The remarkable life of George Washington

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia.

His father was Augustine Washington, and his mother was Augustine’s second wife: Mary Ball Washington.

The family was prosperous and socially prominent. From the age of seven, George was raised on Ferry Farm in Stafford County, Virginia.

His father passed away in 1743, and by the time George was 15, he was doing survey work for prominent Virginia figures like Lord Fairfax.

This brought him into contact with the colonial elite. 

George Washington's military career began in 1752 when he was appointed as the official surveyor for Culpeper County, Virginia, at the age of 20.

Then, in 1753, Governor Robert Dinwiddie appointed him as a major and the official British emissary to the French forces in the Ohio Valley.

He was ordered to deliver a message demanding the French vacate the territory claimed by the British. 

When the Seven Years’ War broke out in 1754, Washington led a small contingent of colonial militia to confront French forces near what is now Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

His actions at the Battle of Fort Necessity on July 3, 1754, although culminating in a British defeat, demonstrated his keen tactical awareness.

Following this battle, he resigned from his Virginia regiment but was quickly reinstated as a volunteer aide-de-camp to General Edward Braddock in 1755.

He notably survived the disastrous Battle of the Monongahela at this time. By 1758, he participated in the successful campaign to capture Fort Duquesne, and after this victory, he resigned from his military duties to return to Mount Vernon.  

However, his retirement was short-lived as he was thrust back into military leadership with the outbreak of the American Revolution in 1775.

On June 15, 1775, the Second Continental Congress appointed him Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army.

Washington faced the daunting task of organizing a ragtag group of colonial militias into a coherent fighting force capable of challenging the well-trained British Army.

One of the first tests of his leadership during the Siege of Boston, and the British evacuated the city on March 17, 1776. 

With his revitalized army, Washington led a series of critical battles. His tactical decision to cross the Delaware River on the night of December 25, 1776, and surprise the Hessian troops in Trenton, New Jersey, was a bold move that reinvigorated the American cause.

This victory was followed by a successful engagement of the subsequent victory at the Battle of Trenton at Princeton. In these campaigns,

Washington's ability to leverage the element of surprise and his intimate knowledge of the terrain proved instrumental. 

However, the British counterattack forced Washington to seek shelter over the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge.

The winter conditions were particularly harsh, and it tested the morale of the American troops under his command.

Amidst freezing conditions and supply shortages, Washington used the time to implement a rigorous training program designed by Baron von Steuben, a Prussian military officer. 

The culminating point of Washington's military leadership came during the Siege of Yorktown in October 1781.

Coordinating with French forces under General Rochambeau, Washington executed a decisive encirclement of British General Cornwallis's troops.

On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis's surrender effectively ended major combat operations of the war and Britain signed a peace treaty.

Washington himself was hailed as the hero of the war: a significant personality whose personal brilliance had brought about the victory. 

After the American Revolution, in 1787, Washington was unanimously elected as the president of the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia.

He immediately sought to revise the failing Articles of Confederation. During the convention, Washington's role was largely ceremonial.

The delegates were able to draft the United States Constitution, which established the federal government with its three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

This document also included provisions for amending the government structure. 

In 1789, under the new Constitution, Washington was unanimously elected as the first President of the United States.

During his presidency, he set many precedents, including the establishment of a Cabinet and the policy of serving only two terms.  

One of Washington’s major achievements was the creation of a national bank, a move spearheaded by his Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton.

Formalized through the Bank Bill of 1791, it aimed to stabilize and improve the nation's credit through the management of government revenue and the regulation of currency.

As part of this financial strategy, Hamilton also advocated for the federal government to assume state debts, totaling approximately $21.5 million, to centralize economic control and build federal authority. 

In 1793, following the outbreak of war between Britain and France, Washington declared the United States neutral, refusing to join either side despite the 1778 Franco-American alliance.

This decision reflected his understanding of the precarious position of the United States, which lacked the military and economic strength to engage in European wars. 

In addition, Washington's administration focused on stabilizing relations with both Britain and Spain.

The Jay Treaty, negotiated by John Jay in 1794, aimed to resolve outstanding tensions with Britain.

It successfully averted war, settled boundary disputes, and facilitated ten years of peaceful trade between the United States and Britain.

Following this, the Pinckney Treaty with Spain in 1795 secured navigation rights on the Mississippi River, vital for the economic development of the western territories. 

By the time he left office in 1797, the United States had a strong framework in place that would allow the country to develop and prosper on the world stage.

In his Farewell Address of 1796, Washington set forth his vision for American foreign policy by urging future leaders to maintain commercial but not political ties to other nations.

This stance was aimed at protecting American sovereignty while allowing economic flexibility.  

Washington’s final years were spent at his beloved Mount Vernon estate. He had set a precedent by voluntarily relinquishing power after two terms.

At Mount Vernon, Washington dedicated himself to various agricultural experiments, hoping to improve crop yields and livestock quality.

In addition to these pursuits, he also oversaw the completion of his expansive distillery and gristmill, which by 1799 was one of the largest whiskey producers in America. 

Washington's health began to decline in late 1799. On December 14, 1799, after riding through freezing rain to inspect his properties, he developed a severe throat infection.

Despite the best efforts of several doctors, Washington died on the same day. His death was widely mourned throughout the United States and internationally.  

As much as George Washington has been lionized as part of America’s history, there are some problematic parts of his life that are difficult for modern readers to discover.

Firstly, Washington’s foreign policy decisions were not always successful. For example, his administration's enactment of the Jay Treaty with Britain in 1795 was seen as too conciliatory toward a former adversary.

It sparked widespread protests. While the treaty aimed to settle outstanding conflicts, it failed to address the issue of British impressment of American sailors, which was a major point of contention. 

In addition, Washington's approach to the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 was widely criticized at the time.

This was an uprising by Pennsylvania farmers against a federal excise tax on distilled spirits.

Washington had sent federal troops to suppress the protestors, which was the first time under the new Constitution that the federal government used military force to exert authority over the states.

Critics argued that Washington's response was an overreach of executive power; but supporters saw it as necessary to maintain law and order. 

Probably most controversial of all of Washington's decisions was his ongoing ownership of enslaved people, even through his years as president.

Although he freed his slaves in his will after his death; his decision to wait until then allowed him to benefit from their labor throughout his lifetime.

This contradiction between his role as a leader of a nation founded on principles of freedom and his personal participation in slavery is a complex issue; it underscores the profound inconsistencies in America's early history concerning human rights.