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George Washington was born on Feb 22，1732， at the family estate on the south bank of the Potomac River nearly the mouth of Pope´s Creek， Westmoreland， Vriginia.He was Christened on April 5，1732 and named after George Eskridge， a lawyer in whose charge George´s mother had been left when she was an orphan.
Washington was a half first cousin twice removed of President James Madison， a second cousin seven times removed of Queen Elizabeth of the U.K.， a third cousin twice removed of Confederate General Robert E.Lee， and an eighth cousin six times removed of Winston Churchill.
Through his paternal grandmother， Mildred Wanner Washington， Washington descended from King Edward III of England.His great grandfather John Washington sailed to America about 1656， intending to remain just long enough to take on a load of tobacco.But shortly after pushing off the return trip， his boat sank.Thus John remained in Virginia， where he met and married Anne Pope， the president´s greatgrandmother.His father， Augustine Washington， was a planter who spent much of his time acquiring and overseeing some 10，000 acres of land and about 50 slaves in the Potomac region.On March 6，1732， he married Mary Ball， who gave birth to George Washington and 11 months later， his father died when George was 11 years old.George was fatherless and orphaned at 12， however， George´s relationship with his mother was forever strained.Animosity between mother and son persisted till her death from cancer in the first year of his presidency.
George had two half brothers to live to maturity——Lawrence Washington and Augustine Washington， the former， 14 years his senior， imposed the single greatest influence on young George .George looked upon him as a surrogate father and undoubtedly sought to emulate him.Without their mother´s adamant opposition， George might have started a career at sea by serving the British navy at the thought of his stepbrother Lawrence.At 16， George moved with Lawrence at his father´s estate which he called Mount Vernon， where he honed his surveying skills and received a smaller part of the inheritance from his father´s great estate， while the largest share of the inheritance went to his half brother Lawrence.
Mary Washington refused to send George to school in England， like her late husband had done for his older boys， but instead exposed him to the irregular education common in Virginia.It is clear that what little education he received was closely supervised by his possessive mother， who was determined to keep her eldest son as close to her as possible.By age 11， he had picked up basic reading， writing and math，which was his best subject.The young George grew up enjoying hunting， fishing， and horseback riding.He did not attend university， but this never affected his outlook or vision on his way of American Independence.
Washington was a large， powerful man， about six feet two inches tall， 175 pounds in his prime， up to more than 200 pounds in later years.Erect in bearing， muscular，broad shouldered， he had large hands and feet， a long face with high check⁃bones， a large straight nose， determined chin， blue⁃gray eyes beneath heavy brows and dark brown hair.His fair complexion bore the marks of smallpox he contracted when he was young.He lost his teeth to gum disease， and wore dentures.Upon his inauguration as president， Washington had only one of his own teeth left.He began wearing reading glasses during the Revolution.He dressed fashionably.
A man of quiet strength， Washington took few friends into complete confidence.His critics mistook his dignified reserve for pomposity.Life for him was a serious mission， a job to be tackled soberly and unremittingly.He had little sense of humor.Although basically good⁃natural， he wrestled with his temper and sometimes lost.He was a poor speaker and could become utterly inarticulate without a prepared text.He preferred to express himself on paper.But when he did speak， he was candid， direct，and looked at people squarely in the eye.Neither his ambition to succeed nor his acquisitive nature ever threatened his basic integrity.
Washington was a towering figure both in physique and accomplishments.Aristocratic bearing of his six⁃foot⁃two⁃inch figure and the calm nobility of his face created awe in those who saw him.His presence， coupled with the battlefield miracle he had accomplished， made him an idol among his contemporaries.But idolatry brought with it a difficulty.People both then and now refused to accept the truth that Washington was mortal， a man with normal appetites-a man who loved women，enjoyed gambling， liked to dance all night， and prided himself on his fine horse.They interpreted as a god⁃like coldness his self⁃conscious determination not to make any blunders that could reveal the background of a poor educated orphan who had achieved success and riches by a combination of luck， ingenuity， and resolution.Legends about his strength and honesty won more ready acceptance as fact than understanding of the human qualities that both hindered and helped him on his way to immortality.
In 1749， Washington accepted his first appointment of surveyor of Culpeper County， Virginia.Two years later， he accompanied his half brother Lawrence to Barbados， where Lawrence died of tuberculous and Washington came down with a nearfatal dose of smallpox .With the death of Lawrence and his daughter in 1752，Washington inherited Mount Vernon， an estate that prospered under his management and one that throughout his life served as welcome refuge from the pressures of public life.
In the French and Indian War 1754—1763， Washington received his first military appointment as a major in the Virginia militia in 1752 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in March 1754.One year later， he was promoted to colonel and regimental commander.He resigned from militia in December， 1758 following his election to Virginia House.Washington joined those protesting Britain´s colonel policy and favored cutting trade sharply but opposed a suspension of all commerce with Britain.He also did not approve of the Boston Tea Party of December 1773.But before long he came to realize that reconciliation with the mother country was no longer possible.From then on， Washington served on various military preparation committees and was chairman of the committee to consider ways to raise arms and ammunition for the coming Revolution.John Adams urged that Washington be named commander⁃in⁃chief of the newly authorized Continental army.In June， 1775， delegates unanimously approved the choice of Washington， both for his military experience and， all the more to enlist a prominent Virginian to lead a struggle that had been spearheaded largely by northern revolutionaries.He accepted with modesty， rejecting any pay for the position， and expressed his willingness to accept any repayment of his expenses.
On July 4，1776， with the approval of the Continental Congress of the Declaration of Independence， the colonies formally broke off all ties with England.The new country would be forced to stand on its own， if they could drive out the British troops.
Because he was a military man， it was natural that Washington´s thoughts turned to the use of force when actions of the British government interfered with rights of the colonists.In March， 1776， he succeeded in forcing the British to sail away from Boston， leaving the city in the hands of American forces.July 4，1776， led by Washington and other forefathers， the Americans acclaimed independence from the United kingdom and set up the United States of America.He followed this victory with another at Princeton the first week of January， 1777.The American cause was strengthened in October when General Horatio Gates won a major victory at Saratoga，New York， capturing the British General John Burgoyne and about 5，000 British troops.
From the summer of 1778 through the summer of 1781， Washington kept the main part of the British army sealed in New York City.During these years， he faced and overcame one discouragement after another as inaction led to grumbling and dissertation by his soldiers， while a weak Congress had to be continuously prodded to supply necessary money and supplies.On October 19，1781， Washington experienced the greatest and the most decisive triumph of his military career when Lord Cornwalls surrendered his entire army of more than 7，000 men.In November 1783， two months after the formal peace treaty was signed， Washington resigned his commission and returned home to the neglected fields of Mount Vernon.
Throughout the states， there was a general assumption that Washington would be the first President under the Constitution.This belief made it easier for the states to accept the idea of a strong national executive， because they were sure Washington would never abuse the great powers granted to the office.On Feb 4，1789， Washington，a Virginia delegate， was unanimously elected president of the convention.He was among those favoring a strong government.
Through much discussion and argument， the Constitution was written based on an ancient Greek concept of a nation ruled by its citizens with officials elected by the people.Many of the provisions of the Constitution were based on the people in charge at that time， and the scope of the powers given to the President indicated the high regard the delegates felt for George Washington， whom they had named president of the Convention.Even people before the Constitution was ratified， he was being urged to accept the position of the first President of the United States.
However， according to the historic notes recently publicized in 1987， Washington was far from being fully confident in the Constitution， for he did not actively seek the presidency， but he felt it was his duty to serve if the Electoral College chose him.He once said privately that he did not expect the Constitution to last more than 20 years.
As a Federalist， Washington was obviously the most appropriate choice for the first president of the U.S.As a proven leader whose popularity transcended the conflict between Federalists and those opposed to a strong central government， the man most responsible for winning independence， a modest country gentleman with a wise aversion to the limelight， Washington so dominated the political landscape that not 1 of the 69 electors voted against him， carrying all 10 states， and becoming the only president elected by a unanimous electoral vote in 1789.
On his first term， Washington established the presidential veto in April 1792，when for the first time in American history a president turned down legislation passed by Congress.Although Washington insisted that the president should be a strong leader，he also felt that the three main branches of the government should be as separate as possible.Therefore， he did not personally endeavor to sway Congress to pass legislation that he favored.Instead， he left this to his department heads， particularly Secretary of State Jefferson and Secretary of the Treasure Hamilton.
Washington now faced four major problems upon assuming the presidency：
1） Organizing the new government and making many necessary appointments；
2） Straightening out the tangled financial affairs of the nation；
3） Obtaining better relations with Great Britain；
4） Negotiating treaties with the Indian tribes on the frontiers.
Fortunately， with his extraordinary administrative managing skills， he successfully achieved solutions to each of them during the course of his administration.
Despite the growing strength of Democratic⁃Republicans， Washington continued to enjoy virtually universal support in 1792.Again he won the vote of all the 132 electors，and thus carried all 15 states.
Because Jefferson represented the agrarian South and Hamilton the commercial North， Hamilton and his supporters promoted the Federalist party， while Jefferson and his followers became known as anti⁃Federalists or Democratic⁃Republicans.So it was natural that their views were often opposed to each other on important national issues.It distressed Washington to see this division between two men that he admired， and he was deeply concerned that the political parties they fostered were likely to divide the country.And other patriots were worried that the new government would collapse if Washington left the Presidency.Washington himself fully realized that it was a strong possibility， and agreed reluctantly to serve a second term， if elected.
Washington´s second term began fairly uneventful， but the next year war broke out between England and France.Washington felt the new government of the U.S.should remain neutral， but Jefferson thought aid should be given to France.In this dispute，Jefferson resigned as Secretary of State and Hamilton threatened to resign.His second term was vastly different from his first.He felt betrayed when two closest advisers resigned from his Cabinet-Jefferson in the summer of 1793 and Hamilton early in 1795.Violent political attacks began to be directed at Washington himself by the Democratic⁃Republican newspapers.The excitement of forming the new government was over， and he found it increasingly difficult to find good men to replace those who retired.
The Federalists under Hamilton and Adams and the Democratic⁃Republicans under Jefferson joined battle soon after he announced his retirement.Washington´s warning to remain aloof from European struggles was better heeded .“The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations，” he advised，“ is， in extending our commercial relations to have with them as little political connection as possible.So far as we have already formed engagements， let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith.Here let us stop .” Isolationism remained the dominant feature in American foreign policy for the next 100 years.
“ Many things which appear of little importance in themselves and at the beginning，” Washington once observed，“ may have great and durable consequences from their having been established at the commencement of a new general government .” With this in mind， he proceeded cautiously， acting only when it seemed necessary to flesh out the bare⁃bones framework of government described so sparingly in the Constitution.
In the area of foreign relations， Washington´s task was made exceedingly difficult by the general war in Europe， in which Britain and the other monarchies fought against the new French republic.Washington proclaimed a policy of “strict neutrality” that was opposed by Jefferson and the Democratic⁃Republicans.Criticism of Washington by the Democratic⁃Republicans reached a peak in 1795 when he signed the Jay Treaty， a trade agreement with Britain that had been negotiated by Chief Justice John Jay.
On the domestic scene， the greatest crisis of Washington´s second term was the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania， which he went to crash with 15，000 militia when the farmers there refused to pay federal excise taxes on the whiskey they distilled from their grain.
The last years of Washington´s administration was relatively quiet and uneventful.Economic conditions improved as a result of trade stimulated by the Jay Treaty.Attacks on Washington by the Democratic⁃Republicans diminished both in violence and frequency.Efforts were underway to persuade him to accept a third term， but he published his eloquent Farewell Address on September 19，1796， ending talk of his candidacy and setting the important two⁃term precedent.
After making his farewell speech to Congress and turning the presidency over to John Adams on March 4，1797， Washington， 65， returned to his Mount Vernon to enjoy his retirement.However， Washington was not to be left in the peaceful retirement he had contemplated.For several months in 1798， he had to be busy helping choose the generals and officers for the army prepared for the threatening war with France.
In his last year， Washington faced a financial crisis： Money owed him from the sale or rental of real estate was past due at a time when his taxes and entertainment bills were climbing and a few bad crop years left their finances in a decline.Nevertheless，Washington felt an obligation to continue Martha´s standard of living on the same level as her first husband had provided， and he allowed her the same luxuries she had enjoyed in her first marriage.Another drain on the Washington family finances was the care and feeding of a never⁃ending stream of guests at Mr.Vernon.Between 1768 and 1775， they entertained about 2 000 people.Some were relatives or good friends， others just passing by.As a result， at age 67 he was compelled for the first time in life to borrow money from a bank.
On the early morning of December 14，1799， Washington woke up with a sore throat and later in the day his voice grew hoarse.Then with severe chills he was having trouble breathing and speaking.Despite of nearly one⁃day treatment by three doctors，he seemed to be in a worse condition.Finally， Washington told them to give up，speaking weakly：“I am just going.Have me decently buried and do not let my body be put into a vault in less than two days after I am dead.Do you understand me？”“Yes， Sir，” replied Tobias Lear， one of the doctors，“Tis well，” said Washington，these were his last words.The funeral services， conducted on December 18， were far from the simple ceremony Washington had requested.His remains were deposited in the family tomb at Mount Vernon.Henry“Light⁃Horse Harry” Lee， one of his former officers， gave the eulogy that contained the famous description of Washington：
“First in war， first in peace， and first in the hearts of his countrymen， he was second to none .”
According to Washington´s instructions， half of his 300 slaves should be freed at his death except those too old to work or children too young.He even had hoped to educate these black people， but Virginia passed a law forbidding their education， so this part of his will could not be carried out.A nephew of George´s would inherit Mt.Vernon at Martha´s death.Both Washington and Martha are entombed at Mt.Vernon，as Washington had planned years before.
Young George was somewhat stiff and awkward with girls， and actually， before he married Martha， his love life was full of disappointment.Washington first fell in love with Betsy Fauntleroy， the daughter of a justice and Burgess from Richmond County，Virginia.Betsy was 16 when she attracted Washington.He pressed his suit repeatedly，but， repulsed at every turn， he finally gave up.
During a trip to Boston to straighten a military matter in 1756， Washington stopped off in New York， and there met Mary Philips， 26 years old， daughter of a wealthy landowner.He remained there for a week and is said to have proposed.Mary later married Roger Morris， who turned out to be a staunch Tory during the American Revolution.
Later， at the time Washington proposed to and was accepted in marriage by Martha Dandridge Custis， he was apparently involved with his neighbor´s wife Sally Fairfax.He was crazily caught by her easy charm， graceful bearing， good humor， rare beauty and intelligence.Upon a not short passionate courtship， the relationship came to end for the Fairfaxes would not come to share Washington´s passion for an independent America.
On January 6，1759， Washington， 26， married Martha Dandridge Custis， 27， a widow with two children at her estate， known at the White House.Their marriage appeared to have been a solid one， never troubled by infidelity or clash of temperament， during the American Revolution Martha endured considerable hardship to visit her husband at field headquarters.
Both the Washingtons enjoyed spending money， and they lived well.At first there was plenty money， but a few bad crop years left their finances in a decline.Nevertheless， Washington felt an obligation to continue Martha´s standard of living on the same level as Custis had provided， and he allowed her same luxuries she had enjoyed in her first marriage.Another drain on the Washington family finance was the care and feeding of never⁃ending stream of guests at Mt.Vernon.As the First Lady，Mrs Washington hosted many affairs of state at New York City and Philadelphia.Between 1768 and 1775， they entertained about 2，000 people.Some were relatives or good friends， others just passing by.
Washington continued to have health problems， especially fevers.On December 12，1799， he caught a heavy cold after ridding over his estate for more than five hours on horseback.A sleety storm began before he could get back home.Two days later， he died.
After Washington´s death in 1799， Martha grew morose and died on May 22，1802.The Washington´s never had children of their own.