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George Washington

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: USA Presidents

   George Washington
   George Washington
     __________________________________________________________________

   1st President of the United States
   In office
   April 30, 1789 –  March 4, 1797
   Preceded by Position established
   Succeeded by John Adams
     __________________________________________________________________

   Born February 22, 1732
   Westmoreland County, Virginia
   Died December 14, 1799
   Mount Vernon, Virginia
   Spouse Martha Dandridge Custis Washington
   Religion Anglican/ Episcopal/ Deist
   Signature

   George Washington ( February 22, 1732– December 14, 1799) led America's
   Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary
   War (1775–1783), and was later elected the first President of the
   United States. He served two four-year terms from 1789 to 1797, having
   been reelected in 1792. Because of his central role in the founding of
   the United States, Washington is often referred to as the " Father of
   his Country". His devotion to republicanism and civic virtue made him
   an exemplary figure among early American politicians.

   In his youth, Washington worked as a surveyor of rural lands and
   acquired what would become invaluable knowledge of the terrain around
   his native Virginia. Washington gained command experience during the
   French and Indian War (1754–1763). Due to this experience, his military
   bearing, his enormous charisma, and his political base in Virginia, the
   Second Continental Congress chose him as commander-in-chief of the
   American forces. He scored a victory by forcing the British out of
   Boston in 1776, but later that year was badly defeated and nearly
   captured when he lost New York City. By crossing the Delaware and
   defeating enemy units in New Jersey in the dead of winter, he revived
   the "Patriot" cause. As a result of his strategic oversight,
   Revolutionary forces captured the two main British combat armies, first
   at Saratoga in 1777 and then at Yorktown in 1781. He handled relations
   with the states and their militias, dealt with disputing generals and
   colonels, and worked with Congress to supply and recruit the
   Continental army. Negotiating with Congress, the states, and French
   allies, he held together a fragile army and a fragile nation despite
   the constant threat of disintegration.

   Following the end of the war, when it was widely believed that
   Washington could have installed himself as King of the victorious
   nation, he chose instead to observe the practice of his role model, the
   ancient Roman general Cincinnatus, and retire to his plantation on
   Mount Vernon, an exemplar of the republican ideal of citizen
   leadership. Later, alarmed at the many weaknesses of the new nation
   under the Articles of Confederation, he presided over the
   Constitutional Convention that drafted the much stronger United States
   Constitution in 1787.

   In 1789, Washington became President of the United States and promptly
   established many of the customs and usages of the new government's
   executive department. He sought to create a great nation capable of
   surviving in a world torn asunder by war between Britain and France.
   His Neutrality Proclamation of 1793 provided a basis for avoiding any
   involvement in foreign conflicts. He supported Treasury Secretary
   Alexander Hamilton's plans to build a strong central government by
   funding the national debt, implementing an effective tax system, and
   creating a national bank. When rebels in Pennsylvania defied Federal
   authority, he rode at the head of the army to authoritatively quell the
   Whiskey Rebellion. Washington avoided the temptation of war and began a
   decade of peace with Britain via the Jay Treaty in 1795; he used his
   immense prestige to get it ratified over intense opposition from the
   Jeffersonians. Although he never officially joined the Federalist
   Party, he supported its programs and was its inspirational leader. By
   refusing to pursue a third term, he made it the enduring norm that no
   U.S. President should seek more than two. Washington's Farewell Address
   was a primer on republican virtue and a stern warning against
   involvement in foreign wars.

   As the symbol of republicanism in practice, Washington embodied
   American values and across the world was seen as the symbol of the new
   nation. Scholars perennially rank him among the three greatest U.S.
   Presidents. And no one, even today, presumes to challenge the funeral
   oration of Henry Lee that among all Americans, he was "first in war,
   first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." (see
   Legacy, below.)

Early life

      George Washington
   Early life
   French and Indian War
   Between the wars
   American Revolution
   Presidency
   Washington and religion
   Washington and slavery
   Legacy

French and Indian War

   This, the earliest portrait of Washington, was painted in 1772 by
   Charles Willson Peale, and shows Washington in uniform as colonel of
   the Virginia Regiment.
   Enlarge
   This, the earliest portrait of Washington, was painted in 1772 by
   Charles Willson Peale, and shows Washington in uniform as colonel of
   the Virginia Regiment.

   At 22 years of age Washington fired some of the first shots of the
   French and Indian War, soon to become part of the worldwide Seven
   Years' War. The trouble began in 1753, when France began building a
   series of forts in the Ohio Country, a region also claimed by Virginia.
   Governor Dinwiddie sent young Major Washington to the Ohio Country to
   assess French military strength and intentions, and ask the French to
   leave. When the French refused, Washington's published report was
   widely read in both Virginia and Britain. In 1754, Dinwiddie sent
   Washington, now commissioned a Lieutenant Colonel in the newly created
   Virginia Regiment, to drive the French away. Along with his American
   Indian allies, Washington and his troops ambushed a French scouting
   party of some 30 men led by Joseph Coulon de Villiers de Jumonville,
   sent from Fort Duquesne to discover if Washington had in fact invaded
   French-claimed territory. Were this to be the case he was to send word
   back to the fort, then deliver a formal summons to Washington calling
   on him to withdraw. His small force was an embassy, resembling
   Washington’s to Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre the preceding year,
   and he neglected to post sentries around his encampment. At daybreak on
   the 28th, Washington with 40 men stole up on the French camp near
   present Jumonville, Pa. Some were still asleep, others preparing
   breakfast. Without warning, Washington gave the order to fire. The
   Canadians who escaped the volley scrambled for their weapons, but were
   swiftly overwhelmed. Jumonville, the French later claimed, was struck
   down while trying to proclaim his official summons. Ten of the
   Canadians were killed, one wounded, all but one of the rest taken
   prisoner. Washington and his men then retired, leaving the bodies of
   their victims for the wolves. Washington then built Fort Necessity,
   which soon proved inadequate, as he was soon compelled to surrender to
   a larger French and Indian force. The surrender terms that Washington
   signed included an admission that he had assassinated Jumonville.
   Because the French claimed that Jumonville's party had been on a
   diplomatic (rather than military) mission, the "Jumonville affair"
   became an international incident and helped to ignite a wider war.
   Washington was released by the French with his promise not to return to
   the Ohio Country for one year. Back in Virginia, Governor Dinwiddie
   broke up the Virginia Regiment into independent companies; Washington
   resigned from active military service rather than accept a demotion to
   captain.

   In 1755, British General Edward Braddock headed a major effort to
   retake the Ohio Country. Washington eagerly volunteered to serve as one
   of Braddock's aides, although the British officers held the colonials
   in contempt. The expedition ended in disaster at the Battle of the
   Monongahela. Washington distinguished himself in the debacle—he had two
   horses shot out from under him, and four bullets pierced his coat—yet,
   he sustained no injuries and showed coolness under fire. (It is a myth
   that he led the retreat back home.) In Virginia, Washington was
   acclaimed as a hero.

   In fall 1755, Governor Dinwiddie appointed Washington commander in
   chief of all Virginia forces, with rank of colonel, with responsibility
   for defending 300 miles of mountainous frontier with about 300 men.
   Washington supervised savage, frontier warfare that averaged two
   engagements a month. His letters show he was moved by the plight of the
   frontiersmen he was protecting. With too few troops and inadequate
   supplies, lacking sufficient authority with which to maintain complete
   discipline, and hampered by an antagonistic governor, he had a severe
   challenge. In 1758, he took part in the Forbes Expedition, which
   successfully drove the French away from Fort Duquesne.

   Washington's goal at the outset of his military career had been to
   secure a commission as a British officer, which had more prestige than
   serving in the provincial military. However, the British officers had
   disdain for the amateurish, non-aristocratic Americans. Washington's
   commission never came; in 1758, Washington resigned from active
   military service and spent the next sixteen years as a Virginia planter
   and politician.

Between the wars

   A mezzotint of Martha Dandridge Custis, based on a 1757 portrait by
   John Wollaston.
   Enlarge
   A mezzotint of Martha Dandridge Custis, based on a 1757 portrait by
   John Wollaston.

   On January 6, 1759, Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis. They
   had a good marriage, and together raised her two children, John Parke
   Custis and Martha Parke Custis, affectionately called "Jackie" and
   "Patsy". Later the Washingtons raised two of Mrs. Washington's
   grandchildren, Eleanor Parke Custis and George Washington Parke Custis.
   George and Martha never had any children together—his earlier bout with
   smallpox followed, possibly, by tuberculosis may have made him sterile.
   The newlywed couple moved to Mount Vernon, where he took up the life of
   a genteel planter and political figure.

   Washington's marriage to a wealthy widow greatly increased his property
   holdings and social standing. He acquired one-third of the 18,000-acre
   Custis estate upon his marriage, and managed the remainder on behalf of
   Martha's children. He frequently purchased additional acreage in his
   own name, and was granted land in what is now West Virginia as a bounty
   for his service in the French and Indian War. By 1775, Washington had
   doubled the size of Mount Vernon to 6,500 acres, with over 100 slaves.
   As a respected military hero and large landowner, he held local office
   and was elected to the Virginia provincial legislature, the House of
   Burgesses, beginning in 1758.

   Washington first took a leading role in the growing colonial resistance
   in 1769, when he introduced a proposal drafted by his friend George
   Mason which called for Virginia to boycott imported English goods until
   the Townshend Acts were repealed. Parliament repealed the Acts in 1770.
   Washington regarded the passage of the Intolerable Acts in 1774 as "an
   Invasion of our Rights and Priviledges". In July 1774, he chaired the
   meeting at which the Fairfax Resolves were adopted, which called for,
   among other things, the convening of a Continental Congress. In August,
   he attended the First Virginia Convention, where he was selected as a
   delegate to the First Continental Congress.

American Revolution

   Washington Crossing the Delaware, by Emanuel Leutze, 1851, Metropolitan
   Museum
   Enlarge
   Washington Crossing the Delaware, by Emanuel Leutze, 1851, Metropolitan
   Museum

   After fighting broke out in April 1775, Washington appeared at the
   Second Continental Congress in military uniform, signaling that he was
   prepared for war. Congress created the Continental Army on June 14; the
   next day it selected Washington as commander-in-chief. There was no
   serious rival to his experience and confident leadership, let alone his
   base in the largest colony. Massachusetts delegate John Adams nominated
   Washington, believing that appointing a southerner to lead what was at
   this stage primarily an army of northerners would help unite the
   colonies. Washington reluctantly accepted, declaring "with the utmost
   sincerity, I do not think myself equal to the Command I [am] honoured
   with." He asked for no pay other than reimbursement of his expenses.
   George Washington at Princeton, by Charles Willson Peale, 1779
   Enlarge
   George Washington at Princeton, by Charles Willson Peale, 1779

   Washington assumed command of the American forces in Massachusetts in
   July 1775, during the ongoing siege of Boston. Washington reorganized
   the army during the long standoff, and forced the British to withdraw
   by putting artillery on Dorchester Heights overlooking the city. The
   British evacuated Boston and Washington moved his army to New York
   City. In August 1776, British General William Howe launched a massive
   naval and land campaign to capture New York designed to seize New York
   City and offer a negotiated settlement. The Americans were committed to
   independence, but Washington was unable to hold New York. Defeated at
   the Battle of Long Island on August 22, he barely managed to escape
   with most of his forces to the mainland. Several other defeats sent
   Washington scrambling across New Jersey, leaving the future of the
   Continental Army in doubt. On the night of December 25, 1776,
   Washington staged a counterattack, leading the American forces across
   the Delaware River to capture nearly 1,000 Hessians in Trenton, New
   Jersey. Washington followed up the assault with a surprise attack on
   British forces at Princeton. These unexpected victories after a series
   of losses recaptured New Jersey, drove the British back to the New York
   City area, and gave a dramatic boost to Revolutionary morale.

   In 1777, the British launched two uncoordinated attacks. The first was
   an invasion by General John Burgoyne down the Hudson River from Canada
   designed to reach New York City and cut off New England.
   Simultaneously, Howe left New York City and attacked the national
   capital at Philadelphia. Washington sent General Horatio Gates and
   state militias to deal with Burgoyne while he moved the main
   Continental army south to block Howe. Washington was defeated at the
   Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777. On September 26, Howe
   outmaneuvered Washington and marched into Philadelphia unopposed.
   Washington's army unsuccessfully attacked the British garrison at
   Germantown in early October. Meanwhile Burgoyne, out of reach from help
   from Howe, was trapped and forced to surrender his entire army at
   Saratoga. The British had gained the empty prize of Philadelphia, while
   losing one of their two armies. The victory caused France to enter the
   war as an open ally (followed by Spain and the Netherlands as allies of
   France), turning the Revolution into a major world-wide war in which
   Britain was no longer the dominant military force.

   Washington's army encamped at Valley Forge in December 1777, where it
   stayed for the next six months. Over the winter, 2,500 men (out of
   10,000) died from disease and exposure. The next spring, however, the
   army emerged from Valley Forge in good order, thanks in part to a
   full-scale training program supervised by Baron von Steuben, a veteran
   of the Prussian general staff.

   Washington's loss of Philadelphia prompted some members of Congress to
   discuss removing Washington from command. This episode failed after
   Washington's supporters rallied behind him.
   Depiction by John Trumbull of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis's army
   at Yorktown
   Enlarge
   Depiction by John Trumbull of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis's army
   at Yorktown

   French entry into the war changed the dynamics, for the British were no
   longer sure of command of the seas and had to worry about an invasion
   of their home islands. The British evacuated Philadelphia in 1778 and
   returned to New York City, with Washington attacking them along the way
   at the Battle of Monmouth; this was the last major battle in the north.
   The British tried a new strategy based on the assumption that most
   Southerners were Loyalists at heart. Ignoring the north (except for
   their base in New York), they tried to capture the Southern states
   while fighting the French elsewhere around the globe. During this time,
   Washington remained with his army outside New York, looking for an
   opportunity to strike a decisive blow while dispatching troops to other
   operations to the north and south. The long-awaited opportunity finally
   came in 1781, after a French naval victory allowed American and French
   forces to trap a British army in Virginia. The surrender at Yorktown on
   October 17, 1781 marked the end of fighting. The Treaty of Paris (1783)
   recognized the independence of the United States.

   Washington's contribution to victory in the American Revolution was not
   that of a great battlefield tactician; in fact, he lost more battles
   than he won, and he sometimes planned operations that were too
   complicated for his amateur soldiers to execute. However, his overall
   strategy proved to be successful: keep control of 90% of the population
   at all times; keep the army intact, suppress the Loyalists; and avoid
   decisive battles except to exploit enemy mistakes (as at Saratoga and
   Yorktown). Washington was a military conservative: he preferred
   building a regular army on the European model and fighting a
   conventional war, and often complained about the undisciplined American
   militia.
   Depiction by John Trumbull of Washington resigning his commission as
   commander-in-chief
   Enlarge
   Depiction by John Trumbull of Washington resigning his commission as
   commander-in-chief

   One of Washington's most important contributions as commander-in-chief
   was to establish the precedent that civilian-elected officials, rather
   than military officers, possessed ultimate authority over the military.
   Throughout the war, he deferred to the authority of Congress and state
   officials, and he relinquished his considerable military power once the
   fighting was over. In March 1783, Washington used his influence to
   disperse a group of Army officers who had threatened to confront
   Congress regarding their back pay. Washington disbanded his army and,
   on November 2, gave an eloquent farewell address to his soldiers. A few
   days later, the British evacuated New York City, and Washington and the
   governor took possession of the city; at Fraunces Tavern in the city on
   December 4, he formally bade his officers farewell. On December 23,
   1783, Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief to the
   Congress of the Confederation.

   Washington's retirement to Mount Vernon was short-lived. He was
   persuaded to attend the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in
   the summer of 1787, and he was unanimously elected president of the
   Convention. For the most part, he did not participate in the debates
   involved (though he did participate in voting for or against the
   various articles), but his prestige was great enough to maintain
   collegiality and to keep the delegates at their labors. The delegates
   designed the presidency with Washington in mind, and allowed him to
   define the office once elected. After the Convention, his support
   convinced many, including the Virginia legislature, to vote for
   ratification; all 13 states did ratify the new Constitution.

Presidency: 1789–1797

   In 1796, Gilbert Stuart painted this famous portrait of Washington from
   life, and then used the unfinished painting to create numerous others,
   including the image used on the U.S. one-dollar bill.
   Enlarge
   In 1796, Gilbert Stuart painted this famous portrait of Washington from
   life, and then used the unfinished painting to create numerous others,
   including the image used on the U.S. one-dollar bill.

   Washington was elected unanimously by the Electoral College in 1789,
   and he remains the only person ever to be elected president unanimously
   (a feat which he duplicated in the 1792 election). As runner-up with 34
   votes (each elector cast two votes), John Adams became vice president.
   Washington took the oath of office as the first President on April 30,
   1789 at Federal Hall in New York City.

   The First U.S. Congress voted to pay Washington a salary of $25,000 a
   year—a large sum in 1789. Washington, already wealthy, declined the
   salary, since he valued his image as a selfless public servant. At the
   urging of Congress, however, he ultimately accepted the payment. A
   dangerous precedent could have been set otherwise, as the founding
   fathers wanted future presidents to come from a large pool of potential
   candidates - not just those citizens that could afford to do the work
   for free.

   Washington attended carefully to the pomp and ceremony of office,
   making sure that the titles and trappings were suitably republican and
   never emulated European royal courts. To that end, he preferred the
   title "Mr. President" to the more majestic names suggested.

   Washington proved an able administrator. An excellent delegator and
   judge of talent and character, he held regular cabinet meetings, which
   debated issues; he then made the final decision and moved on. In
   handling routine tasks, he was "systematic, orderly, energetic,
   solicitous of the opinion of others but decisive, intent upon general
   goals and the consistency of particular actions with them."

   Washington only reluctantly agreed to serve a second term of office as
   president. He refused to run for a third, establishing the precedent of
   a maximum of two terms for a president.

Domestic issues

   Washington was not a member of any political party, and hoped that they
   would not be formed. His closest advisors, however, became divided into
   two factions, setting the framework for political parties. Secretary of
   Treasury Alexander Hamilton, who had bold plans to establish the
   national credit and build a financially powerful nation, formed the
   basis of the Federalist Party. Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson,
   founder of the Jeffersonian Republicans, strenuously opposed Hamilton's
   agenda, but Hamilton had Washington's ear, not Jefferson.

   In 1791, Congress imposed an excise tax on distilled spirits, which led
   to protests in frontier districts, especially Pennsylvania. By 1794,
   after Washington ordered the protesters to appear in U.S. district
   court, the protests turned into full-scale riots known as the Whiskey
   Rebellion. The federal army was too small to be used, so Washington
   invoked the Militia Law of 1792 to summon the militias of Pennsylvania,
   Virginia and several other states. The governors sent the troops and
   Washington took command, marching into the rebellious districts. There
   was no fighting, but Washington's forceful action proved the new
   government could protect itself. It also was one of only two times that
   a sitting President would personally command the military in the field:
   the other was after President James Madison fled the burning White
   House in the War of 1812. These events marked the first time under the
   new constitution that the federal government used strong military force
   to exert authority over the states and citizens.

Foreign affairs

   In 1793, the revolutionary government of France sent diplomat
   Edmond-Charles Genêt, called "Citizen Genêt," to America. Genêt issued
   letters of marque and reprisal to American ships so they could capture
   British merchant ships. He attempted to turn popular sentiment towards
   American involvement in the French war against Britain by creating a
   network of Democratic-Republican Societies in major cities. Washington
   rejected this interference in domestic affairs, demanded the French
   government recall Genêt, and denounced his societies.

   To normalize trade relations with Britain, remove them from western
   forts, and resolve financial debts left over from the Revolution,
   Hamilton and Washington designed the Jay Treaty. It was negotiated by
   John Jay, and signed on November 19, 1794. The Jeffersonians supported
   France and strongly attacked the treaty. Washington and Hamilton,
   however, mobilized public opinion and won ratification by the Senate by
   emphasizing Washington's support. The British agreed to depart their
   forts around the Great Lakes, the Canadian-U.S. boundary was adjusted,
   numerous pre-Revolutionary debts were liquidated, and the British
   opened their West Indies colonies to the American trade. Most
   important, the treaty avoided war with Britain and instead brought a
   decade of prosperous trade with Britain. It angered the French and
   became a central issue in the political debates of the emerging First
   Party System.

Farewell Address

   Washington's Farewell Address (issued as a public letter in 1796) was
   one of the most influential statements of American political values.
   Drafted primarily by Washington himself, with help from Hamilton, it
   gives advice on the necessity and importance of national union, the
   value of the Constitution and the rule of law, the evils of political
   parties, and the proper virtues of a republican people. In the address,
   he called morality "a necessary spring of popular government." He
   suggests that "reason and experience both forbid us to expect that
   national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."
   Washington thus makes the point that the value of religion is for the
   benefit of society as a whole.

   Washington warns against foreign influence in domestic affairs and
   American meddling in European affairs. He warns against bitter
   partisanship in domestic politics and called for men to move beyond
   partisanship and serve the common good. He called for an America wholly
   free of foreign attachments, as the United States must concentrate only
   on American interests. He counseled friendship and commerce with all
   nations, but warned against involvement in European wars and entering
   into long-term alliances. The address quickly set American values
   regarding religion and foreign affairs, and his advice was often
   repeated in political discourse well into the twentieth century; not
   until the 1949 formation of NATO would the United States again sign a
   treaty of alliance with a foreign nation. Washington strictures against
   political parties were ignored at the time and ever since.

Speeches

Inaugural Addresses

     * First Inaugural Address, (April 30th, 1789)
     * Second Inaugural Address, (March 4th, 1793)

State of the Union Address

     * First State of the Union Address, (8 January 1790)
     * Second State of the Union Address, (8 December 1790)
     * Third State of the Union Address, (25 October 1791)
     * Fourth State of the Union Address, (6 November 1792)
     * Fifth State of the Union Address, (3 December 1793)
     * Sixth State of the Union Address, (19 November 1794)
     * Seventh State of the Union Address, (8 December 1795)
     * Eighth State of the Union Address, (7 December 1796)

Major acts as President

     * Organized the first United States Cabinet and the Executive Branch

Legislation signed into law

     * Judiciary Act of 1789
     * Indian Intercourse Acts, starting in 1790
     * Naturalization Act of 1790
     * Residence Act of 1790
     * Bank Act of 1791
     * Coinage Act of 1792 or Mint Act
     * Fugitive Slave Act of 1793
     * Naval Act of 1794

Legislation vetoed

   Washington vetoed two laws while President:
     * The Apportionment Bill, vetoed April 5, 1792, on constitutional
       grounds.
     * A Bill to alter and amend an Act entitled, "An Act to ascertain and
       fix the military establishment of the United States", vetoed
       February 28, 1797, on the advice of Secretary of War James McHenry.

Administration and cabinet

   The Lansdowne portrait of President Washington by Gilbert Stuart.
   Enlarge
   The Lansdowne portrait of President Washington by Gilbert Stuart.
   OFFICE                    NAME                TERM
   President                 George Washington   1789–1797
   Vice President            John Adams          1789–1797
   Secretary of State        Thomas Jefferson    1789–1793
                             Edmund Randolph     1794–1795
                             Timothy Pickering   1795–1797
   Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton  1789–1795
                             Oliver Wolcott, Jr. 1795–1797
   Secretary of War          Henry Knox          1789–1794
                             Timothy Pickering   1795–1796
                             James McHenry       1796–1797
   Attorney General          Edmund Randolph     1789–1793
                             William Bradford    1794–1795
                             Charles Lee         1795–1797
   Postmaster General        Samuel Osgood       1789–1791
                             Timothy Pickering   1791–1795
                             Joseph Habersham    1795–1797

Supreme Court appointments

   As the first President, Washington appointed the entire first Supreme
   Court of the United States:
     * John Jay - Chief Justice - 1789
     * James Wilson - 1789
     * John Rutledge - 1790
     * William Cushing - 1790
     * John Blair - 1790
     * James Iredell - 1790
     * Thomas Johnson - 1792
     * William Paterson - 1793
     * John Rutledge - Chief Justice, 1795 (an associate justice
       1790-1795)
     * Samuel Chase - 1796
     * Oliver Ellsworth - Chief Justice - 1796

States admitted to Union

     * North Carolina – November 21, 1789 by ratification of the
       Constitution
     * Rhode Island – May 29, 1790 by ratification of the Constitution
     * Vermont – May 4, 1791
     * Kentucky – June 1, 1792
     * Tennessee – June 1, 1796

Retirement and death

   Mount Vernon
   Enlarge
   Mount Vernon

   After retiring from the presidency in March 1797, Washington returned
   to Mount Vernon with a profound sense of relief. He devoted much time
   to farming and, in that year, constructed a 2,250 square foot
   distillery, which was one of the largest in the new republic. Two years
   later, he produced 11,000 gallons of whiskey worth $7,500.

   In 1798, Washington was appointed Lieutenant General in the United
   States Army (then the highest possible rank) by President John Adams.
   Washington's appointment was to serve as a warning to France, with
   which war seemed imminent.

   In 1799, Washington fell ill from a bad cold with a fever and a throat
   infection called quinsy that turned into acute laryngitis and
   pneumonia; he died on December 14, 1799, at his home, while attended by
   Dr. James Craik, one of his closest friends, and Tobias Lear,
   Washington's personal secretary. Lear would record the account in his
   journal. From Lear's account, we receive Washington's last words: Tis
   well.

   Modern doctors believe that Washington died from either epiglottitis
   or, since he was bled as part of the treatment, a combination of shock
   from the loss of five pints of blood, as well as asphyxia and
   dehydration. Washington's remains were buried at Mount Vernon. In order
   to protect their privacy, Martha Washington burned the correspondence
   between her husband and herself following his death. Only three letters
   between the couple have survived.

   After Washington's death, Mount Vernon was inherited by his nephew,
   Bushrod Washington, a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

   In 1861, Washington's remains were moved from Mount Vernon to
   Lexington, Virginia, as there was fear that Northern troops would
   desecrate them. They were returned at the end of the war.

   Making up for lost time, and to maintain George Washington's proper
   position as the first Commanding General of the United States Army, he
   was appointed posthumously to the grade of General of the Armies of the
   United States by congressional joint resolution of 1976- 01-19,
   approved by President Gerald R. Ford on 1976- 10-11, and formalized in
   Department of the Army Special Order Number 31-3 of 1978- 03-13, with
   an effective appointment date of 1776- 07-04.

Legacy

   Tourists pose under the statue of Washington outside the Federal Hall
   Memorial in lower Manhattan, site of Washington's first inauguration as
   President
   Enlarge
   Tourists pose under the statue of Washington outside the Federal Hall
   Memorial in lower Manhattan, site of Washington's first inauguration as
   President

   Congressman Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, a Revolutionary War comrade
   and father of the Civil War general Robert E. Lee, famously eulogized
   Washington as:

          First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his
          countrymen, he was second to none in humble and enduring scenes
          of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate, and sincere;
          uniform, dignified, and commanding; his example was as edifying
          to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting. .
          . . Correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence and
          virtue always felt his fostering hand. The purity of his private
          character gave effulgence to his public virtues. . . . Such was
          the man for whom our nation mourns.

   Lee's words set the standard by which Washington's overwhelming
   reputation was impressed upon the American memory. Washington set many
   precedents for the national government and the presidency in
   particular. His decision to relinquish the presidency after serving two
   terms in office would be formalized in the 22nd Amendment to the
   Constitution.

   As early as 1778, Washington was lauded as the " Father of His Country"

   He was upheld as a shining example in schoolbooks and lessons: as
   courageous and farsighted, holding the Continental Army together
   through eight hard years of war and numerous privations, sometimes by
   sheer force of will; and as restrained: at war's end taking affront at
   the notion he should be King; and after two terms as President,
   stepping aside.

   Washington became the exemplar of republican virtue in America. More
   than any American he was extolled for his great personal integrity, and
   a deeply held sense of duty, honour and patriotism. He is seen more as
   a character model than war hero or founding father. One of Washington's
   greatest achievements, in terms of republican values, was refraining
   from taking more power than was due. He was conscientious of
   maintaining a good reputation by avoiding political intrigue. He
   rejected nepotism or cronyism. Jefferson observed, "The moderation and
   virtue of a single character probably prevented this Revolution from
   being closed, as most others have been, by a subversion of that liberty
   it was intended to establish."

Monuments and memorials

   Washington is commemorated on the U.S. quarter.
   Enlarge
   Washington is commemorated on the U.S. quarter.

   Today, Washington's face and image are often used as national symbols
   of the United States, along with the icons such as the flag and great
   seal. Perhaps the most pervasive commemoration of his legacy is the use
   of his image on the one-dollar bill and the quarter-dollar coin.
   Washington, together with Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, and
   Abraham Lincoln, is depicted in stone at the Mount Rushmore Memorial.
   Washington on Mt. Rushmore
   Enlarge
   Washington on Mt. Rushmore

   Many things have been named in honour of Washington. George Washington
   is the namesake of the nation's capital, Washington, DC, and the State
   of Washington. Washington is the only state to be named for a
   president. The George Washington University and the Washington
   Monument, one of the most well-known American landmarks, were built in
   his honour.

Washington and slavery

   For most of his life, Washington operated his plantations as a typical
   Virginia slave owner. In the 1760s, he dropped tobacco (which was
   prestigious but unprofitable) and shifted to wheat growing and
   diversified into milling flour, weaving cloth, and distilling brandy.
   By the time of his death, there were 317 slaves at Mount Vernon.

   Before the American Revolution, Washington expressed no moral
   reservations about slavery, but, by 1778, he had stopped selling slaves
   without their consent because he did not want to break up slave
   families.

   In 1778, while Washington was at war, he wrote to his manager at Mount
   Vernon that he wished to sell his slaves and "to get quit of negroes",
   since maintaining a large (and increasingly elderly) slave population
   was no longer economically efficient. Washington could not legally sell
   the "dower slaves", however, and because these slaves had long
   intermarried with his own slaves, he could not sell his slaves without
   breaking up families.

   After the war, Washington often privately expressed a dislike of the
   institution of slavery. Despite these privately expressed misgivings,
   Washington never criticized slavery in public. In fact, as President,
   Washington brought nine household slaves to the Executive Mansion in
   Philadelphia. By Pennsylvania law, slaves who resided in the state
   became legally free after six months. Washington rotated his household
   slaves between Mount Vernon and Philadelphia so that they did not earn
   their freedom, a scheme he attempted to keep hidden from his slaves and
   the public and one which was, in fact, against the law.

   Washington was the only prominent, slaveholding Founding Father to
   emancipate his slaves. He did not free his slaves in his lifetime,
   however, but instead included a provision in his will to free his
   slaves upon the death of his wife.

   Washington's failure to act publicly upon his growing private
   misgivings about slavery during his lifetime is seen by some historians
   as a tragically missed opportunity. One major reason Washington did not
   emancipate his slaves earlier was because his economic well-being
   depended on the institution. He did not speak out publicly against
   slavery, argues historian Dorothy Twohig, because he did not wish to
   risk splitting apart the young republic over what was already a
   sensitive and divisive issue.

Religious beliefs

   Washington was baptized as an infant into the Church of England. As a
   young man before the Revolution, when the Church of England was still
   the state religion, he served on the vestry (lay council) for his local
   church. Throughout his life, he spoke of the value of righteousness,
   and of seeking and offering thanks for the "blessings of Heaven". He
   was also a firm believer in the importance of religion for republican
   government. He endorsed religion rhetorically and in his 1796 Farewell
   Address remarked on its importance in building moral character in
   American citizenry, believing morality undergirded all public order and
   successful popular government. In a letter to George Mason in 1785, he
   wrote that he was not among those alarmed by a bill "making people pay
   towards the support of that [religion] which they profess", but felt
   that it was "impolitic" to pass such a measure, and wished it had never
   been proposed, believing that it would disturb public tranquility.

   Early in Washington's presidency, he issued the first official National
   Thanksgiving Proclamation on October 3, 1789. In it he recommends that
   service should be given to "that great and glorious Being who is the
   beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be."
   He exhorts the people in the young country to express their gratitude
   to God for his protection through the Revolutionary War, for the
   composition of the Constitution, and for their liberty. Washington
   calls the people of the United States to prayer and beseeches God to
   bless the new national government, "protect and guide," and to "grant
   unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows
   to be best."

   Washington sometimes accompanied his wife to Christian church services;
   however, there is no record of his ever becoming a communicant in any
   church, and he would regularly leave services before communion — with
   the other non-communicants, until he ceased attending at all on
   communion Sundays. Historians and biographers continue to debate the
   degree to which he can be counted as a Christian, and the degree to
   which he was a deist.

   Washington was an early supporter of religious pluralism. In 1775, he
   ordered that his troops not show anti-Catholic sentiments by burning
   the pope in effigy on Guy Fawkes Night. When hiring workmen for Mount
   Vernon, he wrote to his agent, "If they be good workmen, they may be
   from Asia, Africa, or Europe; they may be Mohammedans ( Muslims), Jews,
   or Christians of any sect, or they may be Atheists."

Myths and misconceptions

     * An early biographer, Parson Weems, was the source of the famous
       story about young Washington cutting down a cherry tree and
       confessing this to his father, in an 1800 book entitled The Life of
       George Washington; With Curious Anecdotes, Equally Honorable to
       Himself and Exemplary to His Young Countrymen. Some historians
       believe Weems invented or greatly embellished the dialogue, while
       others build Weems credibility by citing the facts that he did
       interview older people who knew young Washington.
     * A popular belief is that Washington wore a wig, as was the fashion
       among some at the time. He did not wear a wig; he did, however,
       powder his hair, as represented in several portraits, including the
       well-known unfinished Gilbert Stuart depiction.
     * An old legend about Washington was that he threw or skipped a
       silver dollar across the Potomac River. One would need a strong arm
       to throw an object across the Potomac, for it is a few hundred
       meters wide at Mount Vernon. More likely he threw an object across
       the Rappahannock River, the river on which his childhood home
       stood.
     * Washington's teeth were not made out of wood, as was once commonly
       believed. They were made out of teeth from different kinds of
       animals, specifically elk, hippopotamus, and human. One set of his
       false teeth weighed almost four ounces (110 g) and were made out of
       lead.
     * A famous 1866 engraving depicts Washington praying at Valley Forge.
       In 1918, the Valley Forge Park Commission declined to erect a
       monument to the prayer because they could find no evidence that the
       event had occurred. In contrast, the Valley Forge Historical
       Society published an article in 1945 reviewing this issue and
       concludes that there is abundant evidence demonstrating that
       Washington was a prayerful and privately religious man although the
       second hand accounts of the tradition "lack ... the authentication
       with which the historian seeks to monument his recordings in all
       the solemnity of established fact."

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