George+Washington

This is the George Washington wiki page.
 * [[image:george-washington-picture.jpg height="336" caption="george-washington-picture.jpg"]] ||
 * General George Washington ||

=George Washington =

Timeline of His Life

**1749 **– Washington was named surveyor of Culpepper County. **1752 –** George Washington became a major in the Virginia Army **1755 –** On May 28, Washington's army defeated the French in the Battle of Jumonville Glen; on July 3 the French defeated Washington's army in the battle of Great Meadows. ** 1758 – ** Washington assisted General Edward Braddock in the Battleof the Monongahela on July 9; Washington was named commander of the Virginia's troops in August.
 * 1732 – **George Washington was born on February 22, at Pope's Creek in Virginia Colony.
 * 1759 – ** On January 6, Washington married Martha Dandrige Custis.
 * 1774 – ** Washington attended the First Continental Congress in September.
 * 1775 – ** In May, Washington attended the Second Continental Congress; Washington was chosen to lead the Continental army.
 * 1776 – ** The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4; on December 25, Washington led his men across the Delaware River in the American Revolution.
 * 1781 – ** French soldiers helped the Continental army win the Battle of Yorktown.
 * 1783 – ** On September 3, the British and the colonists signed the Treaty of Paris.
 * 1787 – ** Washington and other state leaders attended the Constitutional Convention.
 * 1789 – ** On April 30, Washington was inaugurated as the nation’s first president.
 * 1792 – ** President Washington was elected to a second term.
 * 1799 – ** George Washington died on December 14.

**Born in 1732** - George Washington was born in Virginia North America. His family was not one of the wealthy families who ran the Virginia Colony. He was the oldest son of his father’s second marriage. When he was eleven, his dad died so his mother made George the “Captain” of his siblings. This kind of gave him a taste for command at the early stages in his life. After his father died, his family’s finances went downhill. He wasn’t able to afford to go to school so he decided to become a surveyor at age sixteen, which is measuring and marking off land. Since he was a surveyor, he knew where all the best land was and how much value it was worth.


 * 1749- ** George was able to achieve the position of surveyor due to his great reliability and his honesty; it also helped that his Half Brother Lawrence's Father-in-Law was Lord Fairfax. Washington would go on to serve the people in many different regards and this was only the beginning.

**1752**- George wanted nothing more than to be just like his (Half)brother Lawrence, Lawrence was a great military man who had fought in the Colonies, the Carribean, and South America. Lawrence was a HERO, Lawrence was wealthy and a good farmer, and he was educated. George was at a disadvantage due to the fact that his father died when he was eleven and didn't leave him much as far as assets go, he only left him eleven slaves and poor plot of land, so he couldn't afford to go study abroad or continue his education. This eliminated one of the ways Washington could be like his (half)Brother Lawrence. so he joined the military and at age 20 became a major in the Virginia army.

**1754** - The French and the British BOTH had settlements in NORTH AMERICA. Well the French decided to build a forts on BRTITISH LAND!!! Well, Obviously, this didn't go over well with the British who became VERY angry at the French. As a Result of this, The Virginia Governor Robert Dinwiddie had to write a letter to inform them that this was unacceptable and that they were actually on British Land, He sent this letter with General Washington to deliver but they refused to leave. General Washington was later sent again, and this time on May 28, he attacked the French forces at Jumonville. This battle was the start of the French-Indian War. After this battle, Washington retreated and built Fort Neccessity, which the French took over on July 3, during the Battle of Great Meadows.

**1755**- As a result of the defeat the year prior at Fort Neccessity, this time the British sent not only George Washington, but they also sent General Edward Braddock, A HIGHLY respected British general. The British; however, marched through the wilderness in order to go confront the french in an honorable manner as was the matter in that time, they were suprised by the French use of guerrilla warfare and ambush, on July 9, 1755, in the MIDDLE OF THE WOODS!!! many soldiers lost their lives on that day, including General Braddock. Washington kept his cool and fought gallantly and led the surviving soldiers to safety. Washington was promoted to colonel and then in august he was made Commander of the Virginia Troops.

**1758 -** In 1758, the British secured the land; Washington then decided the right thing to do would be to resign from the army, now that ,in the words of President Bush, "[the] Mission [has been] Accomplished". Washington decided now that he took care of becoming a war hero, the next thing to do to secure his legacy and to become a Great Man would be to enter into the political field. Due to his great past and all the "Success" he had achieved he was pretty much a shoe-in for the House of Burgesses, this proved true and he quickly became a part of The Virginia House of Burgesses.

**1759**- January 6, 1759 George took the next step to settle down, he got married to Martha Dandridge Custis. She was a widow who had a son and a daughter, Jack and Martha. The Washingtons lived ay Mount Vernon. This was a HUGE plantation that had HUNDREDS of slaves who had different talents, some were millers, some coopers, some blacksmiths and others carpenters, etc. They produced many products from clothing and shoes to corn and tobacco; however, Washington wanted to make Mount Vernon more profitable and this is when he became really upset with the British because he felt that he wasn't paid a fair price for his products and that it was unfair that he had to sell his products in London.

**1774-** September 1774, Washington attended the First Continental Congress. Washington was anything but a Master Debater, his presence at First Continental Congress had less to do with having him there as a speaker, as he was the least active of the seven members present, it had more to do with rallying the American people behind the cause. It was, in reality, no different than having a professional athlete endorse a particular brand or product. they felt that the americans loved GeorgeWashington and felt that if he stood behind this cause so should everyone else. They also wanted to ensure that if an army was formed that Virginia would be well represented.

**1775**- In addition to the First Continental Congress meeting that Washington attended in September 1774, a Second Continental Congress meeting was called in May of 1775. At this meeting they created the Continental Army. They decided who better to lead the Continental Army then George Washington. He was to lead the Americans to freedom from the British and their Imperialistic ways. There would no longer be taxation and restriction of trade markets, there would be free trade and freedom for all, whether it be freedom of religion or speech it would be protected. Washington was a great choice to lead the Americans against the British, especially since he had fought alongside them in previous wars and he was one of, if not the most, experienced American generals.

**1776-** On July 4th, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, and the Thirteen colonies joined together against Britain in order to achieve their freedom, and Emancipation from their mother country. George Washington got an oppourtunity far greater than when he was commander of the Virginia Army, now he would be Commander of all the troops of the United States of America; a victory here would gauruntee his historical significance and he would be remembered as far greater than Lawrence. George Washington led the army against the British and the war raged on until 1781 and a peace treaty was signed in 1783. due to the success of the war he was forever remembered and he went on to achieve much greater things in life.

**1781** - As the American Cause grew, more and more people in France supported them. The French hated the British so they like to see them suffer at the hands of the americans. The French saw that America could win the war so they decided to send troops on to help them. Lord Cornwallis had taken Philadelphia by 1781. Cornwallis was on his way to Yorktown, Virginia. Washington met up with the French troops that had arrived to help him. With the French troops by his side, Washington's troops now outnumbered Cornwallis's troops. The French fleet set up in the Chesapeake Bay was set their to prevent Cornwallis and his troops from being rescued. For two weeks the Washington and the French attacked the fort. Cornwallis didn't surrender because h was hoping the French fleet would leave or he would be rescued by the British. After one more week of attacks, Cornwallis surrendered to Washington and the French. He came out of Yorktown with his troops and surrendered his arms. With the help of the French, George Washington had successfully defeated the British at Yorktown.

**1783** - When the news of Yorktown reached the British, people were tired of investing money in the war and the public opinion was turned against the war cause. The British government decided to give in to Washington and begin negotiating a peace treaty. By 1783, The treaty of Paris was signed and America was now independent. Washington now could go home to Mount Vernon.

**1787** - The Country was in a wreck after debts, bad terms with spain and British, and Shay's rebellion. It was clear that their had to be a strong central government. James Madison, George Washington, and a few other people people began to organize a convention of delegates from all thirteen States to create a new constitution. This would be called the constitutional convention of 1787. Washington didn't want to leave Mount Vernon and attend the constitutional convention but his experience from dealing with weak government he knew that changes had to be made. He also had been the main leader through the eight years of war. The Country was mainly free due to him and he wanted to see it succeed. He also knew that if he wasn't their then other people from other states wouldn't be their. When Washington arrived at the Convention, he was immediately elected president.

**1789** - At the constitutional convention, everyone was deciding on how to set up a government system. They came to an agreement on a checks and balances system, which depended on a separation of powers. Their would be three branches of government; the president, congress, and the supreme court. People at the convention originally wanted a weak president but now with the system of checks and balances, people became more willing to have a strong president who could help to check the other branches. The first president was elected by men from each state. Everyone unanimously elected George Washington. On April 30th 1789, Washington was elected as the first president of the united states at the age of fifty-seven. As the first president, americans trusted Washington with power, and they were willing to establish a strong president.

**1792** - George Washington badly wanted to retire after his first term and go back to his home in Mount Vernon with Martha and her kids. But at the end of his first term, Washington was again unanimously voted by the electoral college to serve four more years as the nations president. Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were fighting all the time that Washington decided he had to come back for one more term just to make sure the country would stay united (although much to Washington's dismay, the first political parties were formed because of Jefferson's and Hamilton's disagreements).


 * 1799 ** - After the end of Washington's second term, he was very tired and he wanted to return to his home in Mount Vernon. He knew that if he served one more term in office, he might die while serving and leave the impression that Presidents should serve until they die. He wanted to show the nation that the President could change hands peacefully. On december 12, 1799, George Washington went riding around his estate as he usually did. It began to snow, freezing rain started and he kept riding. The next day George told Martha his throat was sore. He could barely speak and had trouble breathing. On December 14 George's doctor came in and said he had a severe fever. Their was nothing the doctor could do at this time so around midnight of that day he died quietly at the age of sixty-seven years old. As he had wished he was buried at Mount Vernon. In a speech to Congress, Representative Henry Lee said that George Washington was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."

Ferling, John E. //The Ascent Of George Washington//. 1st ed. New York: Bloomsbury, 2009. Web. Nelson, Robin. //George Washington: a Life of Leadership//. Minneapolis: Lerner, 2006. Print. Ransom, Candice F. // George Washington //. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 2002. Print. Washington, George, and Frank Robert Donovan. //The George Washington Papers.// New York: Dodd, Mead, 1964. Prin
 * Bibliography**
 * Collier, James Lincoln, and Greg Copeland. // The George Washington You Never Knew //. New York: Children's, 2003. Print. **