Short biography of john adams
George Washington
Founding Father, U.S. president ( to )
"General Washington" redirects here. For other uses, see General Washington (disambiguation) and George Washington (disambiguation).
George Washington | |
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Portrait c. | |
In office April 30, – March 4, | |
Vice President | John Adams |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | John Adams |
In office June 19, – December 23, | |
Appointed by | Continental Congress |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Henry Knox (as Senior Officer) |
In office September 5, – June 16, | |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Thomas Jefferson |
In office July 24, – June 24, | |
Preceded by | Hugh West |
Succeeded by | Office abolished |
Constituency | |
In office April 30, – December 14, | |
Born | February 22, [a] Popes Creek, Colony of Virginia, British America |
Died | December 14, () (aged67) Mount Vernon, Virginia, U.S. |
Resting place | Mount Vernon, Virginia 38°42′″N77°05′″W / °N °W / ; |
Political party | Independent |
Spouse | |
Relatives | Washington family |
Occupation |
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Awards | |
Signature | |
Branch/service | |
Yearsof service |
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Rank | |
Commands | |
Battles/wars | |
George Washington (February 22, [a] December 14, ) was a Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from to As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot forces to victory in the American Revolutionary War against the British Empire.
He is commonly known as the Father of His Country for his role in bringing about American independence.
Born in the Colony of Virginia, Washington became the commander of the Virginia Regiment during the French and Indian War (–). He was later elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, and opposed the perceived oppression of the American colonists by the British Crown.
When the American Revolutionary War against the British began in , Washington was appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.
Biography of george washington book: George Washington (February 22, [a] – December 14, ) was a Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from to As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot forces to victory in the American Revolutionary War against the British Empire.
He directed a poorly organized and equipped force against disciplined British troops. Washington and his army achieved an early victory at the Siege of Boston in March but were forced to retreat from New York City in November. Washington crossed the Delaware River and won the battles of Trenton in late and Princeton in early , then lost the battles of Brandywine and Germantown later that year.
He faced criticism of his command, low troop morale, and a lack of provisions for his forces as the war continued. Ultimately Washington led a combined French and American force to a decisive victory over the British at Yorktown in In the resulting Treaty of Paris in , the British acknowledged the sovereign independence of the United States.
Washington then served as president of the Constitutional Convention in , which drafted the current Constitution of the United States.
Washington was elected president unanimously by the Electoral College in and again in As the first U.S. president, he implemented a strong, well-financed national government while remaining impartial in the fierce rivalry that emerged within his cabinet between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.
During the French Revolution, he proclaimed a policy of neutrality while supporting the Jay Treaty with Britain. Washington set enduring precedents for the office of president, including republicanism, a peaceful transfer of power, the use of the title "Mr. President", and the two-term tradition. His farewell address became a preeminent statement on republicanism: Washington wrote about the importance of national unity and the dangers that regionalism, partisanship, and foreign influence pose to it.
As a planter of tobacco and wheat at Mount Vernon, Washington owned many slaves. He began opposing slavery near the end of his life, and provided in his will for the manumission of his slaves.
Washington's image is an icon of American culture and he has been extensively memorialized; his namesakes include the national capital and the State of Washington.
In both popular and scholarly polls, he is consistently considered one of the greatest presidents in American history.
Early life (–)
Further information: Washington family
George Washington was born on February 22, ,[a] at Popes Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia.
He was the first of six children of Augustine and Mary Ball Washington. His father was a justice of the peace and a prominent public figure who had four additional children from his first marriage to Jane Butler. Washington was not close to his father and rarely mentioned him in later years; he had a fractious relationship with his mother. Among his siblings, he was particularly close to his older half-brother Lawrence.
The family moved to Little Hunting Creek in before settling at Ferry Farm near Fredericksburg, Virginia, in When Augustine died in , Washington inherited Ferry Farm and ten slaves; Lawrence inherited Little Hunting Creek and renamed it Mount Vernon.
Because of his father's death Washington did not have the formal education his elder half-brothers received at Appleby Grammar School in England; he instead attended the Lower Church School in Hartfield. He learned mathematics and land surveying, and became a talented draftsman and mapmaker. By early adulthood, he was writing with what his biographer Ron Chernow described as "considerable force" and "precision".
As a teenager, Washington compiled over a hundred rules for social interaction styled The Rules of Civility, copied from an English translation of a French guidebook.
Washington often visited Belvoir, the plantation of William Fairfax, Lawrence's father-in-law, and Mount Vernon. Fairfax became Washington's patron and surrogate father.
In , Washington spent a month with a team surveying Fairfax's Shenandoah Valley property.[11] The following year, he received a surveyor's license from the College of William & Mary.[b] Even though Washington had not served the customary apprenticeship, Thomas Fairfax (William's cousin) appointed him surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia.
Washington took his oath of office on July 20, , and resigned in [12] By , he had bought almost 1, acres (ha) in the Shenandoah Valley and owned 2, acres (ha).
In , Washington left mainland North America for the first and only time, when he accompanied Lawrence to Barbados, hoping the climate would cure his brother's tuberculosis.
Washington contracted smallpox during the trip, which left his face slightly scarred. Lawrence died in , and Washington leased Mount Vernon from his widow, Anne; he inherited it outright after her death in
Colonial military career (–)
Lawrence Washington's service as adjutant general of the Virginia militia inspired George to seek a militia commission.
Virginia's lieutenant governor, Robert Dinwiddie, appointed Washington as a major and commander of one of the four militia districts. The British and French were competing for control of the Ohio Valley: the British were constructing forts along the Ohio River, and the French between the Ohio River and Lake Erie.[17]
In October , Dinwiddie appointed Washington as a special envoy to demand the French forces vacate land that was claimed by the British.
Washington was also directed to make peace with the Iroquois Confederacy and to gather intelligence about the French forces. Washington met with Iroquois leader Tanacharison at Logstown. Washington said that at this meeting Tanacharison named him Conotocaurius. This name, meaning "devourer of villages", had previously been given to his great-grandfather John Washington in the late 17th century by the Susquehannock.
Washington's party reached the Ohio River in November and was intercepted by a French patrol.
The party was escorted to Fort Le Boeuf, where Washington was received in a friendly manner. He delivered the British demand to vacate to the French commander Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre, but the French refused to leave. Saint-Pierre gave Washington his official answer after a few days' delay, as well as food and winter clothing for his party's journey back to Virginia.[21] Washington completed the precarious mission in difficult winter conditions, achieving a measure of distinction when his report was published in Virginia and London.
French and Indian War
Main article: George Washington in the French and Indian War
In February , Dinwiddie promoted Washington to lieutenant colonel and second-in-command of the strong Virginia Regiment, with orders to confront the French at the Forks of the Ohio.
Washington set out with half the regiment in April and was soon aware that a French force of 1, had begun construction of Fort Duquesne there. In May, having established a defensive position at Great Meadows, Washington learned that the French had made camp seven miles (11km) away; he decided to take the offensive.
The French detachment proved to be only about 50 men, so on May 28 Washington commanded an ambush. His small force of Virginians and Indian allies[c] killed the French, including their commander Joseph Coulon de Jumonville, who had been carrying a diplomatic message for the British. The French later found their countrymen dead and scalped, blaming Washington, who had retreated to Fort Necessity.
The rest of the Virginia Regiment joined Washington the following month with news that he had been promoted to the rank of colonel and given command of the full regiment.
They were reinforced by an independent company of a hundred South Carolinians led by Captain James Mackay; his royal commission outranked Washington's and a conflict of command ensued. On July 3, French soldiers attacked Fort Necessity, and the ensuing battle ended in Washington's surrender. Washington did not speak French, but signed a surrender document in which he unwittingly took responsibility for "assassinating" Jumonville, later blaming the translator for not properly translating it.
The Virginia Regiment was divided and Washington was offered a captaincy in one of the newly formed regiments. He refused, as it would have been a demotionthe British had ordered that "colonials" could not be ranked any higher than captainand instead resigned his commission.[31] The Jumonville affair became the incident which ignited the French and Indian War.
In , Washington volunteered as an aide to General Edward Braddock, who led a British expedition to expel the French from Fort Duquesne and the Ohio Country.
On Washington's recommendation, Braddock split the army into one main column and a smaller "flying column". Washington was suffering from severe dysentery so did not initially travel with the expedition forces. When he rejoined Braddock at Monongahela, still very ill, the French and their Indian allies ambushed the divided army.
Two-thirds of the British force became casualties in the ensuing Battle of the Monongahela, and Braddock was killed. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gage, Washington rallied the survivors and formed a rear guard, allowing the remnants of the force to retreat. During the engagement, Washington had two horses shot out from under him, and his hat and coat were pierced by bullets.
His conduct redeemed his reputation among critics of his command in the Battle of Fort Necessity, but he was not included by the succeeding commander (Colonel Thomas Dunbar) in planning subsequent operations.
The Virginia Regiment was reconstituted in August , and Dinwiddie appointed Washington its commander, again with the rank of colonel.
Ahimsa hridayananda biography of george washington carver George Washington was a Virginia plantation owner who served as a general and commander-in-chief of the colonial armies during the American Revolutionary War, and later became the first.Washington clashed over seniority almost immediately, this time with Captain John Dagworthy, who commanded a detachment of Marylanders at the regiment's headquarters in Fort Cumberland. Washington, impatient for an offensive against Fort Duquesne, was convinced Braddock would have granted him a royal commission and pressed his case in February with Braddock's successor as Commander-in-Chief, William Shirley, and again in January with Shirley's successor, Lord Loudoun.
Loudoun humiliated Washington, refused him a royal commission, and agreed only to relieve him of the responsibility of manning Fort Cumberland.
In , the Virginia Regiment was assigned to the British Forbes Expedition to capture Fort Duquesne.[31] General John Forbes took Washington's advice on some aspects of the expedition but rejected his opinion on the best route to the fort.
Forbes nevertheless made Washington a brevet brigadier general and gave him command of one of the three brigades that was assigned to assault the fort. The French had abandoned the fort and the valley before the assault, however, and Washington only saw a friendly fire incident which left 14 dead and 26 injured. Frustrated, he resigned his commission soon afterwards and returned to Mount Vernon.
Under Washington, the Virginia Regiment had defended miles (km) of frontier against twenty Indian attacks in ten months.
He increased the professionalism of the regiment as it grew from to 1, men. Though he failed to realize a royal commission, which made him hostile towards the British,[31] he gained self-confidence, leadership skills, and knowledge of British military tactics. The destructive competition Washington witnessed among colonial politicians fostered his later support of a strong central government.
Marriage, civilian and political life (–)
Main article: George Washington's political evolution
On January 6, , Washington, at age 26, married Martha Dandridge Custis, the year-old widow of wealthy plantation owner Daniel Parke Custis.
Martha was intelligent, gracious, and experienced in managing a planter's estate, and the couple had a happy marriage. They lived at Mount Vernon, where Washington cultivated tobacco and wheat. The marriage gave Washington control over Martha's one-third dower interest in the 18,acre (7,ha) Custis estate, and he managed the remaining two-thirds for Martha's children.
As a result, he became one of the wealthiest men in Virginia, which increased his social standing.
At Washington's urging, Governor Lord Botetourt fulfilled Dinwiddie's promise to grant land bounties to those who served with volunteer militias during the French and Indian War. In late , Washington inspected the lands in the Ohio and Great Kanawha regions, and he engaged surveyor William Crawford to subdivide it.
Crawford allotted 23, acres (9,ha) to Washington, who told the veterans that their land was unsuitable for farming and agreed to purchase 20, acres (8,ha), leaving some feeling that they had been duped. He also doubled the size of Mount Vernon to 6, acres (2,ha) and, by , had more than doubled its slave population.
As a respected military hero and large landowner, Washington held local offices and was elected to the Virginia provincial legislature, representing Frederick County in the Virginia House of Burgesses for seven years beginning in [d] Early in his legislative career, Washington rarely spoke at or even attended legislative sessions, but was more politically active starting in the s, becoming a prominent critic of Britain's taxation and mercantilist policies towards the American colonies.
Washington imported luxury goods from England, paying for them by exporting tobacco. His profligate spending combined with low tobacco prices left him £1, in debt by Washington's complete reliance on London tobacco buyer and merchant Robert Cary also threatened his economic security.[e] Between and , he sought to diversify his holdings: he changed Mount Vernon's primary cash crop from tobacco to wheat and expanded operations to include flour milling and hemp farming.
Washington's stepdaughter Patsy suffered from epileptic attacks, and she died at Mount Vernon in , allowing Washington to use part of the inheritance from her estate to settle his debts.
Opposition to the British Parliament and Crown
Further information: American Revolution and George Washington in the American Revolution
Washington was opposed to the taxes which the British Parliament imposed on the Colonies without proper representation.
He believed the Stamp Act was oppressive and celebrated its repeal the following year. In response to the Townshend Acts, he introduced a proposal in May which urged Virginians to boycott British goods; the Townshend Acts were mostly repealed in Washington and other colonists were also angered by the Royal Proclamation of (which banned American settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains) and British interference in American western land speculation (in which Washington was a participant).
Parliament sought to punish Massachusetts colonists for their role in the Boston Tea Party in by passing the Coercive Acts, which Washington saw as "an invasion of our rights and privileges".[63] That July, he and George Mason drafted a list of resolutions for the Fairfax County committee, including a call to end the Atlantic slave trade; the resolutions were adopted.
In August, Washington attended the First Virginia Convention and was selected as a delegate to the First Continental Congress.
Ahimsa hridayananda biography of george washington George Washington (February 22, [a] – December 14, ) was a Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from to As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot forces to victory in the American Revolutionary War against the British Empire.As tensions rose in , he helped train militias in Virginia and organized enforcement of the Continental Association boycott of British goods instituted by the Congress.
Commander in chief of the army (–)
Further information: Military career of George Washington
The American Revolutionary War broke out on April 19, Washington hastily departed Mount Vernon on May 4 to join the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
On June 14, Congress created the Continental Army and John Adams nominated Washington as its commander-in-chief, mainly because of his military experience and the belief that a Virginian would better unite the colonies. He was unanimously elected by Congress the next day.[f] Washington gave an acceptance speech on June 16, declining a salary, though he was later reimbursed expenses.
Congress chose Washington's primary staff officers, including Artemas Ward, Horatio Gates, Charles Lee, Philip Schuyler, and Nathanael Knox impressed Adams and Washington with his knowledge of ordnance and was promoted to colonel and chief of artillery.
Similarly, Washington was impressed by Alexander Hamilton's intelligence and bravery; he would later promote Hamilton to colonel and appoint him his aide-de-camp.
Washington initially banned the enlistment of Black soldiers, both free and enslaved. The British saw an opportunity to divide the colonies: the colonial governor of Virginia issued a proclamation promising freedom to slaves if they joined the British forces.
In response to this proclamation and the need for troops, Washington soon overturned his ban. By the end of the war, around one-tenth of the soldiers in the Continental Army were Black, with some obtaining freedom.
Siege of Boston
Main article: Siege of Boston
In April , in response to the growing rebellious movement, British troops occupied Boston, led by General Thomas Gage, commander of British forces in America.
Local militias surrounded the city and trapped the British troops, resulting in a standoff. As Washington headed for Boston, he was greeted by cheering crowds and political ceremony; he became a symbol of the Patriot cause. Upon Washington's arrival on July 2, he went to inspect the army, but found undisciplined militia. After consultation, he initiated Benjamin Franklin's suggested reforms, instituting military drills and imposing strict disciplinary measures.
Washington promoted some of the soldiers who had performed well at Bunker Hill to officer rank, and removed officers who he saw as incompetent. In October, King George III declared that the colonies were in open rebellion and relieved Gage of command, replacing him with General William Howe.
When the Charles River froze over, Washington was eager to cross and storm Boston, but Gates and others were opposed to having untrained militia attempt to assault well-garrisoned fortifications.
Instead, Washington agreed to secure the Dorchester Heights above Boston to try to force the British out. On March 17, 8, British troops, 1, Loyalists, and 1, women and children began a chaotic naval evacuation. Washington entered the city with men, giving them explicit orders not to plunder.
Short biography of george washington The biography for President Washington and past presidents is courtesy of the White House Historical Association. On April 30, , George Washington, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York, took his oath of office as the first President of the United States.He refrained from exerting military authority in Boston, leaving civilian matters in the hands of local authorities.[g]
New York and New Jersey
Main article: New York and New Jersey Campaign
Battle of Long Island
Main article: Battle of Long Island
After the victory at Boston, Washington correctly guessed that the British would return to New York City and retaliate.
He arrived there on April 13, , and ordered the construction of fortifications. He also ordered his forces to treat civilians and their property with respect, to avoid the abuses Bostonians suffered at the hands of British troops. The British forces, including more than a hundred ships and thousands of troops, began arriving on Staten Island in July to lay siege to the city.
Howe's troop strength totaled 32, regulars and Hessian auxiliaries; Washington had 23, men, mostly untrained recruits and militia.
In August, Howe landed 20, troops at Gravesend, Brooklyn, and approached Washington's fortifications. Overruling his generals, Washington chose to fight, based on inaccurate information that Howe's army had only around 8, soldiers. In the Battle of Long Island, Howe assaulted Washington's flank and inflicted 1, Patriot casualties.
Washington retreated to Manhattan.
Howe sent a message to Washington to negotiate peace, addressing him as "George Washington, Esq." Washington declined to accept the message, demanding to be addressed with diplomatic protocolnot as a rebel.