Early Life
George Washington was born on February 22nd, 1732. George was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Washington’s father, Augustine Washington, was a tobacco planter who also did iron manufacturing. They owned a plantation with slaves. His dad died of a sudden sickness in 1743, when George was 11. Washington studied in schools at Fredericksburg and he was also partly homeschooled.
Before the revolution
George became a farmer like his dad. His plantation was called Mount Vernon. He also worked as a surveyor. He wanted to be a soldier and was in the militia of Virginia. He was sent to Pittsburgh several times to get rid of the French who were trying to take control of Ohio. He failed and many of his men were killed. This started the French and Indian war. In 1759, Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis. They had no children.
The American Revolution
The Continental Congress elected him as the commanding general of the army. Washington led the army from 1775 until 1783.After losing the battle of Long Island, Washington led his troops across the Delaware River on December 25th, 1776, in a surprise attack on Hessian camps at the small Battle of Princeton and Trenton, New Jersey. Overall Washington didn’t win many battles, but he didn’t let the British destroy his army. With the help of the French army and navy, Washington made a British army surrender at Yorktown, Virginia in the final major battle of the war. The war officially ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1783.
After the War
When the Revolutionary war ended, Washington was considered a national hero. He was offered a government position that would have been considered a dictatorship over the colonies, but Washington refused. He wanted the colonies to have a strong government but did not wish to head that government. A few years later, he was voted president of the Constitutional Convention in 1785. In 1789, Washington was elected president anonymously, making him the first President of the United States. He was a federalist. He was re-elected to a second term. After his second term, Washington decided not to run for reelection. His decision set a “rule” that every president followed until Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940.Washington went back home to Mount Vernon after his second term ended in 1797. He died there on December 14, 1799 at age 67 from pneumonia.
Fun Fact!
Most people think that George Washington had wooden teeth. This is not true. However, he did try to replace them because he had damaged them by cracking walnuts with his teeth! He replaced them with ivory teeth. Ivory and bone both have hairline fractures in them, which normally can’t be seen, but started to darken because of Washington’s love of wine. The darkened fractures in the bone made the lines look like the grain in a piece of wood.
George Washington has been honored for his bravery in many ways. One of the ways is his face has been displayed on the dollar bill and the quarter.
