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George Washington:
Revolutionary
War General, President, And Father Of Our
Nation
George Washington holds a legendary position
in the creation of our country. As the first
president of the United States, he is one
of the most celebrated leaders in our nation's
history. Everything, from his reported inability
to tell a lie to his desire to transfer
the power of the presidency to John Adams,
is a part of American's heritage. The adoration
of the man known as the "Father of our Country"
is much deserved.
From Gentleman Farmer To Military Fighter
George Washington was born in 1732 to a
prosperous family in the colony of Virginia.
As a young man, he studied surveying and
the military arts, as did many gentlemen
of his day. Throughout much of the French
and Indian War he served as commander of
the Virginia Militia. Washington was frequently
in the thick of the fight. In one battle
four bullets ripped through his coat and
two horses were shot out from under him.
After his retirement from the militia, he
married and began management of his Mount
Vernon Plantation.
Leader
In The War For Independence
Washington played a pivotal role in the
major events in Virginia that led up to
the Revolutionary War. For 16 years Washington
served in the House of Burgesses, the governing
body in the Virginia. In 1774, he was elected
to serve as a Virginia delegate to the First
Continental Congress and later to the Second
Continental Congress, both held in Philadelphia.
When a compromise with the British could
not be reached, the colonists moved to fight
for their independence. Washington was appointed
Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army
and on July 3, 1775, he took control of
an ill-trained, ragtag group of soldiers
at Cambridge, MA. The young nation struggled
for its Independence in a grueling 8-1/2
year war.
Washington's
commanding presence throughout the Revolutionary
War is legendary. He led his outnumbered
troops across the icy Delaware River in
a surprise attack on the Hessians, mercenaries
hired by British, at Trenton, New Jersey.
This kept the cause of freedom alive at
its lowest point. A pivotal time for the
Continental Army was the winter of 1777-1778,
when Washington and his troops encamped
at Valley Forge, PA. During this six-month
encampment, the soldiers lived in a city
of log huts, which they built themselves.
During that winter and spring, after much
hard work, the soldiers became a revitalized,
better-trained fighting force. On June 19,
1778, General Washington and his Army marched
out of Valley Forge - with a renewed spirit
and determination to defeat the British
and eventually win the War for Independence.
America's
First President
It was Washington's superior leadership
throughout the Revolutionary War that earned
him the admiration of the people. While
some wanted to make Washington king of the
new nation, he refused. Washington pushed
for a free and united republic. To reach
this goal, he agreed to serve as presiding
officer at the Constitutional Convention
in Philadelphia in 1787. In the following
year, the new Constitution was ratified
and the Electoral College unanimously elected
George Washington the first President of
the United States.
Washington
took the oath of office on April 30, 1789
in New York City. His two terms in office
- from 1789 to 1797 - laid the foundation
for a strong republic. He strongly favored
a federal system of government and the separation
of powers guaranteed by the Constitution.
He appointed wise and able men to the first
cabinet and the first ten justices of the
Supreme Court.
Despite
the pleadings of the American people that
he run for a third term, Washington retired
and spent the last two years of his life
with his wife, Martha, at his beloved Mount
Vernon. He died of a throat infection on
December 14, 1799 and was greatly mourned
by his countrymen. Years later, in 1814,
Thomas Jefferson said of Washington, "And
may it be truly said, that never did nature
and fortune combine more perfectly to make
a man great."
Contacts
Dona McDermott, Valley Forge National Historical
Park, 610-783-1034 (dona_mcdermott@nps.gov)
Jen
Larson, National Park Foundation, 202-530-1487
(jlarson@goparks.org)
Sue Waldron, National Park Service, 202-208-5477
(sue_waldron@nps.gov)
Jill Sharp or Kim Scher, Lord, Sullivan
& Yoder, 614-846-7777 (jsharp@lsy.com;
kscher@lsy.com)
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