George Washington Facts – Early Life

George Washington was born February 22, 1732 at Popes Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia, and was the first of six children of Augustine and Mary Ball Washington.

Washington did not have the formal education that his older brothers received at Appleby Grammar School in England. However he did learn mathematics, trigonometry, and surveying. He was talented in draftsmanship and map-making.

George Washington Facts
George Washington Facts

Fairfax appointed him surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia, and he thus familiarized himself with the frontier region.

He resigned from the job in 1750 and had bought almost 1,500 acres (600 ha) in the Valley, and he owned 2,315 acres (937 ha) by 1752.

George Washington Facts – Family & Militia Leadership

Lawrence’s service as adjutant general of the Virginia militia inspired Washington to seek a commission, and Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie appointed him as a major in December 1752 and as commander of one of the four militia districts.

Washington received his initial military training and command with the Virginia Regiment during the French and Indian War. He was later elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses. People named him a delegate to the Continental Congress.

On January 6, 1759, Washington, at age 26, married Martha Dandridge Custis, the 28 year-old widow of wealthy plantation owner Daniel Parke Custis.

Washington’s 1751 bout with smallpox is thought to have rendered him sterile. He and his wife lamented the fact that they had no children together.

George Washington Facts – American Revolution

Washington played a central role before and during the American Revolution.

Congress created the Continental Army on June 14, 1775. LaterĀ  Samuel Adams and John Adams nominated Washington to become its commander in chief.

Washington led American forces, allied with France, in the defeat and surrender of the British, and resigned his commission in 1783.

Washington played a key role in the adoption and ratification of the Constitution. Soon people elected him president. He won the Electoral College in the first two elections.

George Washington Facts – President of USA

He implemented a strong, well-financed national government while remaining impartial in a fierce rivalry between cabinet members Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.

During the French Revolution, he proclaimed a policy of neutrality while sanctioning the Jay Treaty. To pacify the South and preserve national unity, the president and Congress passed legal measures that protected slavery.

He set enduring precedents for the office of president, including the title “President of the United States”. Historian widely regarded his Farewell Address as a pre-eminent statement on republicanism.

Washington utilized slave labor, owning and trading African American slaves, but he became troubled with the institution of slavery and freed them in his 1799 will.

He endeavored to assimilate Native Americans into Western culture, but responded to their hostility in times of war.

Monuments, art, geographical locations, stamps, and currency memorialized his legacy. Many scholars and polls rank him among the top American presidents.

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