essay about george washington

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George Washington

By: History.com Editors

Updated: June 25, 2024 | Original: October 29, 2009

George Washington (1732-99) was commander in chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (1775-83) and served two terms as the first U.S. president, from 1789 to 1797. The son of a prosperous planter, Washington was raised in colonial Virginia. As a young man, he worked as a surveyor then fought in the French and Indian War (1754-63). 

During the American Revolution, he led the colonial forces to victory over the British and became a national hero. In 1787, he was elected president of the convention that wrote the U.S. Constitution. Two years later, Washington became America’s first president. Realizing that the way he handled the job would impact how future presidents approached the position, he handed down a legacy of strength, integrity and national purpose. Less than three years after leaving office, he died at his Virginia plantation, Mount Vernon, at age 67.

George Washington's Early Years

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 , at his family’s plantation on Pope’s Creek in Westmoreland County, in the British colony of Virginia , to Augustine Washington (1694-1743) and his second wife, Mary Ball Washington (1708-89). George, the eldest of Augustine and Mary Washington’s six children, spent much of his childhood at Ferry Farm, a plantation near Fredericksburg, Virginia. After Washington’s father died when he was 11, it’s likely he helped his mother manage the plantation.

Did you know? At the time of his death in 1799, George Washington owned some 300 enslaved people. However, before his passing, he had become opposed to slavery, and in his will, he ordered that his enslaved workers be freed after his wife's death.

Few details about Washington’s early education are known, although children of prosperous families like his typically were taught at home by private tutors or attended private schools. It’s believed he finished his formal schooling at around age 15.

As a teenager, Washington, who had shown an aptitude for mathematics, became a successful surveyor. His surveying expeditions into the Virginia wilderness earned him enough money to begin acquiring land of his own.

In 1751, Washington made his only trip outside of America, when he traveled to Barbados with his older half-brother Lawrence Washington (1718-52), who was suffering from tuberculosis and hoped the warm climate would help him recuperate. Shortly after their arrival, George contracted smallpox. He survived, although the illness left him with permanent facial scars. In 1752, Lawrence, who had been educated in England and served as Washington’s mentor, died. Washington eventually inherited Lawrence’s estate, Mount Vernon , on the Potomac River near Alexandria, Virginia.

An Officer and Gentleman Farmer

In December 1752, Washington, who had no previous military experience, was made a commander of the Virginia militia. He saw action in the French and Indian War and was eventually put in charge of all of Virginia’s militia forces. By 1759, Washington had resigned his commission, returned to Mount Vernon and was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, where he served until 1774. In January 1759, he married Martha Dandridge Custis (1731-1802), a wealthy widow with two children. Washington became a devoted stepfather to her children; he and Martha Washington never had any offspring of their own.

In the ensuing years, Washington expanded Mount Vernon from 2,000 acres into an 8,000-acre property with five farms. He grew a variety of crops, including wheat and corn, bred mules and maintained fruit orchards and a successful fishery. He was deeply interested in farming and continually experimented with new crops and methods of land conservation.

George Washington During the American Revolution

Washington proved to be a better general than military strategist. His strength lay not in his genius on the battlefield but in his ability to keep the struggling colonial army together. His troops were poorly trained and lacked food, ammunition and other supplies (soldiers sometimes even went without shoes in winter). However, Washington was able to give them direction and motivation. His leadership during the winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge was a testament to his power to inspire his men to keep going.

By the late 1760s, Washington had experienced firsthand the effects of rising taxes imposed on American colonists by the British and came to believe that it was in the best interests of the colonists to declare independence from England. Washington served as a delegate to the First Continental Congress in 1774 in Philadelphia. By the time the Second Continental Congress convened a year later, the American Revolution had begun in earnest, and Washington was named commander in chief of the Continental Army.

Over the course of the grueling eight-year war, the colonial forces won few battles but consistently held their own against the British. In October 1781, with the aid of the French (who allied themselves with the colonists over their rivals the British), the Continental forces were able to capture British troops under General Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805) in the Battle of Yorktown . This action effectively ended the Revolutionary War and Washington was declared a national hero.

America’s First President

In 1783, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris between Great Britain and the U.S., Washington, believing he had done his duty, gave up his command of the army and returned to Mount Vernon, intent on resuming his life as a gentleman farmer and family man. However, in 1787, he was asked to attend the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and head the committee to draft the new constitution . His impressive leadership there convinced the delegates that he was by far the most qualified man to become the nation’s first president.

At first, Washington balked. He wanted to, at last, return to a quiet life at home and leave governing the new nation to others. But public opinion was so strong that eventually he gave in. The first presidential election was held on January 7, 1789, and Washington won handily. John Adams (1735-1826), who received the second-largest number of votes, became the nation’s first vice president. The 57-year-old Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789, in New York City. Because Washington, D.C. , America’s future capital city wasn’t yet built, he lived in New York and Philadelphia. While in office, he signed a bill establishing a future, permanent U.S. capital along the Potomac River—the city later named Washington, D.C., in his honor.

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George Washington’s Accomplishments

The United States was a small nation when Washington took office, consisting of 11 states and approximately 4 million people, and there was no precedent for how the new president should conduct domestic or foreign business. Mindful that his actions would likely determine how future presidents were expected to govern, Washington worked hard to set an example of fairness, prudence and integrity. In foreign matters, he supported cordial relations with other countries but also favored a position of neutrality in foreign conflicts. Domestically, he nominated the first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court , John Jay (1745-1829), signed a bill establishing the first national bank, the Bank of the United States , and set up his own presidential cabinet . 

His two most prominent cabinet appointees were Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) and Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), two men who disagreed strongly on the role of the federal government. Hamilton favored a strong central government and was part of the Federalist Party , while Jefferson favored stronger states’ rights as part of the Democratic-Republican Party, the forerunner to the Democratic Party . Washington believed that divergent views were critical for the health of the new government, but he was distressed at what he saw as an emerging partisanship.

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George Washington’s presidency was marked by a series of firsts. He signed the first United States copyright law, protecting the copyrights of authors. He also signed the first Thanksgiving proclamation, making November 26 a national day of Thanksgiving for the end of the war for American independence and the successful ratification of the Constitution.

During Washington’s presidency, Congress passed the first federal revenue law, a tax on distilled spirits. In July 1794, farmers in Western Pennsylvania rebelled over the so-called “whiskey tax.” Washington called in over 12,000 militiamen to Pennsylvania to dissolve the Whiskey Rebellion in one of the first major tests of the authority of the national government.

Under Washington’s leadership, the states ratified the Bill of Rights , and five new states entered the union: North Carolina (1789), Rhode Island (1790), Vermont (1791), Kentucky (1792) and Tennessee (1796).

In his second term, Washington issued the proclamation of neutrality to avoid entering the 1793 war between Great Britain and France. But when French minister to the United States Edmond Charles Genet—known to history as “Citizen Genet”—toured the United States, he boldly flaunted the proclamation, attempting to set up American ports as French military bases and gain support for his cause in the Western United States. His meddling caused a stir between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans, widening the rift between parties and making consensus-building more difficult.

In 1795, Washington signed the “Treaty of Amity Commerce and Navigation, between His Britannic Majesty; and The United States of America,” or Jay’s Treaty , so-named for John Jay , who had negotiated it with the government of King George III . It helped the U.S. avoid war with Great Britain, but also rankled certain members of Congress back home and was fiercely opposed by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison . Internationally, it caused a stir among the French, who believed it violated previous treaties between the United States and France.

Washington’s administration signed two other influential international treaties. Pinckney’s Treaty of 1795, also known as the Treaty of San Lorenzo, established friendly relations between the United States and Spain, firming up borders between the U.S. and Spanish territories in North America and opening up the Mississippi to American traders. The Treaty of Tripoli, signed the following year, gave American ships access to Mediterranean shipping lanes in exchange for a yearly tribute to the Pasha of Tripoli.

George Washington’s Retirement to Mount Vernon and Death

In 1796, after two terms as president and declining to serve a third term, Washington finally retired. In Washington’s farewell address , he urged the new nation to maintain the highest standards domestically and to keep involvement with foreign powers to a minimum. The address is still read each February in the U.S. Senate to commemorate Washington’s birthday.

Washington returned to Mount Vernon and devoted his attentions to making the plantation as productive as it had been before he became president. More than four decades of public service had aged him, but he was still a commanding figure. In December 1799, he caught a cold after inspecting his properties in the rain. The cold developed into a throat infection and Washington died on the night of December 14, 1799, at the age of 67. He was entombed at Mount Vernon, which in 1960 was designated a national historic landmark.

Washington left one of the most enduring legacies of any American in history. Known as the “Father of His Country,” his face appears on the U.S. dollar bill and quarter, and dozens of U.S. schools, towns and counties, as well as the state of Washington and the nation’s capital city, are named for him.

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What is George Washington known for?

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George Washington

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George Washington is often called the “Father of His Country.” He not only served as the first president of the United States , but he also commanded the Continental Army during the American Revolution (1775–83) and presided over the convention that drafted the U.S. Constitution . The U.S. capital is named after Washington—as are many schools, parks, and cities. Today his face appears on the U.S. dollar bill and the quarter.

George Washington did not belong to a political party. He ran as a nonpartisan candidate in the presidential elections of 1789 and 1792 . To this day, Washington is the only U.S. president to have been unanimously elected by the electoral college .

Yes, George Washington owned slaves. Washington was born into a Virginia planter family. After his father’s death in 1743, Washington inherited 10 enslaved people. In 1761 Washington acquired a farmhouse (which he later expanded to a five-farm estate) called Mount Vernon . In 1760, 49 enslaved people lived and worked on the estate; by 1799 that number had increased to over 300. Washington eventually freed the 123 people he owned. In his will he ordered that they be freed “upon the decease of my wife .”

After serving two terms as president, George Washington retired to his estate at Mount Vernon in 1797. Two years into his retirement, Washington caught a cold. The cold developed into a throat infection. Doctors cared for Washington as they thought best—by bleeding him, blistering him, and attempting (unsuccessfully) to give him a gargle of “molasses, vinegar, and butter.” Despite their efforts, Washington died on the night of December 14, 1799.

For years people have shared a story about the first U.S. president involving a hatchet, a cherry tree, and a young Washington who “cannot tell a lie.” The legend attests to George Washington’s honesty, virtue, and piety—that is, if it is true. It is not. The legend was the invention of a 19th-century bookseller named Mason Locke Weems who wanted to present a role model to his American readers . It is one of many legends about Washington.

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George Washington (born February 22 [February 11, Old Style], 1732, Westmoreland county, Virginia [U.S.]—died December 14, 1799, Mount Vernon, Virginia, U.S.) was an American general and commander in chief of the colonial armies in the American Revolution (1775–83) and subsequently first president of the United States (1789–97).

Washington’s father, Augustine Washington, had gone to school in England, tasted seafaring life, and then settled down to manage his growing Virginia estates. His mother was Mary Ball, whom Augustine, a widower, had married early the previous year. Washington’s paternal lineage had some distinction; an early forebear was described as a “gentleman,” Henry VIII later gave the family lands, and its members held various offices. But family fortunes fell with the Puritan revolution in England, and John Washington, grandfather of Augustine, migrated in 1657 to Virginia. The ancestral home at Sulgrave, Northamptonshire , is maintained as a Washington memorial. Little definite information exists on any of the line until Augustine. He was an energetic, ambitious man who acquired much land, built mills, took an interest in opening iron mines, and sent his two eldest sons to England for schooling. By his first wife, Jane Butler, he had four children. By his second wife, Mary Ball, he had six. Augustine died April 12, 1743.

Little is known of George Washington’s early childhood, spent largely on the Ferry Farm on the Rappahannock River , opposite Fredericksburg , Virginia. Mason L. Weems ’s stories of the hatchet and cherry tree and of young Washington’s repugnance to fighting are apocryphal efforts to fill a manifest gap. He attended school irregularly from his 7th to his 15th year, first with the local church sexton and later with a schoolmaster named Williams. Some of his schoolboy papers survive. He was fairly well trained in practical mathematics—gauging, several types of mensuration, and such trigonometry as was useful in surveying . He studied geography, possibly had a little Latin, and certainly read some of The Spectator and other English classics. The copybook in which he transcribed at 14 a set of moral precepts, or Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation , was carefully preserved. His best training, however, was given him by practical men and outdoor occupations, not by books. He mastered tobacco growing and stock raising, and early in his teens he was sufficiently familiar with surveying to plot the fields about him.

At his father’s death, the 11-year-old boy became the ward of his half brother Lawrence, a man of fine character who gave him wise and affectionate care. Lawrence inherited the beautiful estate of Little Hunting Creek, which had been granted to the original settler, John Washington, and which Augustine had done much since 1738 to develop. Lawrence married Anne (Nancy) Fairfax, daughter of Col. William Fairfax, a cousin and agent of Lord Fairfax and one of the chief proprietors of the region. Lawrence also built a house and named the 2,500-acre (1,000-hectare) holding Mount Vernon in honor of the admiral under whom he had served in the siege of Cartagena . Living there chiefly with Lawrence (though he spent some time near Fredericksburg with his other half brother, Augustine, called Austin), George entered a more spacious and polite world. Anne Fairfax Washington was a woman of charm, grace, and culture; Lawrence had brought from his English school and naval service much knowledge and experience. A valued neighbor and relative, George William Fairfax, whose large estate, Belvoir, was about 4 miles (6 km) distant, and other relatives by marriage, the Carlyles of Alexandria, helped form George’s mind and manners.

The youth turned first to surveying as a profession. Lord Fairfax, a middle-aged bachelor who owned more than 5,000,000 acres (2,000,000 hectares) in northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley , came to America in 1746 to live with his cousin George William at Belvoir and to look after his properties. Two years later he sent to the Shenandoah Valley a party to survey and plot his lands to make regular tenants of the squatters moving in from Pennsylvania . With the official surveyor of Prince William county in charge, Washington went along as assistant. The 16-year-old lad kept a disjointed diary of the trip, which shows skill in observation. He describes the discomfort of sleeping under “one thread Bear blanket with double its Weight of Vermin such as Lice Fleas & c”; an encounter with an Indian war party bearing a scalp; the Pennsylvania-German emigrants, “as ignorant a set of people as the Indians they would never speak English but when spoken to they speak all Dutch”; and the serving of roast wild turkey on “a Large Chip,” for “as for dishes we had none.”

The following year (1749), aided by Lord Fairfax, Washington received an appointment as official surveyor of Culpeper county, and for more than two years he was kept almost constantly busy. Surveying not only in Culpeper but also in Frederick and Augusta counties, he made journeys far beyond the Tidewater region into the western wilderness. The experience taught him resourcefulness and endurance and toughened him in both body and mind. Coupled with Lawrence’s ventures in land, it also gave him an interest in western development that endured throughout his life. He was always disposed to speculate in western holdings and to view favorably projects for colonizing the West, and he greatly resented the limitations that the crown in time laid on the westward movement . In 1752 Lord Fairfax determined to take up his final residence in the Shenandoah Valley and settled there in a log hunting lodge, which he called Greenway Court after a Kentish manor of his family’s. There Washington was sometimes entertained and had access to a small library that Fairfax had begun accumulating at Oxford.

The years 1751–52 marked a turning point in Washington’s life, for they placed him in control of Mount Vernon . Lawrence, stricken by tuberculosis , went to Barbados in 1751 for his health, taking George along. From this sole journey beyond the present borders of the United States, Washington returned with the light scars of an attack of smallpox . In July of the next year, Lawrence died, making George executor and residuary heir of his estate should his daughter, Sarah, die without issue. As she died within two months, Washington at age 20 became head of one of the best Virginia estates. He always thought farming the “most delectable” of pursuits. “It is honorable,” he wrote, “it is amusing, and, with superior judgment, it is profitable.” And, of all the spots for farming, he thought Mount Vernon the best. “No estate in United America,” he assured an English correspondent, “is more pleasantly situated than this.” His greatest pride in later days was to be regarded as the first farmer of the land.

He gradually increased the estate until it exceeded 8,000 acres (3,000 hectares). He enlarged the house in 1760 and made further enlargements and improvements on the house and its landscaping in 1784–86. He also tried to keep abreast of the latest scientific advances.

For the next 20 years the main background of Washington’s life was the work and society of Mount Vernon. He gave assiduous attention to the rotation of crops, fertilization of the soil, and the management of livestock. He had to manage the 18 slaves that came with the estate and others he bought later; by 1760 he had paid taxes on 49 slaves—though he strongly disapproved of the institution and hoped for some mode of abolishing it. At the time of his death, more than 300 slaves were housed in the quarters on his property. He had been unwilling to sell slaves lest families be broken up, even though the increase in their numbers placed a burden on him for their upkeep and gave him a larger force of workers than he required, especially after he gave up the cultivation of tobacco. In his will, he bequeathed the slaves in his possession to his wife and ordered that upon her death they be set free, declaring also that the young, the aged, and the infirm among them “shall be comfortably cloathed & fed by my heirs.” Still, this accounted for only about half the slaves on his property. The other half, owned by his wife, were entailed to the Custis estate, so that on her death they were destined to pass to her heirs. However, she freed all the slaves in 1800 after his death.

For diversion Washington was fond of riding, fox hunting, and dancing, of such theatrical performances as he could reach, and of duck hunting and sturgeon fishing. He liked billiards and cards and not only subscribed to racing associations but also ran his own horses in races. In all outdoor pursuits, from wrestling to colt breaking, he excelled. A friend of the 1750s describes him as “straight as an Indian, measuring six feet two inches in his stockings”; as very muscular and broad-shouldered but, though large-boned, weighing only 175 pounds; and as having long arms and legs. His penetrating blue-gray eyes were overhung by heavy brows, his nose was large and straight, and his mouth was large and firmly closed. “His movements and gestures are graceful, his walk majestic, and he is a splendid horseman.” He soon became prominent in community affairs, was an active member and later vestryman of the Episcopal church , and as early as 1755 expressed a desire to stand for the Virginia House of Burgesses .

George Washington

George Washington, a Founding Father of the United States, led the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War and was America’s first president.

(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."

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 a time, he had an interest in opening iron mines. He married his first wife, Jane Butler, and they had three children. Jane died in 1729 and Augustine married Mary Ball in 1731.

Mount Vernon

In 1735, Augustine moved the family up the Potomac River to another Washington family home, Little Hunting Creek Plantation — later renamed Mount Vernon .

They moved again in 1738 to Ferry Farm on the Rappahannock River, opposite Fredericksburg, Virginia, where Washington spent much of his youth.

Childhood and Education

Little is known about Washington's childhood, which fostered many of the fables later biographers manufactured to fill in the gap. Among these are the stories that Washington threw a silver dollar across the Potomac and after chopping down his father's prize cherry tree, he openly confessed to the crime.

It is known that from age seven to 15, Washington was home-schooled and studied with the local church sexton and later a schoolmaster in practical math, geography, Latin and the English classics.

But much of the knowledge he would use the rest of his life was through his acquaintance with woodsmen and the plantation foreman. By his early teens, he had mastered growing tobacco, stock raising and surveying.

Washington’s father died when he was 11 and he became the ward of his half-brother, Lawrence, who gave him a good upbringing. Lawrence had inherited the family's Little Hunting Creek Plantation and married Anne Fairfax, the daughter of Colonel William Fairfax, patriarch of the well-to-do Fairfax family. Under her tutelage, Washington was schooled in the finer aspects of colonial culture.

In 1748, when he was 16, Washington traveled with a surveying party plotting land in Virginia’s western territory. The following year, aided by Lord Fairfax, Washington received an appointment as the official surveyor of Culpeper County.

For two years he was very busy surveying the land in Culpeper, Frederick and Augusta counties. The experience made him resourceful and toughened his body and mind. It also piqued his interest in western land holdings, an interest that endured throughout his life with speculative land purchases and a belief that the future of the nation lay in colonizing the West.

In July 1752, Washington's brother, Lawrence, died of tuberculosis, making him the heir apparent of the Washington lands. Lawrence’s only child, Sarah, died two months later and Washington became the head of one of Virginia's most prominent estates, Mount Vernon. He was 20 years old.

Throughout his life, he would hold farming as one of the most honorable professions and he was most proud of Mount Vernon. Washington would gradually increase his landholdings there to about 8,000 acres

Pre-Revolutionary Military Career

In the early 1750s, France and Britain were at peace. However, the French military had begun occupying much of the Ohio Valley, protecting the King's land interests, particularly fur trappers and French settlers. But the borderlands of this area were unclear and prone to dispute between the two countries.

Washington showed early signs of natural leadership and shortly after Lawrence's death, Virginia's Lieutenant Governor, Robert Dinwiddie, appointed Washington adjutant with a rank of major in the Virginia militia.

French and Indian War

On October 31, 1753, Dinwiddie sent Washington to Fort LeBoeuf, at what is now Waterford, Pennsylvania, to warn the French to remove themselves from land claimed by Britain. The French politely refused and Washington made a hasty ride back to Williamsburg, Virginia's colonial capital.

Dinwiddie sent Washington back with troops and they set up a post at Great Meadows. Washington's small force attacked a French post at Fort Duquesne, killing the commander, Coulon de Jumonville, and nine others and taking the rest prisoners. The French and Indian War had begun.

The French counterattacked and drove Washington and his men back to his post at Great Meadows (later named "Fort Necessity.") After a full day siege, Washington surrendered and was soon released and returned to Williamsburg, promising not to build another fort on the Ohio River.

Though a little embarrassed at being captured, he was grateful to receive the thanks from the House of Burgesses and see his name mentioned in the London gazettes.

Washington was given the honorary rank of colonel and joined British General Edward Braddock's army in Virginia in 1755. The British had devised a plan for a three-prong assault on French forces attacking Fort Duquesne, Fort Niagara and Crown Point.

During the encounter, the French and their Indian allies ambushed Braddock, who was mortally wounded. Washington escaped injury with four bullet holes in his cloak and two horses shot out from under him. Though he fought bravely, he could do little to turn back the rout and led the defeated army back to safety.

Commander of Virginia Troops

In August 1755, Washington was made commander of all Virginia troops at age 23. He was sent to the frontier to patrol and protect nearly 400 miles of border with some 700 ill-disciplined colonial troops and a Virginia colonial legislature unwilling to support him.

It was a frustrating assignment. His health failed in the closing months of 1757 and he was sent home with dysentery.

In 1758, Washington returned to duty on another expedition to capture Fort Duquesne. A friendly-fire incident took place, killing 14 and wounding 26 of Washington's men. However, the British were able to score a major victory, capturing Fort Duquesne and control of the Ohio Valley.

Washington retired from his Virginia regiment in December 1758. His experience during the war was generally frustrating, with key decisions made slowly, poor support from the colonial legislature and poorly trained recruits.

Washington applied for a commission with the British army but was turned down. In 1758, he resigned his commission and returned to Mount Vernon disillusioned. The same year, he entered politics and was elected to Virginia's House of Burgesses.

Martha Washington

A month after leaving the army, Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis, a widow, who was only a few months older than he. Martha brought to the marriage a considerable fortune: an 18,000-acre estate, from which Washington personally acquired 6,000 acres.

With this and land he was granted for his military service, Washington became one of the more wealthy landowners in Virginia. The marriage also brought Martha's two young children, John (Jacky) and Martha (Patsy), ages six and four, respectively.

Washington lavished great affection on both of them, and was heartbroken when Patsy died just before the Revolution. Jacky died during the Revolution, and Washington adopted two of his children.

Enslaved People

During his retirement from the Virginia militia until the start of the Revolution, Washington devoted himself to the care and development of his land holdings, attending the rotation of crops, managing livestock and keeping up with the latest scientific advances.

By the 1790s, Washington kept over 300 enslaved people at Mount Vernon. He was said to dislike the institution of slavery , but accepted the fact that it was legal.

Washington, in his will, made his displeasure with slavery known, as he ordered that all his enslaved people be granted their freedom upon the death of his wife Martha. (This act of generosity, however, applied to fewer than half of Mount Vernon's enslaved people: Those enslaved people owned by the Custis family were given to Martha’s grandchildren after her death.)

Washington loved the landed gentry's life of horseback riding, fox hunts, fishing and cotillions. He worked six days a week, often taking off his coat and performing manual labor with his workers. He was an innovative and responsible landowner, breeding cattle and horses and tending to his fruit orchards.

Much has been made of the fact that Washington used false teeth or dentures for most of his adult life. Indeed, Washington's correspondence to friends and family makes frequent references to aching teeth, inflamed gums and various dental woes.

Washington had one tooth pulled when he was just 24 years old, and by the time of his inauguration in 1789 he had just one natural tooth left. But his false teeth weren't made of wood, as some legends suggest.

Instead, Washington's false teeth were fashioned from human teeth — including teeth from enslaved people and his own pulled teeth — ivory, animal teeth and assorted metals.

Washington's dental problems, according to some historians, probably impacted the shape of his face and may have contributed to his quiet, somber demeanor: During the Constitutional Convention, Washington addressed the gathered dignitaries only once.

American Revolution

Though the British Proclamation Act of 1763 — prohibiting settlement beyond the Alleghenies — irritated Washington and he opposed the Stamp Act of 1765, he did not take a leading role in the growing colonial resistance against the British until the widespread protest of the Townshend Acts in 1767.

His letters of this period indicate he was totally opposed to the colonies declaring independence. However, by 1767, he wasn't opposed to resisting what he believed were fundamental violations by the Crown of the rights of Englishmen.

In 1769, Washington introduced a resolution to the House of Burgesses calling for Virginia to boycott British goods until the Acts were repealed.

After the passage of the Coercive Acts in 1774, Washington chaired a meeting in which the Fairfax Resolves were adopted, calling for the convening of the Continental Congress and the use of armed resistance as a last resort. He was selected as a delegate to the First Continental Congress in March 1775.

Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army

After the battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, the political dispute between Great Britain and her North American colonies escalated into an armed conflict. In May, Washington traveled to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia dressed in a military uniform, indicating that he was prepared for war.

On June 15th, he was appointed Major General and Commander-in-Chief of the colonial forces against Great Britain. As was his custom, he did not seek out the office of commander, but he faced no serious competition.

Washington was the best choice for a number of reasons: he had the prestige, military experience and charisma for the job and he had been advising Congress for months.

Another factor was political: The Revolution had started in New England and at the time, they were the only colonies that had directly felt the brunt of British tyranny. Virginia was the largest British colony and New England needed Southern colonial support.

Political considerations and force of personality aside, Washington was not necessarily qualified to wage war on the world's most powerful nation. Washington's training and experience were primarily in frontier warfare involving small numbers of soldiers. He wasn't trained in the open-field style of battle practiced by the commanding British generals.

He also had no practical experience maneuvering large formations of infantry, commanding cavalry or artillery, or maintaining the flow of supplies for thousands of men in the field. But he was courageous and determined and smart enough to keep one step ahead of the enemy.

Washington and his small army did taste victory early in March 1776 by placing artillery above Boston, on Dorchester Heights, forcing the British to withdraw. Washington then moved his troops into New York City. But in June, a new British commander, Sir William Howe , arrived in the Colonies with the largest expeditionary force Britain had ever deployed to date.

Crossing the Delaware

In August 1776, the British army launched an attack and quickly took New York City in the largest battle of the war. Washington's army was routed and suffered the surrender of 2,800 men.

He ordered the remains of his army to retreat into Pennsylvania across the Delaware River. Confident the war would be over in a few months, General Howe wintered his troops at Trenton and Princeton, leaving Washington free to attack at the time and place of his choosing.

On Christmas night, 1776, Washington and his men returned across the Delaware River and attacked unsuspecting Hessian mercenaries at Trenton, forcing their surrender. A few days later, evading a force that had been sent to destroy his army, Washington attacked the British again, this time at Princeton, dealing them a humiliating loss.

Victories and Losses

General Howe's strategy was to capture colonial cities and stop the rebellion at key economic and political centers. He never abandoned the belief that once the Americans were deprived of their major cities, the rebellion would wither.

In the summer of 1777, he mounted an offensive against Philadelphia. Washington moved in his army to defend the city but was defeated at the Battle of Brandywine . Philadelphia fell two weeks later.

In the late summer of 1777, the British army sent a major force, under the command of John Burgoyne, south from Quebec to Saratoga, New York, to split the rebellion between New England and the southern colonies. But the strategy backfired, as Burgoyne became trapped by the American armies led by Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold at the Battle of Saratoga .

Without support from Howe, who couldn't reach him in time, Burgoyne was forced to surrender his entire 6,200 man army. The victory was a major turning point in the war as it encouraged France to openly ally itself with the American cause for independence.

Through all of this, Washington discovered an important lesson: The political nature of war was just as important as the military one. Washington began to understand that military victories were as important as keeping the resistance alive.

Americans began to believe that they could meet their objective of independence without defeating the British army. Meanwhile, British General Howe clung to the strategy of capturing colonial cities in hopes of smothering the rebellion.

Howe didn't realize that capturing cities like Philadelphia and New York would not unseat colonial power. The Congress would just pack up and meet elsewhere.

Valley Forge

The darkest time for Washington and the Continental Army was during the winter of 1777 at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The 11,000-man force went into winter quarters and over the next six months suffered thousands of deaths, mostly from disease. But the army emerged from the winter still intact and in relatively good order.

Realizing their strategy of capturing colonial cities had failed, the British command replaced General Howe with Sir Henry Clinton. The British army evacuated Philadelphia to return to New York City. Washington and his men delivered several quick blows to the moving army, attacking the British flank near Monmouth Courthouse. Though a tactical standoff, the encounter proved Washington's army capable of open field battle.

For the remainder of the war, Washington was content to keep the British confined to New York, although he never totally abandoned the idea of retaking the city. The alliance with France had brought a large French army and a navy fleet.

Washington and his French counterparts decided to let Clinton be and attack British General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. Facing the combined French and Colonial armies and the French fleet of 29 warships at his back, Cornwallis held out as long as he could, but on October 19, 1781, he surrendered his forces.

Revolutionary War Victory

Washington had no way of knowing the Yorktown victory would bring the war to a close.

The British still had 26,000 troops occupying New York City, Charleston and Savannah, plus a large fleet of warships in the Colonies. By 1782, the French army and navy had departed, the Continental treasury was depleted, and most of his soldiers hadn’t been paid for several years.

A near-mutiny was avoided when Washington convinced Congress to grant a five-year bonus for soldiers in March 1783. By November of that year, the British had evacuated New York City and other cities and the war was essentially over.

The Americans had won their independence. Washington formally bade his troops farewell and on December 23, 1783, he resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the army and returned to Mount Vernon.

For four years, Washington attempted to fulfill his dream of resuming life as a gentleman farmer and to give his much-neglected Mount Vernon plantation the care and attention it deserved.

The war had been costly to the Washington family with lands neglected, no exports of goods, and the depreciation of paper money. But Washington was able to repair his fortunes with a generous land grant from Congress for his military service and become profitable once again.

Constitutional Convention

In 1787, Washington was again called to the duty of his country. Since independence, the young republic had been struggling under the Articles of Confederation , a structure of government that centered power with the states.

But the states were not unified. They fought among themselves over boundaries and navigation rights and refused to contribute to paying off the nation's war debt. In some instances, state legislatures imposed tyrannical tax policies on their own citizens.

Washington was intensely dismayed at the state of affairs, but only slowly came to the realization that something should be done about it. Perhaps he wasn't sure the time was right so soon after the Revolution to be making major adjustments to the democratic experiment. Or perhaps because he hoped he would not be called upon to serve, he remained noncommittal.

But when Shays' Rebellion erupted in Massachusetts, Washington knew something needed to be done to improve the nation’s government. In 1786, Congress approved a convention to be held in Philadelphia to amend the Articles of Confederation.

At the Constitutional Convention , Washington was unanimously chosen as president. Washington, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton had come to the conclusion that it wasn't amendments that were needed, but a new constitution that would give the national government more authority.

In the end, the Convention produced a plan for government that not only would address the country's current problems, but would endure through time. After the convention adjourned, Washington's reputation and support for the new government were indispensable to the ratification of the new U.S. Constitution .

The opposition was strident, if not organized, with many of America's leading political figures — including Patrick Henry and Sam Adams — condemning the proposed government as a grab for power. Even in Washington's native Virginia, the Constitution was ratified by only one vote.

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George Washington: Presidency

Still hoping to retire to his beloved Mount Vernon, Washington was once again called upon to serve this country.

During the presidential election of 1789, he received a vote from every elector to the Electoral College, the only president in American history to be elected by unanimous approval. He took the oath of office at Federal Hall in New York City, the capital of the United States at the time.

As the first president, Washington was astutely aware that his presidency would set a precedent for all that would follow. He carefully attended to the responsibilities and duties of his office, remaining vigilant to not emulate any European royal court. To that end, he preferred the title "Mr. President," instead of more imposing names that were suggested.

At first he declined the $25,000 salary Congress offered the office of the presidency, for he was already wealthy and wanted to protect his image as a selfless public servant. However, Congress persuaded him to accept the compensation to avoid giving the impression that only wealthy men could serve as president.

Washington proved to be an able administrator. He surrounded himself with some of the most capable people in the country, appointing Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury and Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State. He delegated authority wisely and consulted regularly with his cabinet listening to their advice before making a decision.

Washington established broad-ranging presidential authority, but always with the highest integrity, exercising power with restraint and honesty. In doing so, he set a standard rarely met by his successors, but one that established an ideal by which all are judged.

READ MORE: How George Washington’s Personal and Physical Characteristics Helped Him Win the Presidency

Accomplishments

During his first term, Washington adopted a series of measures proposed by Treasury Secretary Hamilton to reduce the nation's debt and place its finances on sound footing.

His administration also established several peace treaties with Native American tribes and approved a bill establishing the nation's capital in a permanent district along the Potomac River.

Whiskey Rebellion

Then, in 1791, Washington signed a bill authorizing Congress to place a tax on distilled spirits, which stirred protests in rural areas of Pennsylvania.

Quickly, the protests turned into a full-scale defiance of federal law known as the Whiskey Rebellion . Washington invoked the Militia Act of 1792, summoning local militias from several states to put down the rebellion.

Washington personally took command, marching the troops into the areas of rebellion and demonstrating that the federal government would use force, when necessary, to enforce the law. This was also the only time a sitting U.S. president has led troops into battle.

In foreign affairs, Washington took a cautious approach, realizing that the weak young nation could not succumb to Europe's political intrigues. In 1793, France and Great Britain were once again at war.

At the urging of Hamilton, Washington disregarded the U.S. alliance with France and pursued a course of neutrality. In 1794, he sent John Jay to Britain to negotiate a treaty (known as the "Jay Treaty") to secure a peace with Britain and clear up some issues held over from the Revolutionary War.

The action infuriated Jefferson, who supported the French and felt that the U.S. needed to honor its treaty obligations. Washington was able to mobilize public support for the treaty, which proved decisive in securing ratification in the Senate.

Though controversial, the treaty proved beneficial to the United States by removing British forts along the western frontier, establishing a clear boundary between Canada and the United States, and most importantly, delaying a war with Britain and providing over a decade of prosperous trade and development the fledgling country so desperately needed.

Political Parties

All through his two terms as president, Washington was dismayed at the growing partisanship within the government and the nation. The power bestowed on the federal government by the Constitution made for important decisions, and people joined together to influence those decisions. The formation of political parties at first were influenced more by personality than by issues.

As Treasury secretary, Hamilton pushed for a strong national government and an economy built in industry. Secretary of State Jefferson desired to keep government small and center power more at the local level, where citizens' freedom could be better protected. He envisioned an economy based on farming.

Those who followed Hamilton's vision took the name Federalists and people who opposed those ideas and tended to lean toward Jefferson’s view began calling themselves Democratic-Republicans. Washington despised political partisanship, believing that ideological differences should never become institutionalized. He strongly felt that political leaders should be free to debate important issues without being bound by party loyalty.

However, Washington could do little to slow the development of political parties. The ideals promoted by Hamilton and Jefferson produced a two-party system that proved remarkably durable. These opposing viewpoints represented a continuation of the debate over the proper role of government, a debate that began with the conception of the Constitution and continues today.

Washington's administration was not without its critics who questioned what they saw as extravagant conventions in the office of the president. During his two terms, Washington rented the best houses available and was driven in a coach drawn by four horses, with outriders and lackeys in rich uniforms.

After being overwhelmed by callers, he announced that except for the scheduled weekly reception open to all, he would only see people by appointment. Washington entertained lavishly, but in private dinners and receptions at invitation only. He was, by some, accused of conducting himself like a king.

However, ever mindful his presidency would set the precedent for those to follow, he was careful to avoid the trappings of a monarchy. At public ceremonies, he did not appear in a military uniform or the monarchical robes. Instead, he dressed in a black velvet suit with gold buckles and powdered hair, as was the common custom. His reserved manner was more due to inherent reticence than any excessive sense of dignity.

Desiring to return to Mount Vernon and his farming, and feeling the decline of his physical powers with age, Washington refused to yield to the pressures to serve a third term, even though he would probably not have faced any opposition.

By doing this, he was again mindful of the precedent of being the "first president," and chose to establish a peaceful transition of government.

Farewell Address

In the last months of his presidency, Washington felt he needed to give his country one last measure of himself. With the help of Hamilton, he composed his Farewell Address to the American people, which urged his fellow citizens to cherish the Union and avoid partisanship and permanent foreign alliances.

In March 1797, he turned over the government to John Adams and returned to Mount Vernon, determined to live his last years as a simple gentleman farmer. His last official act was to pardon the participants in the Whiskey Rebellion.

Upon returning to Mount Vernon in the spring of 1797, Washington felt a reflective sense of relief and accomplishment. He had left the government in capable hands, at peace, its debts well-managed, and set on a course of prosperity.

He devoted much of his time to tending the farm's operations and management. Although he was perceived to be wealthy, his land holdings were only marginally profitable.

On a cold December day in 1799, Washington spent much of it inspecting the farm on horseback in a driving snowstorm. When he returned home, he hastily ate his supper in his wet clothes and then went to bed.

The next morning, on December 13, he awoke with a severe sore throat and became increasingly hoarse. He retired early, but awoke around 3 a.m. and told Martha that he felt very sick. The illness progressed until he died late in the evening of December 14, 1799.

The news of Washington's death at age 67 spread throughout the country, plunging the nation into a deep mourning. Many towns and cities held mock funerals and presented hundreds of eulogies to honor their fallen hero. When the news of this death reached Europe, the British fleet paid tribute to his memory, and Napoleon ordered ten days of mourning.

Washington could have been a king. Instead, he chose to be a citizen. He set many precedents for the national government and the presidency: The two-term limit in office, only broken once by Franklin D. Roosevelt , was later ensconced in the Constitution's 22nd Amendment.

He crystallized the power of the presidency as a part of the government’s three branches of government , able to exercise authority when necessary, but also accept the checks and balances of power inherent in the system.

He was not only considered a military and revolutionary hero, but a man of great personal integrity, with a deep sense of duty, honor and patriotism. For over 200 years, Washington has been acclaimed as indispensable to the success of the Revolution and the birth of the nation.

But his most important legacy may be that he insisted he was dispensable, asserting that the cause of liberty was larger than any single individual.

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QUICK FACTS

• Name: George Washington
• Birth Year: 1732
• Birth date: February 22, 1732
• Birth State: Virginia
• Birth City: Westmoreland County
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: George Washington, a Founding Father of the United States, led the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War and was America’s first president.
• U.S. Politics
• Astrological Sign: Pisces
• Death Year: 1799
• Death date: December 14, 1799
• Death State: Virginia
• Death City: Mount Vernon
• Death Country: United States

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: George Washington Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/political-figures/george-washington
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: September 11, 2020
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014
• Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all.
• When we assumed the soldier, we did not lay aside the citizen.
• Be courteous to all, but intimate with few.
• [T]he preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the republican model of government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.
• We should never despair, our situation before has been unpromising and has changed for the better, so I trust, it will again. If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth new exertions and proportion our efforts to the exigency of the times.
• There can be no greater error than to expect or calculate upon real favors from nation to nation.
• [M]y movements to the chair of government will be accompanied by feelings not unlike those of a culprit who is going to the place of his execution.
• True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.
• Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.
• I heard the bullets whistle, and, believe me, there is something charming in the sound.
• Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.
• The basis of our political Systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their Constitutions of Government. But the Constitution which at any time exists, 'till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole People, is sacredly obligatory upon all.
• I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is the best policy.
• The bosom of America is open to receive not only the opulent and respectable stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all nations and religions.

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Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Essays

George washington: man, myth, monument.

George Washington

Horatio Greenough

Charles Willson Peale

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George Washington and William Lee (George Washington)

John Trumbull

James Peale

Charles Peale Polk

Giuseppe Ceracchi

Washington Reviewing the Western Army at Fort Cumberland, Maryland

Attributed to Frederick Kemmelmeyer

Gilbert Stuart

The American Star (George Washington)

Frederick Kemmelmeyer

[Girl with Portrait of George Washington]

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Apotheosis of George Washington

Heinrich Weishaupt

George Washington Quilt

Century Vase

Designed by Karl L. H. Müller

Karl L. H. Müller

Carrie Rebora Barratt The American Wing, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The multiplicity of depictions of George Washington (1732–1799) testifies to his persistence in American life and myth. During his lifetime, his very image, whether presented as a Revolutionary War hero or as chief executive of the United States, exemplified the ideal leader: authoritative, victorious, strong, moral, and compassionate. Over the course of the nineteenth century, American and European popular culture elaborated on Washington’s iconic persona and adapted it to patriotic and sentimental purposes.

Two major bequests to the Metropolitan ensured that the collection would be rich in images of Washington in various media. In 1883, William Henry Huntington bequeathed more than 2,000 American portraits , primarily of Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and the marquis de Lafayette. For much of his life, Huntington was a Paris correspondent for the New York Tribune . An inveterate seeker of Americana at shops and flea markets, he purchased an array of medals, porcelains, textiles, and other works of art while abroad. The second gift to the Museum came in 1924 from Charles Allen Munn, editor and publisher of Scientific American for forty-three years. By the time of his death, Munn had assembled a notable collection of portraits of Washington. Among the highlights of his bequest are portraits by the American artists for whom Washington actually sat, including Gilbert Stuart ( 07.160 ), Charles Willson Peale ( 97.33 ), and John Trumbull ( 24.109.88 ).

General George Washington A gentleman farmer from Virginia, Washington began his military career at the age of twenty, when he was commissioned as a major in the state’s militia; within three years, he had risen through the ranks to be appointed commander in chief of those troops. Twenty years later, in 1775, he was named commander in chief of the Continental Forces of North America, and he led his army to victory over Great Britain. He was admired for his ability to inspire and lead a disparate group of men into battle. After his retirement from service at the war’s end, he was venerated by his contemporaries and by subsequent generations of military men. Washington’s image in uniform, portrayed by so many artists in a variety of media, became a symbol not only of military prowess but also of national unity and American liberty.

President George Washington During Washington’s two terms as president (1789–97), his image was modeled almost exclusively on portraits by Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828), the premier painter of the new nation . Stuart executed three different portraits from life sittings with the president, but it was the so-called Athenaeum portrait that became the most popular. Stuart himself painted at least seventy replicas of it, and, because it was exhibited in the Boston Athenaeum after Stuart’s death, many other artists were able to use it as the basis for their work. Stuart’s portrayal of Washington became so pervasive that, as the artist’s biographer, the critic William Dunlap, put it in 1832, “if George Washington should appear on earth, . . he would be treated as an impostor, when compared to Stuart’s likeness of him, unless he produced his credentials.”

The Myth of George Washington The extraordinary outpouring of emotion after Washington’s death on December 14, 1799, reverberated worldwide, as mourners grieved not merely for the man himself but for the hero he had become and, still more warmly, for the father of the country. Washington’s role in American life had been of long duration and great depth. His image symbolized the power and legitimacy of the newly independent nation, which was still very much in the formative stages during the nineteenth century. His imposing figure as president embodied ideals of honesty, virtue, and patriotism ( 62.256.7 ). Nineteenth-century images of Washington ranged from his godlike apotheosis ( 52.585.66 ) to scenes of his personal life . His home, Mount Vernon , on the Potomac River in northern Virginia, became a shrine to his mythic celebrity. In 1853, the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association was founded, mostly through the efforts of women, in order to save the historic property and honor Washington’s legacy.

George Washington and the American Centennials In 1876, the United States observed the centennial of its founding, and 1889 marked the 100th anniversary of George Washington’s first inauguration as president. Nearing the turn of the twentieth century , at a time when Americans clamored for reassurance that their leaders were trustworthy and the country secure, both celebrations featured commemorative images of Washington—the epitome of an honorable head of state—in his varied roles as public servant and private individual.

In Philadelphia, the Centennial Exposition of 1876 featured new developments in art, design, and technology from an international group of exhibitors and attracted more than 8 million visitors. Washington’s portrait on plates ( 69.194.1 ), handkerchiefs ( 1985.347 ), glassware, and prints provided a nostalgic foil to burgeoning technological developments and made the country’s progress seem a natural continuum, from the American Revolution to the Industrial Revolution.

In 1889, grand celebrations were mounted in honor of the centennial of Washington’s inauguration. New York City officials erected a great arch at the foot of Fifth Avenue (in Washington Square), held a parade, launched a naval flotilla, and reenacted the swearing-in ceremony that had taken place in New York when it was briefly the nation’s capital. The Metropolitan Opera House hosted a gala ball and mounted an exhibition of Washington’s personal belongings and related memorabilia—pieces of history that established an authentic link to the country’s past and gave promise for the future.

Barratt, Carrie Rebora. “George Washington: Man, Myth, Monument.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/wash/hd_wash.htm (May 2009)

Further Reading

Barratt, Carrie Rebora, and Ellen G. Miles. Gilbert Stuart . Exhibition catalogue. New York: Yale University Press, 2004. See on MetPublications

Ellis, Joseph J. His Excellency: George Washington . New York: Knopf, 2004.

Fischer, David Hackett. Washington's Crossing . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Schwartz, Barry. George Washington: The Making of an American Symbol . New York: Free Press, 1987.

Additional Essays by Carrie Rebora Barratt

• Barratt, Carrie Rebora. “ Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828) .” (October 2003)
• Barratt, Carrie Rebora. “ American Portrait Miniatures of the Nineteenth Century .” (October 2004)
• Barratt, Carrie Rebora. “ John Singleton Copley (1738–1815) .” (October 2003)
• Barratt, Carrie Rebora. “ American Portrait Miniatures of the Eighteenth Century .” (October 2003)
• Barratt, Carrie Rebora. “ American Scenes of Everyday Life, 1840–1910 .” (September 2009)
• Barratt, Carrie Rebora. “ Nineteenth-Century American Folk Art .” (October 2004)
• Barratt, Carrie Rebora. “ Students of Benjamin West (1738–1820) .” (October 2004)
• Barratt, Carrie Rebora. “ Thomas Sully (1783–1872) and Queen Victoria .” (October 2004)

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10 Things You Really Ought to Know about George Washington

1. washington was mostly self-educated.

When George Washington’s father died in 1743, there was little money left to support the formal education of 11-year-old George.

Washington’s formal schooling ended by the time he was 15, but his pursuit of knowledge continued throughout his life. He read to become a better soldier, farmer, and president; he corresponded with authors and friends in America and Europe; and he exchanged ideas that fed the ongoing agricultural, social, and political revolutions of his day.

Rules of Civility Washington the Reader

Washington portrayed as a young, self-motivated surveyor. (MVLA)

2. He was fearless in battle

With men and officers being shot down all around him, George Washington rode forward to take charge of the collapsing lines at the Battle of the Monongahela  on July 9, 1755.

While riding along the ranks looking to steady the men, Washington had two horses shot out from under him and four bullet holes shot through his coat.

At the Battle of Princeton  (January 3, 1777), Washington rode forward on his white charger as he led his soldiers in a successful counter-attack against the British. At one point Washington was no more than 30 yards from the British line and was an easy target.

Despite the widespread fears that he would be shot down at any moment, Washington was heard to say to his troops, “Parade with me my fine fellows, we will have them soon!”

French & Indian War   10 Facts about the Battle of Princeton

George Washington at the Battle of Monmouth by Emanuel Leutze (1857), from the collection of the Monmouth County Historical Association.

3. Washington’s bold actions saved the American Revolution, twice

After a series of stinging defeats in New York and New Jersey, the Continental Army and the patriot cause seemed near extinction by December 1776.

Most generals would have slipped away to the safety of winter quarters, but Gen. Washington had an entirely different plan in mind.

His bold counterstroke across the ice-choked Delaware River  on December 25, 1776, led to three successive battlefield victories and a stunning strategic reversal which bolstered American morale and saved the new nation.

With the Revolution once again on the brink of defeat in early 1781, Washington embarked on a risky march south to surround and attack Lord Cornwallis’ British army at Yorktown, Virginia . Washington’s victory at Yorktown in October 1781 proved to be the decisive battle of the war.

Video: Crossing the Delaware Video: Yorktown Revolutionary War

Washington and Lafayette at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78. Library of Congress.

4. He never abused power

While Washington is best known for the positions he held, both as a general and president, it is his willingness to surrender power that may be his most important legacy.

On December 23, 1783, Washington strode into the Maryland State House in Annapolis and surrendered his military commission  to Congress—thereby affirming the principle of civilian control of the military.

When King George III heard that Washington would surrender his commission, he reportedly said that if "He did [this] He would be the greatest man in the world."

As president, in a time when there were no term limits and many would have supported a lifetime role, Washington stepped down after the end of his second term—setting an important precedent that lasted until the middle of the 20th century.

Lessons in Leadership

“General George Washington Resigning His Commission to Congress As Commander in Chief of the Army at Annapolis, Maryland, December 23d, 1783,” John Trumbull, oil on canvas, Commissioned 1817, purchased 1824. Image courtesy of Architect of the Capitol.

5. Washington owned more than 50,000 acres and was an ardent promoter of westward expansion

Washington owned more than 50,000 acres in the western portions of Virginia and what is now West Virginia, as well as in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky, and the Ohio country. 

Long before Lewis and Clark set forth on their journey westward, Washington had a keen appreciation  for how an expansion into western territory would not only enrich the new nation, but also help to better knit the country together.

By linking the headwaters  of the west-flowing Ohio and the east-flowing Potomac, Washington envisioned a continental transportation system that would allow the future produce of the Ohio Valley to flow easily to Atlantic ports.

Even Washington’s choice to place the national capital along the banks of the Potomac was designed to reinforce this westward-looking view.

Washington and the West    Washington’s World Map

George Washington, depicted as a young surveyor. Painting by Henry Hintermeister, 1948. Wikimedia.

6. Washington loved parties and was an excellent dancer

Many see Washington as a stoic and unapproachable figure, but in reality he was a man who loved entertainment and the company of others.

There are many accounts of his dancing late into the night at various balls, cotillions, and parties. He loved theater and attended plays of all sorts throughout his life.

And during a time where stiff 18th-century formality pervaded relations between the sexes, Washington was known as an interested and engaged communicator with women.

DANCING WITH GENERAL WASHINGTON   A Love Letter

“The Republican Court (Lady Washington's Reception Day), 1861.” Daniel Huntington (American, 1816-1906). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Crescent-Hamilton Athletic Club.

7. Washington was the first to sign the United States Constitution

During the American Revolution, George Washington witnessed firsthand the serious shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation . 

In 1787, Washington traveled to Philadelphia to attend a convention assembled to recommend changes to the Confederation. He was unanimously chosen to preside over the Constitutional Convention , a job that took four months.

He spoke very little in the convention, but few delegates were more determined to devise a government endowed with real energy and authority. And as the president of the convention, Washington was given the privilege of being the first to add his name to this governing document.

VIDEO: WASHINGTON AND THE CONSTITUTION

Justice Kennedy on Washington

Washington delivering his inaugural address April 1789, in the old city hall, New-York / painted by T.H. Matteson. Library of Congress.

8. He was unanimously elected president, twice

Washington’s leadership during the Revolution  and Constitutional Convention , unimpeachable character, and his demonstrated willingness not to abuse power made him the ideal presidential candidate.

Even his lack of biological children  eliminated the concerns of some who worried about the establishment of an American monarchy.

During the first election in 1789 , Washington won the electors of all ten eligible states. In 1792 , Washington received all 132 electoral votes, winning each of the fifteen states.

10 Facts about Washington’s Presidency

“Washington's Inauguration at Philadelphia.” Painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1863–1930). Library of Congress.

9. Washington was a true agricultural innovator and pioneer

Throughout his life, Washington exhibited a keen interest and eye for useful technologies of all sorts.

He established himself as an innovative farmer,  who switched from tobacco to wheat as his main cash crop in the 1760s. In an effort to improve his farming operation, he diligently experimented with new crops, fertilizers, crop rotation, tools, and livestock breeding.

Leveraging a fine donkey sent to him as a gift  from the King of Spain, Washington became one of the foremost breeders and promoters of the American mule.

As president, Washington signed the patent for a new automated mill technology. Intrigued by the design, Washington had the Oliver Evans automated mill technology installed in  his gristmill .

He also found time to design a new 16-sided, two-story threshing barn that greatly improved the process of separating wheat from chaff.

Washington the Farmer    Lessons in Leadership

"Life of George Washington," by Junius Brutus Stearns, 1853. Library of Congress.

10. Washington is the only slave-owning president who freed his slaves

George Washington inherited his first slaves when he was 11  years old.

Washington’s attitude toward slavery gradually changed  as he grew older and especially as he fought for liberty in the American Revolution.

In his will, he arranged to free those slaves belonging to him upon his wife’s death (about 123) and, as was required by law, his estate paid for the care of former Mount Vernon slaves for decades after his death.

Unfortunately, it applied to fewer than half of the people in bondage at Mount Vernon. Those owned by the estate of Martha's deceased husband , Daniel Parke Custis, could not legally be freed or sold and were inherited by Martha Washington’s grandchildren after her death.

Many Washington and Custis enslaved people had married and formed families together. For them, separation from loved ones tainted celebrations of newfound freedom.

Washington’s Will   Washington on Slavery

In his will, Washington arranged to free those enslaved persons belonging to him upon his wife’s death. (MVLA)

How Much Do You Know About Washington?

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A landmark in historical scholarship, The Papers of George Washington Digital Edition encompasses five separate series and the complete diaries. This digital edition offers the full content of 81 letterpress volumes in a single online publication. You may search on full text and by date, author, or recipient across all volumes and series. The exceptional indexing of the individual print volumes is combined here into a single master index, and all internal document cross-references are linked.

Forthcoming volumes in the Revolutionary War and Presidential series will continue to be added following their completion by the Papers of George Washington editorial project.

Rotunda editions were established by generous grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the President’s Office of the University of Virginia

George Washington: Life and Achievements Essay (Biography)

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American history saw a lot of truly inspirational people who not only influenced the lives of American citizens but also changed the way we think about fundamental political values. George Washington is the perfect example of the person whose contribution to the history of America is hard to overestimate, as scholars note that “Washington was critical for “making” America” (Fagal 552). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the life of George Washington, his political views, and the way his work affected society.

George Washington was born to father, Augustine Washington and his second wife, Mary Washington, and was one of seven children from his father’s two marriages. When George was 11 years old, his father died, and he was brought up in Virginia by Lawrence Washington, his half-brother. As researchers note, unlike his elder brothers, George Washington did not receive any formal education (Little 9). However, he was a well-rounded person, being able to write by early adulthood while also studying mathematics, surveying, and map-making. Lawrence Washington encouraged George to join the British navy, but George’s mother did not allow him to do so. Instead, George Washington became a land surveyor, which was considered a respectable profession at that time.

Washington’s surveying career provided him with a useful experience as he developed wilderness survival skills, learned self-dependence, studied the frontier region, as well as he established a good reputation. Besides, he received considerable fees for surveying, which allowed him to buy land in the Shenandoah Valley. Moreover, his job as a survey man helped George in his pursuit of success in his military career, teaching him some vital skills a soldier needs on the battlefield. His role in the French and Indian War was significant, as he was a commander of the Virginia Regiment, raised to oppose the French in the Ohio Valley. Furthermore, Washington served to British General Edward Braddock, who led an expedition to dislodge the French from Fort Duquesne. Washington learned much from Braddock while also earning a military reputation for courage and efficient administrating.

On January 6, 1759, Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis, and the marriage made him one of the wealthiest men of Virginia, which significantly increased his social status (Little 45). Considering that he was also a prominent military hero, Washington had enough achievements to be elected to the Virginia provincial legislature. Washington soon was considered as a member of the political elite in Virginia, which allowed him to become one of the central figures of the American Revolution. He was one of the delegates of the Continental Congress, during which the delegates discussed the ways to respond to the British government’s enforcement power. Soon, Washington acknowledged that attempts to overcome controversies are pointless and offered the services of a military commander.

In 1775, George Washington was selected to be the first commander in chief of the Continental Army. From 1775 to 1778, Washington was in the middle of the action. He successfully directed his army during the Siege of Boston, but he failed his next battle as he lost the city of New York. However, he managed to take his revenge as he won decisive victories at Trenton and Princeton at the end of 1776. From 1778 to 1780, Washington was focused on more diplomatic activities. Washington somehow was able to complete the enormous task as the army had constant problems with training and supply. He increased the combat capability and the level of discipline among soldiers, which helped significantly in winning battles. The army was dismissed after peace in 1783, and Washington resigned as commander-in-chief.

The next chapter of Washington’s life began when he became the first President of the United States under the new federal Constitution (Weems 7). There was no doubt that George Washington would win that election as he gained substantial support after being a successful commander-in-chief during the American Revolutionary War. His election was unanimous after all 69 electors voted for Washington, and he was inaugurated in New York City in April 1789.

One of the main goals of Washington’s political course was to continue democratic changes in the country and foster respect for the Constitution among people. He visioned the country as a democratic one; therefore, he made political changes that are consistent with democratic values. Washington improved the functioning of the three branches of government, which are the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. He also addressed the issue of amending the Constitution, supporting the ratification of the United States Bill of Rights. As for the international policy, George Washington wanted it “to be shaped by interest-driven, flexible neutrality—an approach not to be motivated by love or hatred for any other nation” (Estes 750). Such an attitude towards other nations further consolidates the fact that Washington was the man of true democratic values.

George Washington did everything he could to develop the civil consciousness of American people, as well as a sense of unity. By expressing respect for the Constitution, he promoted the development of democratic ideas among Americans. Another thing worth mentioning is that it was Washington who made November 26 to be the day of Thanksgiving, encouraging national unity. Washington’s vision was summarized in his final presidential letter, The Farewell Address. Washington emphasized that national identity was fundamental for safeguarding freedom and prosperity. He also motivated American people for the future progress of the country by stating that all his achievements during his presidency were due to Americans’ efforts to help the country develop.

George Washington made many contributions to American society. Among the most important ones, he provided firm leadership by his committed work at a crucial period of American history. He became the first President of the United States and also set a precedent, according to which there should be a maximum of two terms for one person. In this regard, Weems states, “Washington would never seek power as an end in itself, nor would he abuse power delegated to him” (10). Besides, George Washington was one of the authors of the Constitution of the United States, fostering respect to it after becoming a President. Another contribution that one should keep in mind is that he was the one to lead the American nation to the independency, while also cultivating democratic values.

All things considered, George Washington played a key role in the history of American society. During his life, he showed his devotion to the development of the country, and his work influenced American society in many different ways. Regarding this, he guided the country to independence, and afterward, as the first President, he was leading it during the hard times of instability, providing a solid base for future development. The most important thing to mention is that, with his democratic vision, Washington cultivated the right values among American people.

Works Cited

Estes, Todd. “Addressing America: George Washington’s Farewell and the Making of National Culture, Politics, and Diplomacy, 1796–1852.” Journal of American History, vol. 103, no. 3, 2016, pp. 750–751.

Fagal, Andrew JB. “George Washington and the Making of America.” Reviews in American History, vol. 44, no. 4, 2016, pp. 551-560.

Little, Shelby. George Washington. Pickle Partners Publishing, 2018.

Weems, Mason L. The Life of Washington. Routledge, 2015.

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The Papers of George Washington

The  Papers of George Washington  are a monumental collection of 140,000 documents. To assemble the archive, editors and scholars at the University of Virginia have had to search more than 300 libraries and archives in the U.S. and overseas to complete the picture of our first president and his times. Since 1969, NEH has awarded  $5,190,875  in grants to the project.

 “Washington had a sense of history,” says recent editor in chief Theodore Crackel. “He had a sense that the Revolution was an extraordinarily important event in the history of this nation and that he was going to play a very important role in this. And that preserving the papers—his papers and the papers of the Revolution—was an extraordinarily important goal. So it was something that he began to do from the very beginning.”

Washington’s correspondence, his diary, and papers from his presidency make up the bulk of the project. It also includes letters written to him. Documents touch on nearly all facets of life in the late colonial period and provide insight into the founding of our nation. There are detailed records of his farming, trading, and land interests, ranging from financial account books to orders and invoices from British merchants to lists of slaves. Washington also kept meticulous records of his time commanding the American Revolutionary Army and serving as president.

The character of the man who became our president can be seen in the words he chose. “His writing was not introspective but articulate,” says former editor Philander D. Chase. “You have to read in depth to get to know him, then you get addicted to him. The more you read, the more interesting he becomes.”

Washington’s papers reveal, for example, how the burden of forming the new nation weighed heavily on him. “It was an agonizing decision for him to become president,” says Chase. “He wanted to stay home and tend to the farm, but he was also an ambitious man and understood the new nation needed him and that he had to do it.”  

Washington summed up these feelings in an address before the Connecticut Legislature in October 1789. “In launching again on the ocean of events I have obeyed a summons, to which I can never be insensible—when my country demands the sacrifice, personal ease will always be a secondary consideration.”

In addition to the printed volumes, the papers are available at  Founders Online . The digital version includes the apparatus that makes scholarly editions like these so valuable: notations identifying people and places, and providing context where needed. The website for the papers project has maps, an image gallery of Washington and his family, and scans of documents that allow you to read Washington’s sprawling handwriting up close.

Started in 1969, sixty-three of a projected ninety volumes are complete, with the remainder to be done by 2023.

Written by Meredith Hindley, senior writer for Humanities.

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Collection George Washington Papers

Featured content, about this collection.

The papers of army officer and first U.S. president George Washington (1732-1799) held in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress constitute the largest collection of original Washington papers in the world. They consist of approximately 77,000 items accumulated by Washington between 1745 and 1799, including correspondence, diaries, and financial and military records. The collection documents Washington’s childhood education, his first career as a surveyor, his experiences as a militia colonel during the French and Indian War, his election as a Virginia delegate to the first and second Continental Congresses, his role as general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, his presidency of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, his two terms as president (1789-1797), and his retirement. Also documented is his management of Mount Vernon, his plantation home in Virginia, and the lives of his family, servants, and slaves. Notable correspondents include John Adams, Benedict Arnold, Edward Braddock, Alexander Hamilton, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, and the Marquis de Lafayette. Because of the wide range of Washington's interests, activities, and correspondents, which include ordinary citizens as well as celebrated figures, his papers are a rich source for almost every aspect of colonial and early American life.

Description of Series

This collection of George Washington Papers is organized into nine series, which are listed below. Additional information about some of these series may be found in the Series Notes under the Articles and Essays tab.

Series 1, Exercise Books, Diaries, and Surveys, ca. 1745-1799 Three exercise books (school copy books), ca.1745-1747, kept by Washington between the ages of about thirteen and fifteen; thirty-six of the diaries kept by Washington from about the age of sixteen until his death in 1799; and notes and drawings documenting Washington’s early career as a surveyor, 1749-1752 and undated. For more information, see the Series Notes .

Series 2, Letterbooks, 1754-1799 Forty-one letterbooks used by Washington to keep copies of his correspondence, dating from the beginning of the French and Indian War until his death. For more information, see the Series Notes .

Series 3, Varick Transcripts, 1775-1785 Forty-four letterbooks containing copies of the correspondence Washington accumulated as Commander of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. These were made by Richard Varick, at Washington’s direction, in 1781-1785. Many of the original letters Varick copied from are in Series 4. For more information, see the Series Notes .

Series 4, General Correspondence, 1697-1799 The largest series in the George Washington papers consists of 297 volumes containing original letters to and from Washington. Also included are early family papers, speeches, military orders, farm reports, and other papers. Since Washington preserved drafts of his letters, and made letterbook copies of both outgoing and incoming correspondence, his letters often exist in multiple versions.

Series 5, Financial Papers, 1750-1796 Ledgers, journals, account books, cash books, pocket books, receipts, invoices, and business correspondence filling thirty-four volumes. These document the finances of Washington’s public and private life; his plantation at Mount Vernon, including the slaves who lived and worked there; his military service during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War; his presidency, and his retirement. The financial papers also contain many detailed pieces of information about the family members, neighbors, servants and other employees, slaves, doctors, merchants, and tradespeople he dealt with. For more information, see the Series Notes .

Series 6, Military Papers, 1755-1798 A miscellaneous collection of twenty-six volumes dating from the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the Quasi-War with France. With the exception of an orderly book Washington kept as an aide to General Edward Braddock during the French and Indian War and a Virginia Militia memorandum book, these are volumes that Washington accumulated during his military career but did not create himself. Most document the Revolutionary War and include orderly books, including some captured from the British; interrogations of British deserters, lists of officers and provisions, court martial proceedings of Captain Richard Lippincott, diaries, copies of letters, and a few published volumes of military strategy. For more information, see the Series Notes .

Series 7, Applications for Office, 1789-1796 Thirty-two volumes containing letters Washington received from job-seekers while he was president of the United States.

Series 8, Miscellaneous Papers, ca. 1775-1799 The items in Series 8 are not different in substance from manuscripts elsewhere in Washington’s papers. They were filed separately only because they arrived at the library separately from the bulk of Washington’s papers. They include correspondence and miscellaneous notes, 1757-1799; military commissions, honorary degrees, and other certificates, 1775-1798; survey warrants, 1750-1752; and notes Washington made on his reading, ca.1760-1799. For more information, see the Series Notes .

Series 9, Addenda, ca. 1732-1943 Washington material acquired since 1970, organized by date of acquisition, and items that were removed from the first eight series as extraneous.

Transcriptions Included on this Website

Some of Washington’s papers are supplemented on this website by transcriptions from the published editions listed below. There are some discrepancies in date and text between documents in these published editions and the manuscript images. This is because in some cases editors of the published editions used a different draft than the one the Library of Congress owns. In other cases archivists at the Library of Congress and editors of the published editions arrived at different interpretations of dates, correspondents, or other data. With the exception of Jackson and Twohig’s edition of the Diaries , these are older editions, used because they are out of copyright or otherwise in the public domain. For citations to modern editions of Washington’s papers, see the bibliography in Related Resources .

• Fitzpatrick, John C., ed. The Writings of Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799, 39 vols. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1931-1944.
• Fitzpatrick, John C., ed. George Washington's Accounts of Expenses While Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, 1775-1783. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1917.
• Hamilton, Stanislaus Murray, ed. Letters to Washington and Accompanying Papers, 5 vols. Boston: Society of Colonial Dames of America; New York: Houghton Mifflin and Company; Cambridge: Riverside Press, 1898.
• Jackson, Donald, and Dorothy Twohig, eds., The Diaries of George Washington , 6 vols. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976-1979. This edition is presented in Series 1 in two forms: facsimiles of published pages, and searchable text. The searchable text contains updates to the editors' annotations and notes that are not in the published version. These updates were provided by the editors of The Diaries at the University of Virginia's Papers of George Washington External publication project.

Biographical

• A Biography of George Washington , by Mark Mastromarino
• George Washington in Retirement , by W.W. Abbot
• The Fable of George Washington and the Cherry Tree from The Life of Washington , by Mason Locke Weems
• The Surprising George Washington , by Richard Norton Smith
• George Washington, Genius in Leadership , by Richard C. Stazesky
• The Correspondence of George and Martha Washington , by Wendy Kail
• Martha Parke Custis Peter , by Wendy Kail
• Face Value: George Washington and Portrait Prints , by Catherine E. Kelly

Washington and Politics

• The Electoral Count for the Presidential Election of 1789
• First President’s Election Was the Last Thing He Wanted , by Sarah Booth Conroy
• George Washington and the Society of the Cincinnati , by Frank Grizzard
• George Washington: The First Presidency , by Dorothy Twohig, featured in the NEH Humanities

Washington and War

• Thoughts of Home: General Washington Kept a Picture of Mount Vernon in His Mind’s Eye During the Revolutionary War , by Philander Chase
• Supply Problems Plagued the Continental Army from the Start , by Frank Grizzard
• George Washington and George Marshall: Some Reflections on the American Military Tradition , by Don Higginbotham
• Washington’s Generals and the Decision to Quarter at Valley Forge , by Benjamin Newcomb

Washington and Slavery

• “That Species of Property”: Washington’s Role in the Controversy Over Slavery , by Dorothy Twohig
• Freeing his slaves is one of Washington’s greatest legacies , by Nancy Hurrelbrinck
• The Founding Father and His Slaves , by Sarah Booth Conroy

Washington’s Birth and Death

• The Will of George Washington
• George Washington’s Terminal Illness: A Modern Medical Analysis of the Last Illness and Death of George Washington , by White McKenzie Wallenborn, M.D.
• Washington’s Final Wishes , by Steven Ginsberg

George Washington’s Papers

• A Link to President’s Past, The Library of Congress puts Washington Letters on the web
• Reviews of the Papers of George Washington
• An Uncommon Awareness of Self: The Papers of George Washington , by W.W. Abbot
• The Young George Washington and His Papers , by W.W. Abbot
• George Washington Forgeries and Facsimiles , by Dorothy Twohig
• The George Washington Papers , by Maggie Riechers, featured in NEH Humanities

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The digital collections of the Library of Congress contain a wide variety of primary source materials associated with George Washington, including manuscripts, letters, government documents, printed ephemera, and newspaper articles. Provided below is a link to the home page for each relevant digital collection along with selected highlights.

George Washington Papers

Selected highlights from this collection:

• George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie, July 18, 1755. Colonel Washington's letter to Robert Dinwiddie describing the recent defeat in the Battle of the Monongahela, including the death of General Edward Braddock.
• George Washington, July 9, 1776, General Orders General Washington's General Orders for July 9, 1776, ordering that the recently passed Declaration of Independence be read to the troops.
• George Washington, April 30, 1789, 1st Inaugural Address.
• George Washington, September 17, 1796, Farewell Address

Alexander Hamilton Papers

• 1792; [Oct. 15-31] , draft of George Washington's fourth annual address to Congress.
• 1796; [July 30] , draft of George Washington's Farewell Address, with facsimile, and "Abstract of Points To Form an Address".

Congressional Publications

• A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875 This collection contains a large selection of congressional material related to George Washington's political career as a delegate to the Continental Congress and U.S. president. Search this collection by date and publication to find materials related to Washington.

Publications with Washington-related materials:

• Journals of the Continental Congress The Journals of the Continental Congress documents Washington's service to the Continental Congress.
• Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774-1789 The Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774-1789 includes several hundred letters to, from, or referring to George Washington.
• Farrand's Records Farrand's Records contains the documentary records of the Constitutional Convention. Washington was elected president of the Constitutional Convention.
• American State Papers The American State Papers contains the legislative and executive documents of Congress during the period 1789 to 1838, covering the time that Washington served as president (1789-97).
• United States Statutes at Large The United States Statutes at Large contains the full text of all the laws enacted and treaties ratified during Washington's presidency.

Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention

• Chad's Ford, September 11, 1777. 5 o'clock p.m. : Sir, When I had the honor of addressing you this morning, I mentioned that the enemy were advancing and had began a cannonade. ... Letter from Robert Henson Harrison to John Hancock giving an account of the Battle of the Brandywine, followed by a letter from George Washington announcing the loss of the battle.
• Philadelphia, September 17. The following papers are published by order of Congress : Extract of a letter from General Washington to the President of Congress, dated New-York, August 18.

Historic Newspapers

Selected articles from this collection:

• "Congressional Affairs," Gazette of the United-States .(New-York [N.Y.]), April 15, 1789. An article announcing that George Washington had been elected the first president of the United States.
• "Washington, the Father of His Country, the Admiration of the World, is Dead!" Jenks's Portland Gazette . (Portland [Me.]), December 30,. 1799.

James Madison Papers

James Monroe Papers

Printed Ephemera

• By His excellency, George Washington, Esq; Captain-General and Commander in chief of the forces of the thirteen United Colonies. Whereas the ministerial army abandoned the Town of Boston; and the forces of the United Colonies, under my command...
• His Excellency George Washington's last legacy. A circular letter ... dated June 11, 1783. [Fish-Kill? Printed by Samuel Loudon? or Poughkeepsie, printed by John Holt? 1783].
• [Proclamation ratifying treaty of Fort Harmon, with the Indians dated Sept. 29, 1789].

Thomas Jefferson Papers

Words and Deeds in American History

• George Washington's first inaugural address, 30 April 1789. George Washington (1732-1799) delivered his first inaugural address to a joint session of Congress, assembled in Federal Hall, New York City, on 30 April 1789. The newly elected president delivered the speech in a deep, low voice that betrayed what one observer called "manifest embarrassment." Aside from recommending constitutional amendments to satisfy citizens demanding a Bill of Rights, Washington confined himself to generalities. He closed by asking for a "divine blessing" on the American people and their elected representatives. In delivering an inaugural address, Washington went beyond the constitutional requirement of taking an oath of office and thus established a precedent that has been followed since by every elected president.
• Enclosure, John Hancock to George Washington concerning the reading of the Declaration of Independence to the Revolutionary army, 4 July 1776. Among the resolutions passed by the Continental Congress on 4 July 1776 was one which called for the president of the Congress, John Hancock (1737-1793), to send to several commanding officers of the Continental army copies of the Declaration of Independence, which had just been adopted by Congress and printed by John Dunlap (1747-1812). Hancock sent this copy of the resolutions together with the "Dunlap Broadside" of the Declaration to Gen. George Washington (1732-1799) on 6 July. Washington had the Declaration read to his assembled troops in New York on 9 July. Later that night, the Americans destroyed a bronze and lead statue of King George III (1738-1820), which stood at the foot of Broadway on the Bowling Green. Washington's personal copy of the Dunlap printing of the Declaration of Independence remains in the Manuscript Division's George Washington Papers.
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Papers of George Washington

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Books in this Series

The Papers of George Washington

Revolutionary war series, volume 34, 8 september–20 november 1781, george washington. edited by washington papers editors, revolutionary war series, volume 33, 5 july–7 september 1781, revolutionary war series, volume 32, 6 may–4 july 1781, revolutionary war series, volume 31, 7 march–5 may 1781, revolutionary war series, volume 30, 1 january–6 march 1781, george washington. edited by benjamin l. huggins, revolutionary war series, volume 29, 28 october–31 december 1780, george washington. edited by william m. ferraro, revolutionary war series, volume 28, 28 august–27 october 1780, george washington, presidential series, volume 21, 22 september 1796–3 march 1797, george washington. edited by adrina garbooshian-huggins, revolutionary war series, volume 27, 5 july–27 august 1780, george washington and benjamin l. huggins, presidential series, volume 20, 1 april–21 september 1796, george washington. edited by david r. hoth and william m. ferraro, revolutionary war series, volume 26, 13 may–4 july 1780, george washington. edited by benjamin l. huggins and adrina garbooshian-huggins, revolutionary war series, volume 25, 10 march–12 may 1780, presidential series, volume 19, 1 october 1795–31 march 1796, revolutionary war series, volume 24, 1 january–9 march 1780, george washington. benjamin l. huggins, revolutionary war series, volume 23, 22 october–31 december 1779, revolutionary war series, volume 4, april-june 1776, george washington. edited by w. w. abbot and dorothy twohig, presidential series, volume 18, 1 april–30 september 1795, george washington. edited by carol s. ebel, presidential series, volume 17, 1 october 1794-31 march 1795, george washington. edited by david r. hoth and carol s. ebel, revolutionary war series, volume 22, 1 august–21 october 1779, revolutionary war series, volume 21, 1 june–31 july 1779, presidential series, volume 16, 1 may–30 september 1794, revolutionary war series, volume 20, 8 april–31 may 1779, george washington. edited by edward g. lengel, revolutionary war series, volume 19, 15 january – 7 april 1779, george washington. edited by philander d. chase and william m. ferraro, presidential series, volume 15, 1 january–30 april 1794, george washington. edited by christine sternberg patrick, presidential series, volume 14, 1 september–31 december 1793, george washington. edited by david r. hoth, revolutionary war series, volume 18, 1 november 1778-14 january 1779, revolutionary war series, volume 17, 15 september-31 october 1778, george washington. edited by philander d. chase, presidential series, volume 13, 1 june–31 august 1793, revolutionary war series, volume 16, july-september 1778, revolutionary war series, volume 15, may-june 1778, presidential series, volume 12, january-may 1793, revolutionary war series, volume 14, march-april 1778, revolutionary war series, volume 13, december 1777-february 1778, presidential series, volume 11, 16 august 1792–15 january 1793, presidential series, volume 10, march-august 1792, revolutionary war series, volume 12, october-december 1777, revolutionary war series, volume 11, august-october 1777, presidential series, volume 9, september 1791-february 1792, revolutionary war series, volume 10, june-august 1777, retirement series, volume 4, april-december 1799, george washington. edited by w. w. abbot, retirement series, volume 3, september 1798-april 1799, george washington. edited by w. w. abbot and edward g. lengel, revolutionary war series, volume 9, march-june 1777, george washington. edited by dorothy twohig, presidential series, volume 8, march-september 1791, revolutionary war series, volume 8, january-march 1777, presidential series, volume 7, december 1790-march 1791, retirement series, volume 2, january-september 1798, retirement series, volume 1, march–december 1797, confederation series, volume 5, february-december 1787, confederation series, volume 6, january-september 1788, revolutionary war series, volume 7, october 1776-january 1777, presidential series, volume 5, january-june 1790, presidential series, volume 6, july-november 1790, confederation series, volume 4, april 1786-january 1787, colonial series, volume 10, march 1774-june 1775 with cumulative index, revolutionary war series, volume 6, 13 august-20 october 1776, confederation series, volume 3, may 1785-march 1786, colonial series, volume 9, january 1772-march 1774, revolutionary war series, volume 5, june-august 1776, presidential series, volume 4, september 1789-january 1790, colonial series, volume 8, june 1767-december 1771, confederation series, volume 2, july 1784-may 1785, confederation series, volume 1, january-july 1784, colonial series, volume 7, january 1761-june 1767, presidential series, volume 3, june-september 1789, revolutionary war series, volume 3, january-march 1776, colonial series, volume 5, october 1757-september 1758, colonial series, volume 6, september 1758-december 1760, revolutionary war series, volume 2, september-december 1775, presidential series, volume 2, april-june 1789, presidential series, volume 1, september 1788-march 1789, revolutionary war series, volume 1, june-september 1775, colonial series, volume 4, november 1756-october 1757, colonial series, volume 3, april-november 1756, colonial series, volume 1, 1748-august 1755, colonial series, volume 2, august 1755-april 1756, the journal of the proceedings of the president 1793-1797, the diaries of george washington.

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The papers of George Washington

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From george washington to ebenezer sproat, 3 december 1783.

3 Decr 17 83

Having taken the earliest Oppo. to lay before the Financier a Copy of the Memorial you delivered to me at West Point with my sentiments, thereon I have Reced his Answer Copy of which is inclosed & which I must beg you to lay before the Officers concerned. I am Gent.

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