george washington george washington george washington (february 22, 1732 – december 14, 1799) was an american military officer, statesman, and founding father who served as the first president of the united states from 1789 to 1797. appointed by the continental congress as commander of the continental army, washington led patriot forces to victory in the american revolutionary war and served as president of the constitutional convention of 1787, which created and ratified the constitution of the united states and the american federal government. washington has been called the "father of his country" for his manifold leadership in the nation's founding. george washingtonportrait by gilbert stuart, 17961st president of the united statesin officeapril 30, 1789 – march 4, 1797vice presidentjohn adamspreceded byoffice establishedsucceeded byjohn adams7th senior officer of the united states armyin officejuly 13, 1798 – december 14, 1799presidentjohn adamspreceded byjames wilkinsonsucceeded byalexander hamiltoncommander in chief of the continental armyin officejune 19, 1775 – december 23, 1783appointed bycontinental congresspreceded byoffice establishedsucceeded byhenry knox (as senior officer)14th chancellor of the college of william & maryin officeapril 30, 1788 – december 14, 1799preceded byrichard terrick (1776)succeeded byjohn tyler (1859)delegate from virginia to the continental congressin officeseptember 5, 1774 – june 16, 1775preceded byoffice establishedsucceeded bythomas jeffersonmember of the virginia house of burgessesin officejuly 24, 1758 – june 24, 1775preceded byhugh westsucceeded byoffice abolishedconstituency frederick county (1758–1765) fairfax county (1765–1775) personal detailsbornfebruary 22, 1732 popes creek, virginia colony, british americadieddecember 14, 1799(1799-12-14) (aged 67)mount vernon, virginia, u.s.resting placemount vernon, virginia38°42′28.4″n 77°05′09.9″wpolitical partyindependentspouse martha dandridge ​(m. 1759)​parents augustine washington mary ball washington relativeswashington familyoccupationplantermilitary officerstatesmansurveyorawards congressional gold medal thanks of congress signaturemilitary serviceallegiance great britain united states branch/service virginia militia continental army united states army years of service 1752–1758 (virginia militia) 1775–1783 (continental army) 1798–1799 (u.s. army) rank colonel (1st virginia regiment) colonel (virginia militia) general and commander in chief (continental army) lieutenant general (u.s. army) general of the armies (promoted posthumously in 1976 by congress) commands virginia regiment continental army united states army battles/wars french and indian war battle of jumonville glen battle of fort necessity braddock expedition battle of the monongahela forbes expedition american revolutionary war boston campaign new york and new jersey campaign philadelphia campaign yorktown campaign northwest indian war whiskey rebellion washington's first public office, from 1749 to 1750, was as surveyor of culpeper county, virginia. he subsequently received his first military training and was assigned command of the virginia regiment during the french and indian war. he was later elected to the virginia house of burgesses and was named a delegate to the continental congress, where he was appointed commanding general of the continental army and led american forces allied with france to a decisive victory over the british at the siege of yorktown in 1781 during the revolutionary war, paving the way for american independence. he resigned his commission in 1783 after the treaty of paris was signed. washington played an indispensable role in adopting and ratifying the constitution of the united states, which replaced the articles of confederation in 1789 and remains the world's longest-standing written and codified national constitution to this day. he was then twice elected president by the electoral college unanimously. as the first u.s. president, washington implemented a strong, well-financed national government while remaining impartial in a fierce rivalry that emerged between cabinet members thomas jefferson and alexander hamilton. during the french revolution, he proclaimed a policy of neutrality while sanctioning the jay treaty. he set enduring precedents for the office of president, including use of the title "mr. president" and taking an oath of office with his hand on a bible. his farewell address on september 19, 1796, is widely regarded as a preeminent statement on republicanism. washington was a slave owner who had a complicated relationship with slavery. during his lifetime, he owned a cumulative total of over 577 slaves, who were forced to work on his farms and wherever he lived, including the president's house in philadelphia. yet, as president, he also signed laws passed by congress that both protected and curtailed slavery. his will stated that one of his slaves, william lee, should be freed upon his death and that the other 123 slaves should be freed on his wife's death, though she freed them earlier during her lifetime. washington endeavored to assimilate native americans into the anglo-american culture. he also waged military campaigns against native american nations during the revolutionary war and the northwest indian war. he was a member of the anglican church and the freemasons and supported broad religious freedom as the continental army commanding general and nation's first president. upon his death, washington was eulogized by henry "light-horse harry" lee as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen". washington has been memorialized by monuments, a federal holiday, various media depictions, geographical locations including the national capital, the state of washington, stamps, and currency. many scholars and ordinary americans alike rank him among the greatest u.s. presidents. in 1976, washington was posthumously promoted to the rank of general of the armies, the highest rank in the u.s. army. early life (1732–1752) ferry farm, the washington family's residence on the rappahannock river in stafford county, virginia the washington family was a wealthy virginia planter family that had made its fortune through land speculation and the cultivation of tobacco. washington's great-grandfather john washington emigrated in 1656 from sulgrave, northamptonshire, england, to the english colony of virginia where he accumulated 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of land, including little hunting creek on the potomac river. george washington was born on february 22, 1732, at popes creek in westmoreland county, in the british colony of virginia, and was the first of six children of augustine and mary ball washington. his father was a justice of the peace and a prominent public figure who had four additional children from his first marriage to jane butler. the family moved to little hunting creek in 1735. in 1738, they moved to ferry farm near fredericksburg, virginia, on the rappahannock river. when augustine died in 1743, washington inherited ferry farm and ten slaves; his older half-brother lawrence inherited little hunting creek and renamed it mount vernon. washington did not have the formal education his elder brothers received at appleby grammar school in england, but he did attend the lower church school in hartfield. he learned mathematics, trigonometry, and land surveying and became a talented draftsman and map-maker. by early adulthood, he was writing with "considerable force" and "precision". in his pursuit of admiration, status, and power, his writing displayed little wit or humor. washington often visited mount vernon and belvoir, the plantation that belonged to william fairfax, lawrence's father-in-law. fairfax became washington's patron and surrogate father, and washington spent a month in 1748 with a team surveying fairfax's shenandoah valley property. the following year, he received a surveyor's license from the college of william & mary when he was 17 years old. even though washington had not served the customary apprenticeship, fairfax appointed him surveyor of culpeper county, virginia, and he appeared in culpeper county to take his oath of office july 20, 1749. he subsequently familiarized himself with the frontier region, and though he resigned from the job in 1750, he continued to do surveys west of the blue ridge mountains. by 1752 he had bought almost 1,500 acres (600 ha) in the valley and owned 2,315 acres (937 ha). in 1751, washington made his only trip abroad when he accompanied lawrence to barbados, hoping the climate would cure his brother's tuberculosis. washington contracted smallpox during that trip, which immunized him and left his face slightly scarred. lawrence died in 1752, and washington leased mount vernon from his widow anne; he inherited it outright after her death in 1761. colonial military career (1752–1758) lawrence washington's service as adjutant general of the virginia militia inspired his half-brother george to seek a commission. virginia's lieutenant governor, robert dinwiddie, appointed george washington as a major and commander of one of the four militia districts. the british and french were competing for control of the ohio valley. while the british were constructing forts along the ohio river, the french were doing the same, constructing forts between the ohio river and lake erie. in october 1753, dinwiddie appointed washington as a special envoy. he had sent george to demand french forces to vacate land that was being claimed by the british. washington was also appointed to make peace with the iroquois confederacy, and to gather further intelligence about the french forces. washington met with half-king tanacharison, and other iroquois chiefs, at logstown, and gathered information about the numbers and locations of the french forts, as well as intelligence concerning individuals taken prisoner by the french. washington was given the nickname conotocaurius (town destroyer or devourer of villages) by tanacharison. the nickname had previously been given to his great-grandfather john washington in the late seventeenth century by the susquehannock. washington's party reached the ohio river in november 1753, and was intercepted by a french patrol. the party was escorted to fort le boeuf, where washington was received in a friendly manner. he delivered the british demand to vacate to the french commander saint-pierre, but the french refused to leave. saint-pierre gave washington his official answer in a sealed envelope after a few days' delay, as well as food and extra winter clothing for his party's journey back to virginia. washington completed the precarious mission in 77 days, in difficult winter conditions, achieving a measure of distinction when his report was published in virginia and in london. french and indian war lieutenant colonel washington holds night council during the battle of fort necessity in fayette county, pennsylvania during the french and indian war in 1754. washington the soldier, a portrait depicting washington on horseback during the battle of the monongahela in braddock, pennsylvania in 1755 (1834) in february 1754, dinwiddie promoted washington to lieutenant colonel and second-in-command of the 300-strong virginia regiment, with orders to confront french forces at the forks of the ohio. washington set out for the forks with half the regiment in april and soon learned a french force of 1,000 had begun construction of fort duquesne there. in may, having set up a defensive position at great meadows, he learned that the french had made camp seven miles (11 km) away; he decided to take the offensive. the french detachment proved to be only about 50 men, so washington advanced on may 28 with a small force of virginians and indian allies to ambush them. what took place, known as the battle of jumonville glen or the "jumonville affair", was disputed, and french forces were killed outright with muskets and hatchets. french commander joseph coulon de jumonville, who carried a diplomatic message for the british to evacuate, was killed. french forces found jumonville and some of his men dead and scalped and assumed washington was responsible. washington blamed his translator for not communicating the french intentions. dinwiddie congratulated washington for his victory over the french. this incident ignited the french and indian war, which later became part of the larger seven years' war. the full virginia regiment joined washington at fort necessity the following month with news that he had been promoted to command of the regiment and colonel upon the regimental commander's death. the regiment was reinforced by an independent company of a hundred south carolinians led by captain james mackay, whose royal commission outranked that of washington, and a conflict of command ensued. on july 3, a french force attacked with 900 men, and the ensuing battle ended in washington's surrender. in the aftermath, colonel james innes took command of intercolonial forces, the virginia regiment was divided, and washington was offered a captaincy which he refused, with the resignation of his commission. in 1755, washington served voluntarily as an aide to general edward braddock, who led a british expedition to expel the french from fort duquesne and the ohio country. on washington's recommendation, braddock split the army into one main column and a lightly equipped "flying column". suffering from a severe case of dysentery, washington was left behind, and when he rejoined braddock at monongahela the french and their indian allies ambushed the divided army. two-thirds of the british force became casualties, including the mortally wounded braddock.