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| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington |
George
Washington (February 22, 1732 [O.S. February
11, 1731 – December
14, 1799) was the firstPresident of the United States (1789–1797), the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He presided over the
convention that drafted the United States Constitution, which replaced the Articles of Confederation and remains the supreme law of the land.
Washington
was elected president as the unanimous choice of the electors in the elections of both 1788–1789 and1792. He oversaw the creation of
a strong, well-financed national government that maintained neutrality in the
wars raging in Europe, suppressed rebellion, and won acceptance among Americans
of all types. Washington established many forms in government still used today,
such as the cabinet system and inaugural address. His retirement after two terms and
the peaceful transition from his presidency to that of John Adams established a tradition that
continued up until Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to a third term. Washington
has been widely hailed as "father of his country" even during his lifetime.
Washington
was born into the provincial gentry of Colonial Virginia; his wealthy planter family owned
tobacco plantations and slaves, that he inherited. Although Washington owned
hundreds of slaves throughout his lifetime, his views on slavery evolved, and
he desired to free them and abolish slavery. After both his father and older
brother died when he was 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 in 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
almost captured later that year when he lost New York City. After crossing the Delaware River in the dead of winter, he defeated the British 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 laud Washington 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 as Commander-in-chief
rather than seize power, proving his opposition to dictatorship and his
commitment to American republicanism.
Dissatisfied with the Continental Congress, in 1787 Washington presided over
the Constitutional Convention that devised a new federal
government for the United States. Elected
unanimously 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 United States 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 he never officially joined
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. He retired from
the presidency in 1797 and returned to his home inMount Vernon,
and domestic life where he managed a variety of enterprises. He freed all his
slaves by his final will.
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 eulogized as "first in war, first
in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen" by Henry Lee.
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. He is consistently ranked among the top three presidents
of the United States, according to polls of both scholars and the general
public.
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