GeorgeWashington is one of the great names in American history, being one of the heroes of the American Revolution, when he was commander of the colonists' troops. He helped organize the new country and was elected the first president of the United States, a position he held for two terms. The capital of the United States, Washington, is named after him.
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First years
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, on an estate called Popes Creek, located in Westmoreland County, Virginia. The Washington family was wealthy and influential in the colony of Virginia, having enriched themselves through real estate speculation. Washington's father, for example, called AugustineWashington, he owned 10,000 acres of land, in addition to holding important public office in the colony.
Washington was the eldest son of Augustine with
maryball, and, in all, the couple had six children. Washington also had three half-brothers, the offspring of his father's first marriage. Throughout his childhood, Washington lived on the different properties his family owned in Virginia.Washington didn't have a formal education and didn't attend colleges, but that didn't mean it didn't have access to studies. His father, as a man of means, paid tutors for his son to study at home, and he did so throughout his childhood and adolescence. Washington studied math, English and geography, for example.
At the age of 11, his father passed away, and young George Washington took up residence in MountVernon, property that his half brother Lawrence inherited. Washington also inherited land and slaves, and these possessions enabled him to have a stable life. In time, he became one of the richest men in Virginia.
Adulthood
At age 16, Washington began working as a surveyor. In 1749 he received a license from a local university to work effectively in this role. He was soon able to work as a surveyor in Culpeper County, leaving the job in 1750.
In 1752, his half-brother Lawrence died of tuberculosis, and Washington inherited Mount Vernon, making him one of Virginia's greatest landowners. That same year, Washington decided to enter the military, being appointed major and commander of a district troop after demonstrating good leadership skills.
In October 1753, Washington was sent to his first mission, in Pennsylvania, where he would send a message from the English authorities for the French to leave the region because it is land English. The French decided not to abandon the land, and later Washington returned to the region with troops to attack the French.
Disagreements between the English and the French in North America resulted in the franc-indian war, one of the conflicts that were part of the Seven Years War. In this conflict, Washington became an important military, being promoted to the rank of colonel and participating in various battles. In late 1758, he retired from the English army.
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american revolution
Beginning in 1759, Washington devoted itself to its tobacco-producing properties. In addition, he took advantage of his reputation as a military man and his position as one of the richest men in the colony and he threw himself into politics, being elected to the House of Burgesses, one of the houses that made up Virginia General Assembly.
George Washington's political career coincided with the moment when the interests of the British Crown began to clash with the interests of the British colonists. thirteen colonies. In this context, the settlers began to deal with a heavy tax burden to meet the English need for increased revenue.
The colonists went on to support the British troops that remained in North America after the Seven Years' War. From then on, a series of laws were enacted throughout the 1760s and 1770s, and the relationship between the two parties became unsustainable. George Washington himself expressed his dissatisfaction with some of England's measures on the Thirteen Colonies.
Because of the new taxes created by the British, Washington used its political position to influence the population of Virginia to boycott british products. He agreed with the prevailing opinion in the colonies that the tax increase was unfair, as they lacked proper representation in the British Parliament.
In 1774, George Washington was sent to the First Continental Congress of Philadelphia as a representative of Virginia. He shared the decision to remain loyal to the British and that an armed uprising should only be considered as a last resort. Still, Washington was active in training militias to defend settler interests.
In 1775, the first armed conflicts between the colonists and the British took place, with the independence of the United States being declared in July 4, 1776. The military forces of the Thirteen Colonies were led by George Washington himself, chosen because of his experience as a military man. This was the beginning of RevolutionAmerican, an event that consolidated the United States independence.
THE war against the english for independence it lasted until the year 1781, when Washington participated in several military actions, winning some and being defeated in others. At the end of this conflict, the colonists defeated the English, and the independence of the United States was recognized by England in the year 1783.
That same year, George Washington decided retire from the american army, returning to reside in Mount Vernon. Between 1783 and 1787, he kept it partially out of public life.
For the United States, this was a period of structuring, as the country was now organizing itself as an independent territory. The way thought to organize the country was the elaboration of a Çconstitution, and this output was chosen in the ConventionConstitutional, that happened in Philadelphia. Washington was Virginia's representative at this event. To learn more about this historic moment in the US, read: american revolution.
Presidency
At the Constitutional Convention, it was decided to draft a document that could unify the United States and establish a federal government. The Constitution was completed in 1787, but the entire process of acceptance of it extended until 1790, when Rhode Island, the last US state, ratified the document.
In 1789, the first US presidential election was held, and its result determined George Washington as the first president of the United States, obtaining 69 votes in the electoral college and being elected unanimously. The deputy elected was John Adams.
In 1792, Washington ran for a secondmandate, being elected again as president. His government had to deal with political disputes over the direction of the new country and had to guarantee the respect of the US states in relation to the federal government. Washington's decision for a second term came because he feared that political problems would bring the country to ruin. During his administration, the country's new capital, named Washington after him, was also built.
He acted against those who resisted obeying the government's orders and sought to keep political groups satisfied. In addition, he had to deal with financial problems that affected the country in the 1790s and approved measures favorable to slavers. In 1796, Washington refused to run for a third term, establishing in the country the practice of only two terms per president.
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Last years
In March 1797, Washington's presidential term ended, and he retired from politics. The following year, he accepted a position to work on the development of US troops, as the country proved to be still very fragile in this regard. He continued in this position until the year of his death.
Death
On December 14, 1799, George Washington died from a serious infectionatthroat. The former president's health had become more delicate because of bloodletting sessions, which caused him to lose a significant amount of blood. The account says that the former president died under the observation of his wife, Martha Washington.
By Daniel Neves Silva
History teacher
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/historia-da-america/george-washington.htm