Genealogy and History Fan

In the United States we have been blessed to have had some truly outstanding leaders. On almost anyone’s “top ten” list of great presidents, George Washington will usually be at the top of the list. His stature in American history is legendary and the respect Americans have for him, their first president, borders on adoration.

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. His father Augustine Washington, owned a large tobacco plantation. George learned the manners and received the education befitting a Virginia gentleman.

As a teenager, George’s main interest seemed to be his military training and western land expansion! At age 16, he assisted in surveying the Shenandoah Valley on behalf of Lord Thomas Fairfax who was a distant relative.

At age 22 George received a commission as a lieutenant colonel in the Virginia militia. He fought in skirmishes in a conflict which grew into the French and Indian War. The following year he began serving as an aide to General Edward Braddock. During this time he escaped injury even though 4 bullets tore through his jacket. He also had 2 horses shot from under him and was still unhurt.

When commanding the troops during the Revolutionary War, a famous incident that has been captured beautifully by artists, was his decision to cross the Delaware in New Jersey to stage a surprise attack. It was yet another brilliant maneuver that showed his firm grasp of military strategy and only served to add to his fame and reputation as an outstanding leader of men. His skills on the battlefield earned him the title of Commander-in-Chief of the American Army when the continental congress created that role in 1775. Small wonder when he ascended to the presidency some years later, he carried the title of Commander-in-Chief with him to the presidency where it continues to reside today.

After the war, Washington was interested in retiring from public life but he was never one to turn away when his nation needed him. And needed him it did as he presided over the Continental Congress to assure the successful drafting of the US Constitution. Of the many great accomplishments of his life, his ability to provide leadership and inspiration to that assembly to produce this masterpiece, the U.S. Constitution, would certainly be ranked as perhaps his finest hour.

George Washington was rewarded for his superior leadership skills when he was given the awesome responsibility of serving as the first President of the United States. His wisdom and insight into what the nation needed at each stage of its early development made him the man of the hour for a struggling republic. Few recognize that one of his greatest contributions to the presidency was recognizing that the nation was torn and weary of war. So using his considerable influence and negotiating skills, Washington signed a number of important treaties that resulted in years of peace that were needed to turn the country from thoughts of war to thoughts of building a great nation.

Washington never tired of providing leadership for two terms as the first American president and it was he who decided not to serve a third term and returned once again to private life. But his impact on the nation and the world was profound and long lasting. It was the kind of nation shaping influence that truly earned him the title “Father of our Country .”

On December 14, 1799, within 3 years after his retirement to Mount Vernon, he died of a throat infection. For months the nation mourned his passing.

One of my favorite quotes by George Washington is: “Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all the nations of the world would live by this creed!

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