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Introduction

George Washington was a dominant president of new United States between the years 1775-1799 and led America as the commander in chief of continental army and led America into victory over the Great Britain in the American revolutionary war. Also, George Washington proceeds over the writing of the country’s constitution in 1787 and became the unanimous   choice to become the first president of the united states in the year 1789- 1797. He preside over the creation of a strong and well financed national government that remained neutral in the wars that raged in Europe and suppressed rebellion winning an acceptance among American ailing from all types. The leadership style of George Washington established many from as well as ritual of the government that they have used ever since.  Considering that he was born into a planter family in Virginia George Washington then got the opportunity of learning the morals, manners as well as the knowledge that was required of an eighteenth century Virginian gentle man and during his life he pursued two related interest which were a military arts and western expansion.

Early life of George Washington

He was the first child of Augustine Washington and his second wife Mary ball Washington and he was born on their popes creek estate reacted in the present day colonial beach in Westmoreland county, Virginia. Base on the Julian calendar that existed at the time of his birth he was born on February 22 of 1732 but according to the provisions of the new calendar Act that was affected in 1750 alerting the official British end of dating. Washington’s ancestors ailed from Sulgrave England with his great grand father john Washington having immigrated to Virginia while George’s father Augustine served as a slave –owning tobacco planter and tried his hand in iron-mining venture[2]. During the time of Gorge’s youth the Washington’s family was moderately prosperous members of Virginia gentry of the ‘middling rank’ as opposed to the leading families.

George Washington was the €first born of Augustine Washington’s second marriage to Mary Ball Washington and only two siblings from Gorge Augustine first marriage survived to maturity while three died before reaching adulthood with his full sister Mildred dying while she was about one, his half brother Butler dying while and infant and half sister Jane dying while she was twelve and George Washington about two years old. George’s father passed away while George was only eleven making George’s half brother Lawrence to become George’s surrogate father as well as a role model . George Washington grew his boyhood at ferry farm in Stanford County near Fredericksburg later named Mount Vernon an inherited his father enabling him to acquire mount Vernon after Lawrence death. Most of George’s elder brother had crossed the Atlantic to receive their education at England’s Appley school but Gorge was prevented from doing the same fostering him to attend school in Fredericksburg until the age of fifteen.

More over he was also dropped from securing an appointment in the royal navy and this occurred when his mother learned how hard was to be for him. Thanks to the connections that Lawrence had to the powerful Fairfax family Gorge at age of seventeen got appointed as an official surveyor  for Culpeper county in 1749 and considering that  it was  a well paying job he was able to purchase land in Shenandoah valley which was the first of the many land acquisitions in western Virginia. In addition to that regards to Lawrence involvement in Ohio Company which was a land investment which was funded by Virginia investors and because of the Lawrence position as the commander of the Virginian militia, George came to be noticed by the new lieutenant governor o f the sate of Virginia, Robert Dinwiddie. In addition to that, considering his high stature towering at six feet exactly he was advantaged over his contemporaries.

Initially George Washington had helped in the surveying of the Shenandoah lands fro Thomas an English baron who lived his half brother Lawrence, lord Fairfax, who by then owned a vast parts of Virginia farmland. While working fro Fairfax he then learned much about surveying of land and these skills later helped him to mange his larges Mount Vernon estate and consequently acquiring additional valuable land.

In the year, 1751 George Washington travelled to Barbados with Lawrence by then suffering with tuberculosis expecting that climate would make him feel better and during the trip Washington contracted smallpox which left him slightly scarred, fortunately immunizing him against any future exposure to the dreaded disease. Despite the effort Lawrence’s health did not get better and died on his return to Vernon in1752. Following his death Lawrence position as militia leader was subdivided into four distinct adjuncts in 1753 and Washington was appointed by Governor Dinwiddie to a position of major. Also during this time Washington joined freemasons in Fredericksburg. After being commissioned as a lieutenant colonel in the Virginia militia in the year 1754, he helped fight the battles of what was to become the French and India war and this conflict came about because France and Britain both strove to occupy the upper part of Ohio valley and as an aide of Braddock Edward he escaped getting injured when four bullets ripped trough his coat and also had two of his horses shot under him. The experiences that George Washington got from these wars taught him the essential skills to help him become a great military leader and these skills would later be significant in the fight for independence from England.

From the year 1759 to the time when American Revolution broke out George Washington managed his lands that were found around Mount Vernon and also served in the House of Burgesses in Virginia for sixteen years. The House of Burgesses served as the governing body in the colonies before the out break of revolution. By year 1774 AD George Washington along other burgesses opposed the excessive taxes that British imposed on the colonist and this fostered them to propose continental congress which was under the direction of then British appointed governor. During this meeting George Washington was appointed as the chairman resulting to formation of the first continental congress which was dreaded to show a united from especially when expressing their upsets with then the new laws that were recreated by the British parliament that affected the colonies.

Path to Presidency

Washington resigned voluntarily as the commander in chief of the armed forces of the continental army in the year 1783 and because of his victories in the revolutionary, war a number of people wanted to make him the king for the new nation but Washington refused and his reasons of refusal was that he wanted a free, democratic free and united country. George Washington also wanted to retire and take care of his fields in mount Vernon, Virginia but on realizing that the nation was not moving ahead especially under its articles of confederation and consequently helping to organize the constitutional convention at Philadelphia in the year 1787 and when the new constitution was ratified the electoral college unanimously elected George Washington   as the first president. During his first term in office Washington helped in joining the states together thus establishing federal government and in doing this he did not interfere with the policy making  powers which he felt was given to the congress by the constitution.

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George Washington insisted that the United States should remain neural  when the French revolution led to a major war between England and France an in so doing did not accept the recommendations that were made by his pro-French secretary of state Jefferson Thomas or even his secretary of treasury  Hamilton Alexander was also pro-English. His refusal to get engaged in this war was that he feared that by getting involved in the then ongoing European war his risked shattering his young country’s government and on the April of 1793 George Washington issued a proclamation of neutrality and did urged American citizens to be impartial and not to send war materials or aid to either France or England.

Accomplishments

George Washington accomplished a lot of things in his life. As a commander in chief of the continental army George Washington by learning through trial and error ensured its survival long enough for France to assist in the winning the war and eventually British tired of the expenses of the war, the post revolutionary war George Washington was offered the ability to become the king but refused such notions in the name of liberty and freedom.  In 1754 witnessed the first accomplishment of George Washington when he got appointed as the lieutenant colonel for the mission against French in port Duquesne and despite the outcome of the war not favoring Washington’s troops he consequentially played a critical role in the expedition which served as an exhibit of excellent leadership skills and courage. In addition to that George Washington during the Monongahela expedition of 1775 showed a great valor thus emerging as a hero of Monongahela. Another accomplishment by George Washington was in 1774 when he was the chair person of the meeting where the Fairfax resolves got adopted. In addition to that he also got the opportunity to attend the Virginia convention where he was elected as a delegate to the first continental congress.

Another accomplishment by George Washington was during the revolutionary war that happened between 1775- 1783 where he served as the leader of the continental army and under his able leadership the continental army won against the kingdom of Great Britain. More over, the most significant accomplishment of George Washington was the fact that he was the first president of the United States of America and thus became the president often country in 1789. He became the first president to obtain hundred percent electoral votes and he served as the United States president for two terms and selflessly refusing to serve the third term.  During his lifetime he was known as the father of the country and gave up  his office despite the believe that he would have served for life and this made him to be known as Cincinnatus of America especially considering that George Washington placed the country’s values as well a needs before his own. The Cincinnati was a roman general who after defeating the roman enemies voluntarily gave up his power as opposed of becoming the king. Also it was George Washington who established as the policy that the president can serve fro a maximum of two  terms and while in office he always strive for ensuring that reforms were brought to the nation thus serving as an inspiration for many people.

To add to his already accomplishments, in 1793 George Washington issued the proclamation of neutrality and this served as the basis for avoiding any involvement the foreign conflicts experienced at the time. In addition to that he was also a stronger supporter of building of central government hence implementation of a tax system as well as building of a national bank.

In the current time the image of George Washington serves as the national symbol of the United States and his sculpture has found place on Mount Rushmore. H e has also received numerous honors during his life as well as after his death and this includes the name of Washington State after his name and this problem is the most prestigious of all especially when considering the fact that Washington is the sole state named after an American.

After being voted unanimously as the president of the constitutional congress it played a critical role in revision of the articles of the confederation allowing development of the current constitution. He also established the bank of the United States and hence helped in unifying all the states debts into a national system that served in establishment of the credit abroad.

The farewell address he given during his departure served to shaping the course of the nation for the following hundred years and therefore has been considered as the premier as it pertains to republican virtues.

George Washington’s Legacy

As a boy then to be a greater future president of United States, Abraham Lincoln he looked up to the achievements of the country first president George Washington and in fact in one of the Lincolns favorite books he refers George Washington as the mightiest man on earth and thus to add bigness to the glory or sun to his name is impossible, the first president of the United slates, the first to sign the United States  constitution, the only president to be elected  unanimously by the electoral college, the Washington appointed the first cabinet which had four  members and finally Washington appointed the first ten justices of the supreme court.