George Washington

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was the eldest son of a prosperous planter and a leader in the local militia. He became a surveyor and a farmer, and inherited his father's estate at Mount Vernon. He married Martha Dandridge, a wealthy widow, in 1759. He served as a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses, and was appointed as the commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775. He led the American forces in the Revolutionary War against Great Britain, winning several battles and securing the independence of the United States. He presided over the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which drafted and ratified the Constitution of the United States and established the American federal government. He was unanimously elected as the first president of the United States in 1789, and reelected for a second term in 1792. He established many precedents for the office of the presidency, such as the cabinet system, the inaugural address, and the farewell address. He also supported the creation of a national bank, a strong navy, and a neutral foreign policy. He retired from public life in 1797, and died at his home in Mount Vernon on December 14, 1799, from a throat infection. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest leaders in American history, and as the "Father of His Country".