George Washington | History, Facts & Death

George Washington Summary

George Washington could not have dreamed of becoming president of the United States of America; that title did not exist then. A reluctant leader, here is a brief history of one of America’s Founding Fathers – and the first president of the United States.

Explore the full list of Presidents in the United States to understand their legacy and impact.

Fast Facts

Born	February 22, 1732, Westmoreland County, Virginia
Died	December 14, 1799, At George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, VA
Wife	Martha Washington
Parents	Augustine Washington > Mary Ball Washington

Beginnings From a young age, George Washington desired to join the military. In 1752, when he was just 20, his wish became a reality; he began his journey into military service that would last for several years during the French and Indian Wars.

Although George Washington was promoted to colonel during his time at war, a language miscommunication resulted in Washington confessing to an assassination he did not commit. Washington This led his superiors to mistrust him. Consequently, he returned home in 1758 without further recommendations for his advancement.

Mount Vernon Washington

Once George Washington left his work in the military, he returned to his family’s sprawling plantation in Virginia called Mount Vernon. This 500-acre property was used predominantly for tobacco production, as was much of the land in Virginia at that time. The many enslaved people Washington and his family owned cultivated the crops.

Washington was an enslaver from the early age of 11. He made it his mission to make Mount Vernon its independent unit.

Heating, blacksmithing, and all other Manufacturing were done on the plantation so Washington could keep as much wealth for himself and his family as possible. He even used the nearby Potomac River to start his fishery, rendering food costs minimal.

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Martha Washington

The Colonies

Long Live the Colonies During these years, anger and resentment towards England grew in the British Colonies. Colonists were furious at their lack of control and their faraway rulers’ constant taxes and rules. Many instances of fighting and rebellion took place in defiance of the crown and against the loyalists who felt England had every right to place whatever rules they wanted on the colonies.

Through this, Washington maintained his role as representative for Virginia in the House of Burgesses, and he People increasingly looked to him as a guiding force in this time of great uncertainty and turmoil. In 1774, Washington called every colony to elect a representative so each area could come together to discuss their issues regarding England.

The First Continental Congress, and just the beginning of George Washington’s exciting political career. After the election of representatives, groups of militias were created to prepare for inevitable conflict against Britain and in anticipation of an attack from Native Americans, on whose land the British Colonies were built.

The tension between the colonies and Britain grew stronger and stronger until, in April 1775, a shot was fired that signaled the start of a revolution: the war had begun.

George Washington was quickly appointed to the position of General and Commander-in-Chief, which meant that the army and the colonies’ future were in his care. At this time, the world got the first look at what today is a familiar currency and flag.

The Continental Congress agreed to release a paper currency, then called “Continentals,” so the war effort could be supported financially. Simultaneously, they approved a design for a flag meant to represent the thirteen colonies. It featured red and white stripes and a blue oblong square in the upper left-hand corner, which donned thirteen stars.

Declaration of Independence

Battles between the British and Continental troops raged on for months. George Washington proved to be a wise and strategic leader, and although he suffered from a lack of numbers, he was determined to prove the resilience of the colonies, managing wins in Boston and Montreal.

In 1776, the Continental Congress drafted the Declaration of Independence. It started clearly that the colonies wanted to be free of British rule and would forgo any future support from England in their quest to become an independent nation.

While some colonies were resistant, in the end, twelve out of the thirteen voted in favor, and the Declaration’s final signing took place on July 4, 1776. However, it would be several years before the colonies gained independence.

The American Revolution lasted for five more years, with both sides suffering significant losses from battle and diseases like smallpox that spread through the troops like wildfire.

George Washington was responsible for obtaining inoculations for many of his men, showing he cared deeply about their safety and ability to return home after the fighting was over.

After the Revolution

President #1

Once the American Revolution was over, and the United States was officially recognized as an independent nation, George Washington thought his job was done. He had fought bravely and spent many long months away from his family, often in cold, miserable conditions with little food. He hoped that he could return to a quiet life on his plantation.

However, it proved difficult for George Washington to escape the political world. Throughout the war, he had struggled to receive support from Congress for the pay and provisions that his soldiers deserved. His dissatisfaction with how the nation was progressing made it impossible for him to turn his back on developing this new world.

During the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, the delegates from each state unanimously elected George Washington as president of the assembly. Despite his desire to live a quiet life, Washington accepted the position.

During the convention, there was much discussion regarding enslaved people. At that time, almost every delegate was an enslaver, and although many of the northern states had already abandoned slavery, the southern states benefitted so greatly from the practice that none of the delegates would give up the practice that had proven so lucrative for them. There was, however, the issue of how to count enslaved people as part of the population.

The delegates all balked at letting slaves vote but knew they needed to account for them. They all agreed to the “Three-Fifths Compromise” that dictated a Black person was counted as three-fifths of a White person to allow for a slightly more accurate population count.

Over the next year, the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights were drawn up and ratified. Although George Washington returned to Mount Vernon once again, his stay there was cut short.

In March of 1789, the delegates once again voted for George Washington, but this time to a much more powerful position: President of the United States. George Washington accepted this was his destiny, so he bid farewell to his preferred life, making his way to New York, where he was sworn in on April 30, 1789 – to a 21-gun salute.

George Washington’s years as president were anything but dull! America’s first president’s time was consumed with putting out fires, whether it was anger from citizens at the taxes he tried to impose, trying to resolve land disputes between settlers and Native Americans, or deciding whether or not to support a side in the French Revolution.

George Washington’s popularity wavered with some, but despite some discontent, he was elected to a second term, serving as president until 1797, when he stepped down – a tired and aging man. As part of Washington’s farewell address, he mentioned the importance of standing alone as a nation. Although he might have sympathy for other nations, he took care never to officially pledge support to another country’s fight, as he wanted the US to stand alone with no allegiances.

He also preached the importance of not having political parties – he felt they were too divisive and hoped that the future of his young country could move forward with one mind.

Return to Mount Vernon

Return to Mount Vernon Except for a short return to political service in 1798, George Washington lived out the rest of his days on his beloved plantation.

Despite his professed conflicted feelings on the practice of slavery, he kept his 300 + slaves until the end of his life, likely out of fear of destitution should his free workforce be taken from him.

He dictated in his will that any enslaved people owned by him personally should be freed after his death. He spent the rest of his days trying to rejuvenate his failing tobacco crops and enjoying peaceful walks and rides on his horses.

George Washington Death

On December 14, 1799, (67-year-old) George Washington died of an apparent streptococcus infection that caused his epiglottis, making swallowing too difficult. Friends and family surrounded him at the time of his death.

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