George Washington was the first president of the United States. He was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia in 1732. He was privately educated, mainly by his older half-brother, Lawrence. He gained experience as a surveyor by assisting in the survey of certain Fairfax holdings in the Shenandoah Valley in 1748. He became the official surveyor for Culpepper County, Virginia in 1749.

George inherited Mount Vernon after Lawrence died in 1752. He was commissioned district adjutant by Governor Dinwiddie in 1752. In 1753, he was sent to carry an ultimatum to the French who were encroaching on English territory in the Ohio region. He delivered the message, but received an unconciliatory reply. In 1754, he was commissioned a lieutenant colonel and sent with 150 men to establish an outpost on the site of the present city of Pittsburgh. He found the French in possession of Fort Duquesne, and entrenched himself at Great Meadows, Pennsylvania. In Fort Necessity, he defeated the first French force sent against him on May 28, 1754. He gained honorable terms from the French after resisting a ten-hour attack on July 3rd. He served on General Braddock’s staff in 1755 in a British expedition against Fort Duquesne. He was commissioned Colonel and Commander-in-Chief of the Virginia troops in 1755 and was put in charge of defense of frontier from French and Indian attacks. His troops engaged in fighting from 1755 to 1758 until the French abandoned Fort Duquesne and the British occupied it in November of 1758. He then retired to Mount Vernon to live the life of a Virginia gentleman farmer.

He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses from 1759 to 1774. He became one of the leaders of Virginia and Colonial rebelling against British policies in America. He was a member of the First and Second Continental Congresses in 1774 and 1775. In June of 1775, George was elected to command all Continental armies. In July of the same year, he took command at Cambridge. He forced British evacuation of Boston in March of 1776. He started fighting in the New York and Long Island area in 1776 and conducted a masterly retreat southward through New Jersey, then surprised and defeated Hessians at Trenton on December 26, 1776 and won the Battle of Princeton, forcing British retirement to Brunswick. He established headquarters at Morristown, New Jersey in 1777, fought at Brandywine on September 11th and fought at Germantown on October 3rd and 4th. He held his troops together at Valley Forge in 1777 and 1778 through bitter winters, where the troops were drilled by Baron von Steuben. Heartened by the French alliance in 1778, he and his men attacked the British at Monmouth on June 28, 1778, and held the field while the British retired to New York. He was enable by the cooperation of the French fleet under de Grasse and the French army under Rochambeau to march against Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia and force his surrender on October 19, 1781. With great difficulty, he held the army together to get to New York where the British evacuated the city inApril of 1783. George resigned his commission in December of 1783 and again retired to Mount Vernon.

He was called from retirement to preside at the federal convention, where he was unanimously chosen President of the United States under the new constitution. He took his oath of office in New York City on April 30, 1789. He was unanimously reelected in 1793, but declined a third term. After a farewell address to the American people in September of 1796, he retired from political life. On the threat of war with France, he accepted commission as Lieutenant General and Commander-in-Chief of the Army.

His wife, Martha Danridge, was known as a gracious hostess in the first President’s home. She had a son, John Parke Custis, by her first husband, Daniel Parke Custis. This son had four children. The two younger children were adopted by George after the death of John.

George Washington died in 1799. He had led a very full life.

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