George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was the dominant military and political leader of the new
United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over
Great Britain in the
American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the
Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of the
Constitution in 1787. The unanimous choice to serve as the
first President of the United States (1789–1797), Washington presided over the creation of a strong, well-financed national government that stayed neutral in the wars raging in Europe, suppressed rebellion and won acceptance among Americans of all types. His leadership style established many forms and rituals of government that have been used since, such as using a
cabinet system and delivering an
inaugural address. Washington is universally regarded as the "Father of his Country".
Washington was born into the provincial gentry of a wealthy, well-connected
Colonial Virginia family who owned tobacco
plantations and
slaves. After his father and older brother both died young, Washington became personally and professionally attached to the powerful
William Fairfax, who promoted his career as a surveyor and soldier. Washington quickly became a senior officer of the colonial forces during the first stages of the
French and Indian War. Chosen by the
Second Continental Congress in 1775 to be commander-in-chief of the
Continental Army in the
American Revolution, Washington managed to
force the British out of Boston in 1776, but was defeated and nearly captured later that year when he
lost New York City. After
crossing the Delaware River in the dead of winter, he
defeated the enemy in two battles, retook New Jersey, and restored momentum to the Patriot cause. Because of his strategy, Revolutionary forces captured two major British armies at
Saratoga in 1777 and
Yorktown in 1781. Historians give Washington high marks for his selection and supervision of his generals; encouragement of morale and ability to hold together the army; coordination with the state governors and state militia units; relations with Congress; and attention to supplies, logistics, and training. In battle, however, Washington was repeatedly outmaneuvered by British generals with larger armies. After victory had been finalized in 1783, Washington resigned rather than seize power, proving his opposition to dictatorship and his commitment to
the emerging American political ideology of republicanism. He returned to his home,
Mount Vernon, and his domestic life, where he managed a variety of enterprises. He freed all his slaves by his final 1799 will.
Dissatisfied with the weaknesses of
Articles of Confederation, in 1787 Washington presided over the
Constitutional Convention that drafted the
United States Constitution.
Elected as the first
President of the United States in 1789, he attempted to bring rival factions together to unify the nation. He supported
Alexander Hamilton's programs to pay off all state and national debt, to implement an effective tax system and to create a national bank (despite opposition from
Thomas Jefferson). Washington proclaimed the U.S. neutral in the wars raging in Europe after 1793. He avoided war with Great Britain and guaranteed a decade of peace and profitable trade by securing the
Jay Treaty in 1795, despite intense opposition from the
Jeffersonians. Although never officially joining the
Federalist Party, he supported its programs. Washington's
"Farewell Address" was an influential primer on republican virtue and a warning against partisanship, sectionalism, and involvement in foreign wars.
Washington had a vision of a great and powerful nation that would be built on republican lines using federal power. He sought to use the national government to preserve liberty, improve infrastructure, open the western lands, promote commerce, found a permanent capital, reduce regional tensions and promote a spirit of American nationalism.
At his death, Washington was hailed as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen".
The Federalists made him the symbol of their party but for many years, the Jeffersonians continued to distrust his influence and delayed building the
Washington Monument. As the leader of the first successful revolution against a colonial empire in world history, Washington became an international icon for liberation and nationalism, especially in France and Latin America.
He is
consistently ranked among the top three presidents of the United States, according to polls of both scholars and the general public.
