AMERICAN POLICY EXAMINER. A Tea Party Activist's Guide to American Political Science.

President George Washington (1732 - 1799)

Biography

George Washington first joined the Virginia militia when he was twenty years old. By the time he was 27, he became its commander. On the eve of the American Revolution, George Washington was appointed the first commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. After his success in defeating the British, he was unanimously elected the first President of the United States; a position he held for two terms before voluntarily retiring.

Born on his father's plantation at Pope's Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on February 22, 1732, George Washington was the first son of Augustine Washington's second marriage. In all, George Washington grew up in a family with three siblings from his father's first marriage and five siblings from his father's second marriage.

George's father died when he was eleven year's old and his older half-brother's were given the plantation where his family earned a very modest income. One may speculate that this is where he learned the value of hard work and the virtues of honesty and piety that would define his character as a commander and the first President of the United States.

As George grew into adolescence he spent extended periods of time with his older half-brother Lawrence, who became his mentor and helped shape him for what would become a life rich in humility and success. Although his education lacked the formality of others who achieved great success, he retained a drive that lead him to become a learned man through self-education.

As a logical first step toward independence, George pivoted from working the plantation to a profitable career in surveying. Lawrence's neighbors, the Fairfax family, helped secure this new career which would help him develop strong judgment in the analysis of terrain, which undoubtedly was instrumental in George's success as a military commander in his adulthood.

When Lawrence died in 1752, George not only inherited Lawrence's estate at Mount Vernon, but also his position in in the Virginia militia. He was just 20 years old.

As a major in Virginia's militia, George' Washington's primary responsibility was holding off the French in the north, where they were establishing forts on the Ohio river and threatening territory claimed by Virginia in an area which is now in western Pennsylvania. These efforts were documented and helped establish Washington's reputation. After being promoted as colonel, Washington also worked with General Edward Braddock who was sent by the King of England to keep the French out of the Ohio area which was met with many trials and hardships. However, this work assisted Washington in his brisk rise through the military ranks. He soon would become commander of the entire military force of Virginia and have the most experience in the militia before returning to the domestic life as a farmer at Mount Vernon in 1759.

In 1758, Washington began his political career after being elected to the House of Burgesses. Soon thereafter, he married Martha Dandridge Custisa, a widow who had two children from a previous marriage to a wealthy man in the colony. In returning to Mount Vernon, Washington worked to expand the Mount Vernon plantation and experimented with new crops while pursuing a political life which was rooted in concerns over conflict between Great Britain and the American colonies.

It was in 1774 that Washington was chosen as a representative of Virginia to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. His presence at the Congress did not go unnoticed. He was not a man with a quick political tongue, but his sound judgment and strong character immediately won the respect of the delegates. He would soon be chosen to command the Continental Army in 1775, a demanding task that kept him from his life at Mount Vernon for many years.

His command of the army, which ultimately led to the rescission of the American colonies from the rule of the British, was mired in suffering, humility, and patience. The trials and tribulations that were a reality in a fight in which Washington's army was consistently outnumbered against an army and navy that was far superior in experience and resources were not enough to defeat the Continental Army.

Although suffering defeats that lead to the loss of the entire city of New York, and retreating his army through New Jersey and into Pennsylvania before the end of 1776, Washington was able to regroup and outmaneuver the British in an attack on Christmas Eve at Trenton. The British were forced to surrender and lost Princeton, which became a turning point in the war.

Washington's army would soon be defeated again at Philadelphia, but the resolve of his army and the support of the public provided a spirited resistance that would provide the momentum of the inevitable victory. The Continental Army, with the help of the French, would effectively occupy the British to the North, particularly in New York. In doing so, Washington demonstrated his strategic skills in moving south to lay siege on the British army in Yorktown Virginia. Washington's army gave a devastating blow to the British, which led to the surrender of Cornwallis' British army in Virginia. Although the war would continue for two more years, this victory is seen as the beginning of the war's end.

In 1783, Washington chose to end his political career at the Congress in Annapolis, Maryland, rather than seek power over the Confederate States. This act is one that has been viewed as one of the most virtuous acts of any leader. His selfless service and his selfless resignation from leadership was a much needed act in a world in which figures of leadership were doing just the opposite.

Washington returned to Mount Vernon for several years, spending his time rebuilding his home. He sought a private life, becoming president of the Potomac Company.

Although Washington sought the peaceful life after the war, his leadership would be in much need because of the inability of the new union to function under the new Articles of Confederation. Because of the lack of unity and functionality of the government over the confederate states, a movement for a stronger constitution was brought to life and Washington was at its heart.

In 1787, Washington attended the convention in Philadelphia for the purpose of changing the Constitution. He believed that the central government needed more power so that it could be effective and functional. After a hard-fought struggle, a new constitution was devised. In 1789, he was elected president with the unanimous consent of the electorate, despite his reluctance and his wish to retire.

George Washington was the first President of the United States and he served two terms before self-imposing his own retirement. As president, he found the most talented and perhaps the most influential individuals in the founding of the republic to lead his Cabinet and build an executive that would help make the new government functional and effective in its duties.

His prudence and restraint in administering the government became one of precedence for future presidents to follow. Many of his colleagues have written in what are now historical documents about the integrity he had and this integrity undoubtedly had a profound effect on those in his Cabinet who would succeed him in the Presidency.

Despite his best efforts to prevent the split in unity of the country and the beginning of political parties, it was clear that his own Cabinet became split between two parties: Federalists and Republicans. The divisions were exacerbated by foreign wars between the French and the British. Thomas Jefferson, who was the Secretary of State, had sympathies to the French while Treasurer Alexander Hamilton and Vice President John Adams were pulling for alliances with the British.

Although these tensions were brewing, Washington wisely lead a new standard of neutrality in the war. Although staying neutral, Washington was able to work with the British in negotiating their surrender of its occupation in the northwest. Other achievements in foreign affairs included the negotiations with the Spanish to allow commerce along the Mississippi River and the end to the Indian war in the northwest.

After giving a farewell address which warned against long-lasting divisions among political parties and geographical tensions, Washington stepped down as president after his second term which ended in 1797. Washington retreated to his home in Mount Vernon for his long-awaited retirement. Unfortunately, this retirement lasted less than three years. George Washington contracted a throat infection after getting caught in a storm and died December 14, 1799. The nation mourned his death for many months that followed.