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George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. For the first few years of his life, he lived on the family estate on Popes Creek along the Potomac River. His father died in 1743, so George was forced to move to his brothers estate at Mount Vernon. In 1748 he began to train in surveying and received an appointment to survey Lord Fairfax's lands in the Shenandoah Valley and was appointed surveyor for Culpeper County in 1749. By 1753, the growing rivalry between the British and the French over the control of Ohio Valley grew strong.
This presented Washington with new opportunities. He was dispatched in October of that year on a mission to warn the French not to encroach territory claimed by the British. When he returned, he was promoted to lieutenant colonial. Even though he was a young twenty-two years of age and was inexperienced, he learned quickly and dealt with the problems of recruitment, supply, and desertions well enough to earn the respect of his superiors. In April of 1754, on his way to establish a post at the Forks of Ohio, Washington learned that the French army had already built a fort there.
Washington quickly had a fort constructed and named it Fort Necessity. However, Washington and his troops were overwhelmed by the French army and were forced to surrender. Washington then resigned his commission and went on to join British general Edward Braddock's expedition against the French. Even though Braddock was killed, Washington was able to lead the rest of the Virginia troops to defeat the French troops. For doing this, Washington was promoted to colonial and appointed commander and chief of the Virginia militia. Assured that the Virginia frontier was safe from French attack, Washington left the army in 1758 and returned to Mount Vernon to restore his estate.
While he was there, he married a woman named Martha Dandridge Custis. He stayed there until 1769 and then returned to the army life when he led the Continental Forces in the Revolutionary War against Great Britain. After the Colonists won the war and claimed their Independence, Washington headed the Virginia delegation to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and was selected presiding officer. After the new Constitution became legally operative, Washington was unanimously elected president in 1789. During his first term in office, Washington worked hard to solve the many problems that the new nation had in order to keep it from splitting apart.
He was reelected president in 1792. At this time America was having problems with foreign countries like England and Spain. England refused to leave its fur trading posts and Spain was trying to take over most of the land west of the Mississippi. Washington retired to Mount Vernon in 1797 where he died 2 years later in his home. During his two terms in office as the president, George Washington achieved many accomplishments. Washington was a successful military and political leader while in office because he had had training in these fields while leading the Continental Congress during the decisions over the Constitution and while leading the Continental Forces during the Revolutionary War.
Washington added the Bill of Rights to the Constitution and also developed the first three Executive departments: State, Treasury and War which evolved into an American Cabinet. He developed the first bank of the United States and national coinage system. Washington also supported the national policy for disposition of the public lands and expanded the federal union from eleven states to sixteen. Washington was able to handle both foreign and domestic issues very well during his two terms in office. The nation was having problems with other countries like England and Spain during that time. Both countries were trying to take over their land because they thought the colonists did not deserve it.
However Washington was able to negotiate with both countries and persuade them to leave the colonists alone. In addition, Washington was able to handle domestic issues very well. As soon as he became president he was faced with the challenge of keeping the new nation from breaking apart. He was able to pass new laws and made a set of standards and laws called the Bill of Rights which helped the country stay together.
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Research essay sample on Bill Of Rights Mount Vernon
