George Washington: Biography of United States’ First President

When was George Washington Born?

George Washington was born in 1732 in Virginia. He was homeschooled by tutors on the family plantation, until his father passed away when George was eleven years old. The family’s loss forced Washington to assist in the management of the plantation until his adept math skills landed him a job as a surveyor in his teen years, which earned him enough money to buy land of his own.

Mount Vernon

When his half-brother and mentor, Lawrence Washington, passed away in 1752, George inherited Lawrence’s Mount Vernon estate along the Potomac River, which would become his home for the remainder of his life.

That same year, despite a complete lack of military experience, Washington was made commander-in-chief of the Virginia militia due to his uncanny leadership skills during the French and Indian War, which saw two horses shot out from under him, before returning to Mount Vernon with four near-miss bullet holes in his overcoat.

After resigning his commission to grow Mount Vernon from 2,000 acres into an 8,000 acre mega complex of five working farms, in 1759, Washington married wealthy widow Martha Dandridge Custis before his election to the Virginia House of Burgesses that same year.

George Washington’s Political Career

His growing skills as a statesman made him a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congress, and after war broke out between the young republic and Great Britain, Washington was named commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, where he inspired Patriot forces despite overwhelming odds against the largest superpower of the day.

After eight grueling years of war, Washington’s performance at the Battle of Yorktown—the last major engagement of the Revolutionary War—made him a national hero to a war-weary yet victorious young nation. Combined with his impressive leadership skills during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Washington was elected the first American president in 1789, serving two terms that saw the ratification of five new states into the Union.

Washington’s Health

During his lifetime, George Washington suffered a dizzying array of illnesses, including smallpox, repeated bouts of malaria, tuberculosis, dysentery and multiple infections and abscesses with recurrent high fevers.

In December of 1799, Washington caught a cold while inspecting his properties in the rain, which soon worsened into a throat infection that took his life on December 14th, 1799. At the time of his death, Washington owned over 300 slaves, yet due to his growing opposition to slavery in his later years, by order of his last will and testament, his slaves were freed after his wife’s death in 1802, making George Washington, one of the most recognized men in American history.