Contents
George Washington
Commanding the Continental Army and becoming the first US president.
Yorktown · Resignation
- Born
- 22 February 1732
- Birthplace
- Westmoreland County, USA
- Died
- 14 December 1799
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Franklin D. RooseveltLeading the United States through the Great Depression and most of the Second World War.George Washington
George Washington was the military commander of the American Revolution and the first president of the United States. His decisions about civilian authority and leaving office helped establish expectations for the new republic.
Early life
Virginia upbringing
Born into a landowning family and lost his father while still a boy.
Surveying
Trained as a surveyor, gaining practical knowledge of land and the frontier.
Career
- 1750s
Colonial officer
Served in the Virginia militia during conflict with French forces.
- 1775–1783
Continental commander
Led the army through the American War of Independence.
- 1787
Constitutional Convention
Presided over the gathering that drafted the US Constitution.
- 1789–1797
President
Served two terms as the first president.
Selected work
Yorktown
The allied siege forced the surrender of a major British army.
Resignation
Relinquished his military commission to Congress.
Farewell Address
Set out advice and concerns as he prepared to leave office.
Beyond work
Mount Vernon
Managed a plantation whose operation relied on enslaved labour.
Slavery in his will
Provided for emancipation of people he personally enslaved after Martha Washington’s death, while other enslaved people at the estate were legally outside his ownership.
Sources & photo credit
Life and career ↗Institutional or specialist reference ↗Photo: Gilbert Stuart. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
