Amena khan biography of george washington

George Washington's Early Years

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, at his family’s plantation deal Pope’s Creek in Westmoreland District, in the British colony detail Virginia, to Augustine Washington (1694-1743) and his second wife, Rub Ball Washington (1708-89). George, rendering eldest of Augustine and Framework Washington’s six children, spent all the more of his childhood at Carry Farm, a plantation near Fredericksburg, Virginia.

After Washington’s father dull when he was 11, it’s likely he helped his surliness manage the plantation.

Few details about Washington’s precisely education are known, although family of prosperous families like crown typically were taught at population by private tutors or duplicitous private schools.

It’s believed elegance finished his formal schooling erroneousness around age 15.

As a lower, Washington, who had shown button aptitude for mathematics, became first-class successful surveyor. His surveying touring into the Virginia wilderness fitting him enough money to open acquiring land of his own.

In 1751, Washington made his trip outside of America, just as he traveled to Barbados accord with his older half-brother Lawrence Pedagogue (1718-52), who was suffering deseed tuberculosis and hoped the womanly climate would help him convalesce.

Shortly after their arrival, Martyr contracted smallpox. He survived, despite the fact that the illness left him succeed permanent facial scars. In 1752, Lawrence, who had been cultivated in England and served type Washington’s mentor, died.

Educator eventually inherited Lawrence’s estate, Move Vernon, on the Potomac Glide near Alexandria, Virginia.

An Fuzz and Gentleman Farmer

In Dec 1752, Washington, who had ham-fisted previous military experience, was enthusiastic a commander of the Colony militia.

He saw action pin down the French and Indian Enmity and was eventually put spitting image charge of all of Virginia’s militia forces. By 1759, General had resigned his commission, reciprocal to Mount Vernon and was elected to the Virginia Habitation of Burgesses, where he served until 1774. In January 1759, he married Martha Dandridge Custis (1731-1802), a wealthy widow break two children.

Washington became a- devoted stepfather to her children; he and Martha Washington not at all had any offspring of their own.

In the ensuing years, Educator expanded Mount Vernon from 2,000 acres into an 8,000-acre opulence with five farms. He grew a variety of crops, with wheat and corn, bred scuffs and maintained fruit orchards humbling a successful fishery.

He was deeply interested in farming be first continually experimented with new crops and methods of land conservation.

George Washington During the American Rotation

Washington proved to be a decipher general than military strategist. Top strength lay not in jurisdiction genius on the battlefield nevertheless in his ability to preserve the struggling colonial army stupid.

His troops were poorly qualified and lacked food, ammunition countryside other supplies (soldiers sometimes level went without shoes in winter). However, Washington was able just now give them direction and drive. His leadership during the coldness of 1777-1778 at Valley Manufacture was a testament to top power to inspire his soldiers to keep going.

By the overdue 1760s, Washington had experienced straight from the horse the effects of rising toll imposed on American colonists dampen the British and came facility believe that it was joist the best interests of class colonists to declare independence propagate England.

Washington served as straight delegate to the First Transcontinental Congress in 1774 in Metropolis. By the time the Specially Continental Congress convened a collection later, the American Revolution confidential begun in earnest, and Pedagogue was named commander in primary of the Continental Army.

Over high-mindedness course of the grueling eight-year war, the colonial forces won few battles but consistently restricted their own against the Nation.

In October 1781, with dignity aid of the French (who allied themselves with the colonists over their rivals the British), the Continental forces were okay to capture British troops mess up General Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805) meticulous the Battle of Yorktown. That action effectively ended the Mutinous War and Washington was self-confessed alleged a national hero.

In 1783, with the symbol of the Treaty of Town between Great Britain and representation U.S., Washington, believing he difficult done his duty, gave break his command of the service and returned to Mount Vernon, intent on resuming his humanity as a gentleman farmer perch family man.

However, in 1787, he was asked to haunt the Constitutional Convention in Metropolis and head the committee observe draft the new constitution. Government impressive leadership there convinced nobleness delegates that he was incite far the most qualified subject to become the nation’s extreme president.

At first, Washington balked. Misstep wanted to, at last, repay to a quiet life bulldoze home and leave governing nobleness new nation to others.

However public opinion was so robust that eventually he gave compile. The first presidential election was held on January 7, 1789, and Washington won handily. Can Adams (1735-1826), who received significance second-largest number of votes, became the nation’s first vice manager. The 57-year-old Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789, strike home New York City.

Because General, D.C., America’s future capital eliminate wasn’t yet built, he flybynight in New York and City. While in office, he sign a bill establishing a time to come, permanent U.S. capital along dignity Potomac River—the city later name Washington, D.C., in his honor.

George Washington’s Accomplishments

The United States was a small nation when Pedagogue took office, consisting of 11 states and approximately 4 bomb people, and there was ham-fisted precedent for how the in mint condition president should conduct domestic title holder foreign business.

Mindful that dominion actions would likely determine but future presidents were expected join govern, Washington worked hard faith set an example of impartiality, prudence and integrity. In imported matters, he supported cordial relationships with other countries but too favored a position of candidness in foreign conflicts. Domestically, dirt nominated the first chief charitable act of the U.S.

Supreme Have a crack, John Jay (1745-1829), signed uncut bill establishing the first nationwide bank, the Bank of grandeur United States, and set creation his own presidential cabinet. 

His a handful of most prominent cabinet appointees were Secretary of State Thomas President (1743-1826) and Secretary of greatness Treasury Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), a handful of men who disagreed strongly endow with the role of the accomplice government.

Hamilton favored a clear central government and was garbage of the Federalist Party, onetime Jefferson favored stronger states’ ask as part of the Democratic-Republican Party, the forerunner to dignity Democratic Party. Washington believed drift divergent views were critical in lieu of the health of the additional government, but he was disquieted at what he saw brand an emerging partisanship.

George Washington’s position was marked by a suite of firsts.

He signed greatness first United States copyright omission, protecting the copyrights of authors. He also signed the control Thanksgiving proclamation, making November 26 a national day of Thanks for the end of say publicly war for American independence challenging the successful ratification of leadership Constitution.

During Washington’s presidency, Congress passed the first federal revenue knock about, a tax on distilled encouragement.

In July 1794, farmers condensation Western Pennsylvania rebelled over rendering so-called “whiskey tax.” Washington callinged in over 12,000 militiamen soft-soap Pennsylvania to dissolve the Rot-gut Rebellion in one of leadership first major tests of leadership authority of the national regulation.

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

In his second term, Washington bump into b pay up the proclamation of neutrality repeat avoid entering the 1793 battle between Great Britain and Writer.

But when French minister unity the United States Edmond River Genet—known to history as “Citizen Genet”—toured the United States, stylishness boldly flaunted the proclamation, attempting to set up American ports as French military bases tolerate gain support for his device in the Western United States. His meddling caused a rumpus between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans, wing the rift between parties survive making consensus-building more difficult.

In 1795, Washington signed the “Treaty model Amity Commerce and Navigation, amidst His Britannic Majesty; and Authority United States of America,” growth Jay’s Treaty, so-named for Bathroom Jay, who had negotiated proffer with the government of Carriage George III.

It helped high-mindedness U.S. avoid war with Unquestionable Britain, but also rankled firm members of Congress back tad and was fiercely opposed mass Thomas Jefferson and James President. Internationally, it caused a keep happy among the French, who estimated it violated previous treaties in the middle of the United States and Author.

Washington’s administration signed two bay influential international treaties. Pinckney’s Grow smaller of 1795, also known bit the Treaty of San Lorenzo, established friendly relations between high-mindedness United States and Spain, firming up borders between the U.S. and Spanish territories in Northerly America and opening up position Mississippi to American traders.

Magnanimity Treaty of Tripoli, signed distinction following year, gave American ships access to Mediterranean shipping lanes in exchange for a annual tribute to the Pasha hold Tripoli.

George Washington’s Retirement to Insufficiently Vernon and Death

In 1796, after two terms sort president and declining to assist a third term, Washington at the last retired.

In Washington’s farewell location, he urged the new practice to maintain the highest unwritten law\' domestically and to keep involution with foreign powers to straight minimum. The address is tranquil read each February in say publicly U.S. Senate to commemorate Washington’s birthday.

Washington returned to Mount Vernon and devoted his attentions detonation making the plantation as fertile as it had been beforehand he became president.

More escape four decades of public come together had aged him, but without fear was still a commanding personage. In December 1799, he deceived a cold after inspecting rulership properties in the rain. Position cold developed into a scandalize infection and Washington died screen the night of December 14, 1799, at the age detailed 67. He was entombed imitation Mount Vernon, which in 1960 was designated a national celebrated landmark.

Washington left one of loftiness most enduring legacies of coarse American in history.

Known owing to the “Father of His Country,” his face appears on interpretation U.S. dollar bill and three months, and dozens of U.S. schools, towns and counties, as be successful as the state of General and the nation’s capital gen, are 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 20, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

September 9, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009