Virginia roots
George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, in 1732. His father Augustine died when George was eleven, and the family finances were never comfortable. That pushed him toward practical trades rather than a gentleman’s classical schooling.
His half-brother Lawrence brought him into the world of Virginia planters and militia officers. Washington learned surveying, kept the books on land deals, and built a reputation for showing up on time and finishing work.
French and Indian War
Washington received a Virginia militia commission in 1754. Fort Necessity ended in a surrender, but he came away knowing how thin supply lines were and how much Native alliances mattered on the frontier.
During the Braddock march in 1755 he helped pull the retreat together. By the end of the war he had commanded Virginia troops and seen both European line fighting and woodland skirmishing.
Revolution
After the French and Indian War he opposed British taxes without colonial representation. The Second Continental Congress named him commander in June 1775.
He held the army together through New York, Trenton, Valley Forge, and Yorktown. The victory in 1781 depended on French ships and money as much as American grit.
First president
Washington took office in 1789 and left in 1797. He formed a cabinet, stayed out of the war between Britain and France, and walked away from a third term. His Farewell Address warned against permanent foreign alliances and bitter party spirit.
Mount Vernon and memory
Back at Mount Vernon he ran the plantation, experimented with crops, and owned enslaved workers until his death in 1799. His will freed some of them. Historians still argue over how to weigh his role in independence against that record.
Today his decision to step down after two terms is still the standard other presidents are measured against.