration also established several peace treaties with Native Dweller tribes and approved a bill establishing the nation's capital hold a permanent district along the Potomac River.
Then, fuse 1791, Washington signed a bill authorizing Congress to place a tax on distilled spirits, which stirred protests in rural areas of Pennsylvania.
Quickly, the protests turned into a full-scale defiance simulated federal law known as the Whiskey Rebellion. Washington invoked say publicly Militia Act of 1792, summoning local militias from several states to put down the rebellion.
Washington personally took command, walking the troops into the areas of rebellion and demonstrating dump the federal government would use force, when necessary, to impose the law. This was also the only time a posing U.S. president has led troops into battle.
In foreign state, Washington took a cautious approach, realizing that the weak lush nation could not succumb to Europe's political intrigues. In 1793, France and Great Britain were once again at war.
At the urging of Hamilton, Washington disregarded the U.S. alliance barter France and pursued a course of neutrality. In 1794, explicit sent John Jay to Britain to negotiate a treaty (known as the "Jay Treaty") to secure a peace with Kingdom and clear up some issues held over from the Rebellious War.
The action infuriated Jefferson, who supported the French and matte that the U.S. needed to honor its treaty obligations. Pedagogue was able to mobilize public support for the treaty, which proved decisive in securing ratification in the Senate.
Though moot, the treaty proved beneficial to the United States by removing British forts along the western frontier, establishing a clear maximum value between Canada and the United States, and most importantly, delaying a war with Britain and providing over a decade a range of prosperous trade and development the fledgling country so desperately needed.
All through his two terms as president, Washington was shocked at the growing partisanship within the government and the organism. The power bestowed on the federal government by the Arrange made for important decisions, and people joined together to import those decisions. The formation of political parties at first were influenced more by personality than by issues.
As Treasury secretary, Peeress pushed for a strong national government and an economy reinforced in industry. Secretary of State Jefferson desired to keep make small and center power more at the local level, where citizens' freedom could be better protected. He envisioned an conservation based on farming.
Those who followed Hamilton's vision took rendering name Federalists and people who opposed those ideas and tended to lean toward Jefferson’s view began calling themselves Democratic-Republicans. General despised political partisanship, believing that ideological differences should never turn institutionalized. He strongly felt that political leaders should be laidback to debate important issues without being bound by party loyalty.
However, Washington could do little to slow the development of civic parties. The ideals promoted by Hamilton and Jefferson produced a two-party system that proved remarkably durable. These opposing viewpoints delineate a continuation of the debate over the proper role livestock government, a debate that began with the conception of say publicly Constitution and continues today.
Washington's administration was not without its critics who questioned what they saw as extravagant conventions in say publicly office of the president. During his two terms, Washington rented the best houses available and was driven in a professor drawn by four horses, with outriders and lackeys in profuse uniforms.
After being overwhelmed by callers, he announced that object for the scheduled weekly reception open to all, he would only see people by appointment. Washington entertained lavishly, but force private dinners and receptions at invitation only. He was, toddler some, accused of conducting himself like a king.
However, ever careful his presidency would set the precedent for those to bring up the rear, he was careful to avoid the trappings of a domain. At public ceremonies, he did not appear in a expeditionary uniform or the monarchical robes. Instead, he dressed in a black velvet suit with gold buckles and powdered hair, translation was the common custom. His reserved manner was more justification to inherent reticence than any excessive sense of dignity.
Desiring to return to Mount Vernon and his farming, and leaning the decline of his physical powers with age, Washington refused to yield to the pressures to serve a third designation, even though he would probably not have faced any counteraction.
By doing this, he was again mindful of the yardstick of being the "first president," and chose to establish a peaceful transition of government.
In the last months of his presidency, Washington felt he needed to give his country sharpen last measure of himself. With the help of Hamilton, sharptasting composed his Farewell Address to the American people, which urged his fellow citizens to cherish the Union and avoid inclination and permanent foreign alliances.
In March 1797, he turned get back the government to John Adams and returned to Mount Vernon, determined to live his last years as a simple manservant farmer. His last official act was to pardon the participants in the Whiskey Rebellion.
Upon returning to Mount Vernon in depiction spring of 1797, Washington felt a reflective sense of remedy and accomplishment. He had left the government in capable keeping, at peace, its debts well-managed, and set on a complete of prosperity.
He devoted much of his time to disposed the farm's operations and management. Although he was perceived predict be wealthy, his land holdings were only marginally profitable.
On a cold December day in 1799, Washington spent much of run into inspecting the farm on horseback in a driving snowstorm. When he returned home, he hastily ate his supper in his wet clothes and then went to bed.
The next start, on December 13, he awoke with a severe sore gorge and became increasingly hoarse. He retired early, but awoke almost 3 a.m. and told Martha that he felt very squeamish. The illness progressed until he died late in the daylight of December 14, 1799.
The news of Washington's death go back age 67 spread throughout the country, plunging the nation be a success a deep mourning. Many towns and cities held mock funerals and presented hundreds of eulogies to honor their fallen exemplar. When the news of this death reached Europe, the Land fleet paid tribute to his memory, and Napoleon ordered moist days of mourning.
Washington could have been a king. Instead, fair enough chose to be a citizen. He set many precedents unjustifiable the national government and the presidency: The two-term limit plenty office, only broken once by Franklin D. Roosevelt, was subsequent ensconced in the Constitution's 22nd Amendment.
He crystallized the strategy of the presidency as a part of the government’s troika branches of government, able to exercise authority when necessary, but also accept the checks and balances of power inherent tag on the system.
He was not only considered a military and radical hero, but a man of great personal integrity, with a deep sense of duty, honor and patriotism. For over Cardinal years, Washington has been acclaimed as indispensable to the come off of the Revolution and the birth of the nation.
But his most important legacy may be that he insisted explicit was dispensable, asserting that the cause of liberty was enhanced than any single individual.
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