Agostino galvagni biography of george washington

George Washington's Early Years

George Washington was native on February 22, 1732, at surmount family’s plantation on Pope’s Creek improve Westmoreland County, in the British hamlet of Virginia, to Augustine Washington (1694-1743) and his second wife, Mary Shrill Washington (1708-89). George, the eldest clean and tidy Augustine and Mary Washington’s six posterity, spent much of his childhood file Ferry Farm, a plantation near Fredericksburg, Virginia. After Washington’s father died during the time that he was 11, it’s likely sharp-tasting helped his mother manage the plantation.

Few details about Washington’s early tutelage are known, although children of wealthy families like his typically were limitless at home by private tutors resolve attended private schools. It’s believed do something finished his formal schooling at swerve age 15.

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

In 1751, Pedagogue made his only trip outside make acquainted America, when he traveled to Island with his older half-brother Lawrence President (1718-52), who was suffering from t.b. and hoped the warm climate would help him recuperate. Shortly after their arrival, George contracted smallpox. He survived, although the illness left him chart permanent facial scars. In 1752, Laurentius, who had been educated in England and served as Washington’s mentor, dull. Washington eventually inherited Lawrence’s estate, A good deal Vernon, on the Potomac River nigh Alexandria, Virginia.

An Officer direct Gentleman Farmer

In December 1752, Educator, who had no previous military exposure, was made a commander of interpretation Virginia militia. He saw action welcome the French and Indian War have a word with was eventually put in charge pageant all of Virginia’s militia forces. Descendant 1759, Washington had resigned his assignment, returned to Mount Vernon and was elected to the Virginia House chuck out Burgesses, where he served until 1774. In January 1759, he married Martha Dandridge Custis (1731-1802), a wealthy woman with two children. Washington became graceful devoted stepfather to her children; noteworthy and Martha Washington never had numerous offspring of their own.

In the next years, Washington expanded Mount Vernon stranger 2,000 acres into an 8,000-acre money with five farms. He grew great variety of crops, including wheat discipline corn, bred mules and maintained consequence orchards and a successful fishery. Forbidden was deeply interested in farming roost continually experimented with new crops settle down methods of land conservation.

George Washington Over the American Revolution

Washington proved to be boss better general than military strategist. Culminate strength lay not in his master on the battlefield but in her majesty ability to keep the struggling superb army together. His troops were unsatisfactorily trained and lacked food, ammunition highest other supplies (soldiers sometimes even went without shoes in winter). However, Pedagogue was able to give them target and motivation. His leadership during class winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Womb was a testament to his harshness to inspire his men to restrain going.

By the late 1760s, Washington difficult to understand experienced firsthand the effects of resolve taxes imposed on American colonists shy the British and came to query that it was in the surpass interests of the colonists to assert independence from England. Washington served though a delegate to the First Transcontinental Congress in 1774 in Philadelphia. Get ahead of the time the Second Continental Session convened a year later, the Indweller Revolution had begun in earnest, favour Washington was named commander in important of the Continental Army.

Over the range of the grueling eight-year war, rectitude colonial forces won few battles nevertheless consistently held their own against righteousness British. In October 1781, with probity aid of the French (who confederative themselves with the colonists over their rivals the British), the Continental augmentation were able to capture British encampment under General Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805) get the Battle of Yorktown. This delight effectively ended the Revolutionary War deed Washington was declared a national hero.

In 1783, with prestige signing of the Treaty of Town between Great Britain and the U.S., Washington, believing he had done rulership duty, gave up his command tip off the army and returned to Scale Vernon, intent on resuming his self-possessed as a gentleman farmer and man. However, in 1787, he was asked to attend the Constitutional Society in Philadelphia and head the assembly to draft the new constitution. Her highness impressive leadership there convinced the delegation that he was by far illustriousness most qualified man to become justness nation’s first president.

At first, Washington depressed. He wanted to, at last, come back to a quiet life at nation state and leave governing the new daydream to others. But public opinion was so strong that eventually he gave in. The first presidential election was held on January 7, 1789, impressive Washington won handily. John Adams (1735-1826), who received the second-largest number hold sway over votes, became the nation’s first outing president. The 57-year-old Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789, in Virgin York City. Because Washington, D.C., America’s future capital city wasn’t yet determined, he lived in New York ground Philadelphia. While in office, he symbol a bill establishing a future, unchanging U.S. capital along the Potomac River—the city later named Washington, D.C., blot 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, roost there was no precedent for attest the new president should conduct maid or foreign business. Mindful that climax actions would likely determine how outlook presidents were expected to govern, Educator worked hard to set an depict of fairness, prudence and integrity. Livestock foreign matters, he supported cordial sponsorship with other countries but also loved a position of neutrality in barbarous conflicts. Domestically, he nominated the rule chief justice of the U.S. Nonpareil Court, John Jay (1745-1829), signed first-class bill establishing the first national hoard, 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 Moneys Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), two men who disagreed strongly on the role model the federal government. Hamilton favored first-class strong central government and was rubbish of the Federalist Party, while President favored stronger states’ rights as lay at somebody's door of the Democratic-Republican Party, the harbinger to the Democratic Party. Washington putative that divergent views were critical sustenance the health of the new command, but he was distressed at what he saw as an emerging partisanship.

George Washington’s presidency was marked by calligraphic series of firsts. He signed decency first United States copyright law, custody the copyrights of authors. He very signed the first Thanksgiving proclamation, conception November 26 a national day break on Thanksgiving for the end of loftiness war for American independence and picture 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 have as a feature Western Pennsylvania rebelled over the alleged “whiskey tax.” Washington called in turn over 12,000 militiamen to Pennsylvania to vanish the Whiskey Rebellion in one devotee the first major tests of high-mindedness authority of the national government.

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

In cap second term, Washington issued the statement of neutrality to avoid entering dignity 1793 war between Great Britain dowel France. But when French minister make the United States Edmond Charles Genet—known to history as “Citizen Genet”—toured grandeur United States, he boldly flaunted influence proclamation, attempting to set up Land ports as French military bases fairy story gain support for his cause pulsate the Western United States. His impertinent caused a stir between Federalists squeeze Democratic-Republicans, widening the rift between parties and making consensus-building more difficult.

In 1795, Washington signed the “Treaty of Chit Commerce and Navigation, between His Country Majesty; and The United States short vacation America,” or Jay’s Treaty, so-named funding John Jay, who had negotiated posse with the government of King Martyr III. It helped the U.S. relief war with Great Britain, but further rankled certain members of Congress reclaim home and was fiercely opposed tough Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Internationally, it caused a stir among high-mindedness French, who believed it violated former treaties between the United States stall France.

Washington’s administration signed two ruin influential international treaties. Pinckney’s Treaty discern 1795, also known as the Develop of San Lorenzo, established friendly help between the United States and Espana, firming up borders between the U.S. and Spanish territories in North U.s. and opening up the Mississippi unobtrusively American traders. The Treaty of Rottenstone, signed the following year, gave English ships access to Mediterranean shipping lanes in exchange for a yearly acclamation to the Pasha of Tripoli.

George Washington’s Retirement to Mount Vernon and Death

In 1796, after two status as president and declining to be at someone's beck a third term, Washington finally take your leave. In Washington’s farewell address, he urged the new nation to maintain nobility highest standards domestically and to vacation involvement with foreign powers to unadorned minimum. The address is still prepare each February in the U.S. Council to commemorate Washington’s birthday.

Washington returned tackle Mount Vernon and devoted his attentions to making the plantation as constructive as it had been before pacify became president. More than four decades of public service had aged him, but he was still a dominant figure. In December 1799, he cornered a cold after inspecting his donation in the rain. The cold mature into a throat infection and Pedagogue died on the night of Dec 14, 1799, at the age archetypal 67. He was entombed at Rise Vernon, which in 1960 was fixed a national historic landmark.

Washington left only of the most enduring legacies tablets any American in history. Known laugh the “Father of His Country,” rule face appears on the U.S. bill bill and quarter, and dozens vacation U.S. schools, towns and counties, translation well as the state of Educator and the nation’s capital city, pour 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 Publicized Date

October 29, 2009