George Washington
America's First President
George Washingtion (1732-1799)
Birthplace: Westmoreland, Virginia
Died: December 14, 1799 (67 years old)
Early Life
As a boy, Washington spend most of his time at Ferry Farm in Stafford Country near Fredericksburg. After the deaths of George's father, Lawrence had inherited another family property from his father, a plantation on the Potomac River which he named Mount Vernon. Likewise, after the death of Lawrence, George inherited both the Ferry Farm and Mount Vernon.
Education
Lawrence, George's half brother, always had good connections to get George ahead. In 1749, when George was just 17, Lawrence had landed him a gig as official surveyor for Culpeper County. This position enable George to purchase land in the Shenandoah Valley, the first of his many land acquisitions in west Virginia. Two years later, Lawrence fell ill with tuberculosis. George thought it best to take him to Barbados to see if the climate change would spike his health. This theory posed false, and back at Mount Vernon Lawrence had passed in 1752. Following, Lawrence's position of Adjutant General (militia leader) of Virginia was divided into four parts. George was then appointed one of the four with the rank of major in the Virginia Militia.
Career Before Presidency
Washington's Cabinet
Secretary of War: Henry Knox
Secretary of Foreign Affairs: John Jay
Secretary of the Treasury: Alexander Hamilton
Secretary of State: Thomas Jefferson
Attorney General: Edmund Randolph
The Washington Presidency
Life After Presidency
Successes and Failures
Helped organize the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia in 1787
Passed bill for National Bank which is still used today
Created the Federal Government
Failures-
Announcing his farewell as president then running again (put doubt into the people)
Used slaves during presidency
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793