George Washington (President Post Series #1)
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1. George Washington (1732-99)
George Washington's life in Virginia can be traced back to his great-grandfather, John Washington, who migrated from England to Virginia in 1631. At first the family was wealthy due to the land given to them by Henry VIII but most of it was lost in the Puritan revolution, so his grandfather, Lawrence Washington, moved to Virginia in 1657.
Little info is known about the family until GW's father, Augustine Washington, was born in 1694.
But all of that is boring. So let's skip directly to George Washington.
George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia.
He got his first job when he was 17, as a surveyor. He joined the British Army when he was just 20 years old and served as a lieutenant in the French & Indian War. After the war ended, he left the army and returned home to Virginia where his huge plantation was. He then served in the colonial House of Burgesses and started to get frustrated of the British government, so he joined the Continental Congress. In 1775, Washington was voted to be Commander of the Continental Congress unanimously. He possesed the qualities of a born leader and could stay calm under emergent situations.
This is around when the Revolutionary War was starting to get intense. Washington dodged many bullets, had the horses he was riding on shot, and was even taken prisoner by the French. Washington was an amazing leader and was able to hold the poorly fed and armed troops together through hard times. In 1783, when the British and the US signed the Peace Treaty, Washington thought that his work was done and went back home to Virginia. But the Continental Congress wanted him to come back and help draft the new Constitution. Washington knew that he was aging and that he should really work on his plantation, but he thought that if he didn't believe in the nation, no one else would, and eventually, he decided to take the job. Although Washington had lost nearly half of his battles, his famous successes at Trenton, Princeton, and Yorktown proved that he was worthy, and in 1789, the Continental Congress voted Washington for president of the United States, and John Adams (2nd president of the United States) became Vice President. In his farewell statement, he hoped that the nation would maintain the highest domestic standards and keep its involvement with foreign powers to a minimum to prevent something like the Revolution again.
After 8 years of hard work, Washington retires and refuses to accept the 3rd term. He went back to maintaining his plantation back at home in Virginia to make it as productive as it was before.
In December 1799, he caught a cold in the rain, which developed into a throat infection. Washington died from this on the night of December 14th, 1799.
Washington's legacy left a lasting impact on the entire world, as his name is still remembered today and honored by many. He was one of the founding fathers, if not "The Founding Father", as many call him. His face appears on the quarter and the dollar bill, and the country's capital is named after him.
George Washington
1. George Washington (1732-99)
George Washington's life in Virginia can be traced back to his great-grandfather, John Washington, who migrated from England to Virginia in 1631. At first the family was wealthy due to the land given to them by Henry VIII but most of it was lost in the Puritan revolution, so his grandfather, Lawrence Washington, moved to Virginia in 1657.
Little info is known about the family until GW's father, Augustine Washington, was born in 1694.
But all of that is boring. So let's skip directly to George Washington.
George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia.
He got his first job when he was 17, as a surveyor. He joined the British Army when he was just 20 years old and served as a lieutenant in the French & Indian War. After the war ended, he left the army and returned home to Virginia where his huge plantation was. He then served in the colonial House of Burgesses and started to get frustrated of the British government, so he joined the Continental Congress. In 1775, Washington was voted to be Commander of the Continental Congress unanimously. He possesed the qualities of a born leader and could stay calm under emergent situations.
This is around when the Revolutionary War was starting to get intense. Washington dodged many bullets, had the horses he was riding on shot, and was even taken prisoner by the French. Washington was an amazing leader and was able to hold the poorly fed and armed troops together through hard times. In 1783, when the British and the US signed the Peace Treaty, Washington thought that his work was done and went back home to Virginia. But the Continental Congress wanted him to come back and help draft the new Constitution. Washington knew that he was aging and that he should really work on his plantation, but he thought that if he didn't believe in the nation, no one else would, and eventually, he decided to take the job. Although Washington had lost nearly half of his battles, his famous successes at Trenton, Princeton, and Yorktown proved that he was worthy, and in 1789, the Continental Congress voted Washington for president of the United States, and John Adams (2nd president of the United States) became Vice President. In his farewell statement, he hoped that the nation would maintain the highest domestic standards and keep its involvement with foreign powers to a minimum to prevent something like the Revolution again.
After 8 years of hard work, Washington retires and refuses to accept the 3rd term. He went back to maintaining his plantation back at home in Virginia to make it as productive as it was before.
In December 1799, he caught a cold in the rain, which developed into a throat infection. Washington died from this on the night of December 14th, 1799.
Washington's legacy left a lasting impact on the entire world, as his name is still remembered today and honored by many. He was one of the founding fathers, if not "The Founding Father", as many call him. His face appears on the quarter and the dollar bill, and the country's capital is named after him.
George Washington
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