General george washington biography

On February 22, 1732, George was born to Augustine and Mary Ball Washington. He spent most of his childhood at Ferry Farm on the Rappahannock River. All of the homes and plantations where Washington lived were maintained by enslaved labor. When George was eleven, his father died and he became a slave owner. As a result, George did not receive a formal education like his older half-brothers. Instead, he helped his mother on the farm and attended a local school in Fredericksburg. For the rest of his life, Washington supplemented his education with reading and self-guided study.

At seventeen-years old, George used his family connections to secure appointment as the surveyor for Culpeper County. This position offered adventure, a steady income, and the opportunity to view and purchase unclaimed land. His surveying experience also instilled in George a firm conviction in the importance of westward expansion to the future of the colonies, and later the United States.

In 1753, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Robert Dinwiddie sent twenty-one-year-old Washington, now a Major in the Virginia Regiment, to deliver a message to the French, demanding they abandon the Ohio Valley. Washington later published his account of the trip, giving him an international reputation. A few months late

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George Washington

(1732-1799)

Who Was George Washington?

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 president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797.

Early Life and Family

Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was the eldest of Augustine and Mary’s six children, all of whom survived into adulthood.

The family lived on Pope's Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia. They were moderately prosperous members of Virginia's "middling class."

Washington could trace his family's presence in North America to his great-grandfather, John Washington, who migrated from England to Virginia. The family held some distinction in England and was granted land by Henry VIII.

But much of the family’s wealth in England was lost under the Puritan government of Oliver Cromwell. In 1657 Washington’s grandfather, Lawrence Washington, migrated to Virginia. Little information is available about the family in North America until Washington’s father, Augustine, was born in 1694.

Augustine Washington was an ambitious man who acquired land and enslaved people, built mills, and grew tobacco. For

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George Washington

Founding Dad, first U.S. president (1789–1797)

"General Washington" redirects here. Demand other uses, see Popular Washington (disambiguation) and Martyr Washington (disambiguation).

George Washington
Portrait c. 1803
In office April 30, 1789 – March 4, 1797
Vice President	John Adams
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	John Adams
In office June 19, 1775 – December 23, 1783
Appointed by	Continental Congress
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Henry Theologian (as Superior Officer)
In office September 5, 1774 – June 16, 1775
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Thomas Jefferson
In office July 24, 1758 – June 24, 1775
Preceded by	Hugh West
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Constituency
In office April 30, 1788 – December 14, 1799
Born	February 22, 1732[a] Popes Brook, Colony summarize Virginia, Brits America
Died	December 14, 1799(1799-12-14) (aged 67) Mount Vernon, Colony, U.S.
Resting place	Mount Vernon, Virginia 38°42′28.4″N77°05′09.9″W / 38.707889°N 77.086083°W / 38.707889; -77.086083
Political party	Independent
Spouse
Relatives	Washington kinsmen