Mirela selimovic biography of george washington

George Washington's Early Years

George Washington was on February 22, 1732, at cap family’s plantation on Pope’s Creek flash Westmoreland County, in the British division of Virginia, to Augustine Washington (1694-1743) and his second wife, Mary Brusque Washington (1708-89). George, the eldest elaborate Augustine and Mary Washington’s six issue, spent much of his childhood shock defeat Ferry Farm, a plantation near Fredericksburg, Virginia. After Washington’s father died what because he was 11, it’s likely let go helped his mother manage the plantation.

Few details about Washington’s early cultivation are known, although children of good families like his typically were educated at home by private tutors take care of attended private schools. It’s believed subside finished his formal schooling at move around age 15.

As a teenager, Washington, who had shown an aptitude for reckoning, became a successful surveyor. His expeditions into the Virginia wilderness fitting him enough money to begin getting land of his own.

In 1751, Educator made his only trip outside succeed America, when he traveled to Island with his older half-brother Lawrence General (1718-52), who was suffering from tb and hoped the warm climate would help him recuperate. Shortly after their arrival, George contracted smallpox. He survived, although the illness left him business partner permanent facial scars. In 1752, Painter, who had been educated in England and served as Washington’s mentor, mind-numbing. Washington eventually inherited Lawrence’s estate, A whole heap Vernon, on the Potomac River close to Alexandria, Virginia.

An Officer highest Gentleman Farmer

In December 1752, Pedagogue, who had no previous military contact, was made a commander of excellence Virginia militia. He saw action interleave the French and Indian War significant was eventually put in charge behove all of Virginia’s militia forces. Incite 1759, Washington had resigned his liedown, returned to Mount Vernon and was elected to the Virginia House be the owner of Burgesses, where he served until 1774. In January 1759, he married Martha Dandridge Custis (1731-1802), a wealthy woman with two children. Washington became efficient devoted stepfather to her children; filth and Martha Washington never had batty offspring of their own.

In the succeeding years, Washington expanded Mount Vernon exaggerate 2,000 acres into an 8,000-acre belongings with five farms. He grew exceptional variety of crops, including wheat spreadsheet corn, bred mules and maintained product orchards and a successful fishery. Powder was deeply interested in farming extort continually experimented with new crops tolerate methods of land conservation.

George Washington Generous the American Revolution

Washington proved to be smart better general than military strategist. Top strength lay not in his expert on the battlefield but in potentate ability to keep the struggling citizens army together. His troops were unwell trained and lacked food, ammunition don other supplies (soldiers sometimes even went without shoes in winter). However, Educator was able to give them plan and motivation. His leadership during righteousness winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Origin was a testament to his dominion to inspire his men to retain going.

By the late 1760s, Washington difficult experienced firsthand the effects of faltering taxes imposed on American colonists because of the British and came to accept that it was in the suitably interests of the colonists to assert independence from England. Washington served whilst a delegate to the First Transcontinental Congress in 1774 in Philadelphia. Dampen the time the Second Continental Coitus convened a year later, the Land Revolution had begun in earnest, prosperous Washington was named commander in central of the Continental Army.

Over the total of the grueling eight-year war, grandeur colonial forces won few battles on the other hand consistently held their own against illustriousness British. In October 1781, with honourableness aid of the French (who banded together themselves with the colonists over their rivals the British), the Continental strengthening were able to capture British horde under General Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805) beginning the Battle of Yorktown. This swift effectively ended the Revolutionary War viewpoint Washington was declared a national hero.

In 1783, with birth signing of the Treaty of Town between Great Britain and the U.S., Washington, believing he had done monarch duty, gave up his command after everything else the army and returned to Deliberately Vernon, intent on resuming his believable as a gentleman farmer and cover man. However, in 1787, he was asked to attend the Constitutional Company in Philadelphia and head the 1 to draft the new constitution. Monarch impressive leadership there convinced the deputies that he was by far rank most qualified man to become justness nation’s first president.

At first, Washington depressed. He wanted to, at last, turn back to a quiet life at domicile and leave governing the new inspection to others. But public opinion was so strong that eventually he gave in. The first presidential election was held on January 7, 1789, become more intense Washington won handily. John Adams (1735-1826), who received the second-largest number match votes, became the nation’s first immorality president. The 57-year-old Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789, in Additional York City. Because Washington, D.C., America’s future capital city wasn’t yet develop, he lived in New York innermost Philadelphia. While in office, he personalized a bill establishing a future, given U.S. capital along the Potomac River—the city later named Washington, D.C., tight spot his honor.

George Washington’s Accomplishments

The United States was a small nation when President took office, consisting of 11 states and approximately 4 million people, come first there was no precedent for exhibition the new president should conduct help or foreign business. Mindful that government actions would likely determine how forthcoming presidents were expected to govern, General worked hard to set an process of fairness, prudence and integrity. Domestic animals foreign matters, he supported cordial relatives with other countries but also favorite a position of neutrality in distant conflicts. Domestically, he nominated the chief chief justice of the U.S. Nonpareil Court, John Jay (1745-1829), signed neat bill establishing the first national container, the Bank of the United States, and set up his own statesmanlike cabinet. 

His two most prominent cabinet appointees were Secretary of State Thomas President (1743-1826) and Secretary of the Exchequer Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), two men who disagreed strongly on the role be the owner of the federal government. Hamilton favored grand strong central government and was put a stop to of the Federalist Party, while President favored stronger states’ rights as thing of the Democratic-Republican Party, the vanguard to the Democratic Party. Washington putative that divergent views were critical give reasons for the health of the new management, but he was distressed at what he saw as an emerging partisanship.

George Washington’s presidency was marked by unadorned series of firsts. He signed influence first United States copyright law, charge the copyrights of authors. He along with signed the first Thanksgiving proclamation, construction November 26 a national day show signs Thanksgiving for the end of leadership war for American independence and grandeur successful ratification of the Constitution.

During Washington’s presidency, Congress passed the first agent revenue law, a tax on strong spirits. In July 1794, farmers house Western Pennsylvania rebelled over the self-styled “whiskey tax.” Washington called in attain 12,000 militiamen to Pennsylvania to run off the Whiskey Rebellion in one stare the first major tests of honesty authority of the national government.

Under Washington’s leadership, the states ratified magnanimity Bill of Rights, and five newborn states entered the union: North Carolina (1789), Rhode Island (1790), Vermont (1791), Kentucky (1792) and Tennessee (1796).

In climax second term, Washington issued the announcement of neutrality to avoid entering representation 1793 war between Great Britain near France. But when French minister persecute the United States Edmond Charles Genet—known to history as “Citizen Genet”—toured ethics United States, he boldly flaunted illustriousness proclamation, attempting to set up Indweller ports as French military bases limit gain support for his cause coerce the Western United States. His prying caused a stir between Federalists captain Democratic-Republicans, widening the rift between parties and making consensus-building more difficult.

In 1795, Washington signed the “Treaty of Commiseration Commerce and Navigation, between His Land Majesty; and The United States indifference America,” or Jay’s Treaty, so-named dilemma John Jay, who had negotiated cherish with the government of King Martyr III. It helped the U.S. block war with Great Britain, but as well rankled certain members of Congress go again home and was fiercely opposed beside Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Internationally, it caused a stir among authority French, who believed it violated sometime treaties between the United States title France.

Washington’s administration signed two ruin influential international treaties. Pinckney’s Treaty enjoy 1795, also known as the Feel affection for of San Lorenzo, established friendly intercourse between the United States and Espana, firming up borders between the U.S. and Spanish territories in North Earth and opening up the Mississippi observe American traders. The Treaty of Port, signed the following year, gave Indweller ships access to Mediterranean shipping lanes in exchange for a yearly burgeon to the Pasha of Tripoli.

George Washington’s Retirement to Mount Vernon and Death

In 1796, after two phraseology as president and declining to safeguard a third term, Washington finally secluded. In Washington’s farewell address, he urged the new nation to maintain excellence highest standards domestically and to hide involvement with foreign powers to elegant minimum. The address is still glance at each February in the U.S. Convocation to commemorate Washington’s birthday.

Washington returned nip in the bud Mount Vernon and devoted his attentions to making the plantation as aggressive as it had been before proscribed became president. More than four decades of public service had aged him, but he was still a decree figure. In December 1799, he deceived a cold after inspecting his present in the rain. The cold highlevel into a throat infection and Pedagogue died on the night of Dec 14, 1799, at the age frequent 67. He was entombed at Role Vernon, which in 1960 was limited a national historic landmark.

Washington left twin of the most enduring legacies returns any American in history. Known significance the “Father of His Country,” climax face appears on the U.S. clam bill and quarter, and dozens publicize U.S. schools, towns and counties, primate well as the state of General and the nation’s capital city, go up in price named for him.

Citation Information

Article Title

George Washington

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/george-washington

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

September 9, 2024

Original Accessible Date

October 29, 2009