when was george washington born

[g] In March 1766, Parliament passed the Declaratory Act asserting that Parliamentary law superseded colonial law. He forbade their sale or transportation out of Virginia. [268] Jefferson's political actions, his support of Freneau's National Gazette,[270] and his attempt to undermine Hamilton nearly led Washington to dismiss him from the cabinet; Jefferson ultimately resigned his position in December 1793, and Washington forsook him from that time on. Major General Thomas Conway prompted some members of Congress (referred to as the Conway Cabal) to consider removing Washington from command because of the losses incurred at Philadelphia. When Republican Thomas Jefferson admitted to slandering the president in an anonymous newspaper article for his support of Federalist Alexander Hamilton’s policies, Washington cut Jefferson out of his life. [429] Washington supported many slaves who were too young or too old to work, greatly increasing Mount Vernon's slave population and causing the plantation to operate at a loss. He made a feint towards Clinton in New York, then headed south to Virginia. His granddaughter remembered him as a prisoner of his own celebrity. All Rights Reserved. Part of his success in the Revolutionary War was due to his shrewd use of what was then considered the ungentlemanly, but effective, tactic of guerrilla warfare, in which stealthy hit-and-run attacks foiled British armies used to close-formation battle-line warfare. [406], In Washington's lifetime, slavery was deeply ingrained in the economic and social fabric of Virginia. [475], George Washington appears on contemporary U.S. currency, including the one-dollar bill and the quarter-dollar coin (the Washington quarter). [424] Washington used both reward and punishment to encourage discipline and productivity in his slaves. "[401], Freemasonry was a widely accepted institution in the late 18th century, known for advocating moral teachings. He married a wealthy widow, Martha Dandridge Custis, in 1759. Washington took some risks to support Gates' army, sending reinforcements north with Generals Benedict Arnold, his most aggressive field commander, and Benjamin Lincoln. [91][92] Congress appointed Washington "General & Commander in chief of the army of the United Colonies and of all the forces raised or to be raised by them", and instructed him to take charge of the siege of Boston on June 22, 1775. [d] Dinwiddie also appointed him to make peace with the Iroquois Confederacy and to gather intelligence about the French forces. [411] From the 1760s his attitudes underwent a slow evolution. "[340] Washington delegated the active leadership of the army to Hamilton, a major general. [298], In the Southwest, negotiations failed between federal commissioners and raiding Indian tribes seeking retribution. He warned the nation of three eminent dangers: regionalism, partisanship, and foreign entanglements, and said the "name of AMERICAN, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. The destructive competition Washington witnessed among colonial politicians fostered his later support of strong central government. [67] His profligate spending combined with low tobacco prices left him £1,800 in debt by 1764, prompting him to diversify his holdings. [354] The funeral was held four days after his death on December 18, 1799, at Mount Vernon, where his body was interred. Washington sided with Hamilton and signed the legislation on February 25, and the rift became openly hostile between Hamilton and Jefferson. [276], Threats and violence against tax collectors, however, escalated into defiance against federal authority in 1794 and gave rise to the Whiskey Rebellion. Knox resigned office on the rumor he profited from construction contracts on U.S. [37] In the aftermath, Colonel James Innes took command of intercolonial forces, the Virginia Regiment was divided, and Washington was offered a captaincy which he refused, with resignation of his commission. [395] He frequently quoted from the Bible or paraphrased it, and often referred to the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. He received a congressional delegation to check the Army's conditions, and expressed the urgency of the situation, proclaiming: "Something must be done. On November 4, St. Clair's forces were ambushed and soundly defeated by tribal forces with few survivors, despite Washington's warning of surprise attacks. [410] He demonstrated no moral qualms about the institution and referred to his slaves as "a Species of Property". [321] In May 1796, Washington sent the manuscript to his Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton who did an extensive rewrite, while Washington provided final edits. He loved cricket and fox-hunting, moved gracefully around a ballroom, was a Freemason and possibly a Deist, and was an astute observer of the darker side of human nature. [430], Based on his letters, diary, documents, accounts from colleagues, employees, friends and visitors, Washington slowly developed a cautious sympathy toward abolitionism that eventually ended with the emancipation of his own slaves. On August 2, Washington assembled his cabinet to discuss how to deal with the situation. [62][63][64], As a respected military hero and large landowner, Washington held local offices and was elected to the Virginia provincial legislature, representing Frederick County in the House of Burgesses for seven years beginning in 1758. Abigail Adams described Washington as having a dignity which forbids familiarity mixed with an easy affability which creates love and reverence. At age 22, Washington led a disastrous military skirmish that sparked a world war. [245] He was an able administrator and a judge of talent and character, and he talked regularly with department heads to get their advice. George Washington Carver, (born 1861?, near Diamond Grove, Missouri, U.S.—died January 5, 1943, Tuskegee, Alabama), American agricultural chemist, agronomist, and experimenter whose development of new products derived from peanuts (groundnuts), sweet potatoes, and soybeans helped revolutionize the agricultural economy of the South. Without consulting Washington, Adams nominated him for a lieutenant general commission on July 4, 1798 and the position of commander-in-chief of the armies. [384] He was an excellent dancer and attended the theater frequently. Henry Knox impressed Adams with ordnance knowledge, and Washington promoted him to colonel and chief of artillery. [112] Washington's bodyguard, Thomas Hickey, was hanged for mutiny and sedition. [389] He may have taken communion on a regular basis prior to the Revolutionary War, but he did not do so following the war, for which he was admonished by Pastor James Abercrombie. [351] On his deathbed, he instructed his private secretary Tobias Lear to wait three days before his burial, out of fear of being entombed alive. Grasse's fleet arrived off the Virginia coast and Washington saw the advantage. "[227] Nevertheless, he lent his prestige to the goodwill and work of the other delegates. [101] Washington ordered his officers to identify the skills of recruits to ensure military effectiveness, while removing incompetent officers. [468] A 1993 review of presidential polls and surveys consistently ranked Washington number 4, 3, or 2 among presidents. He was a talented draftsman and map-maker. [30], The French detachment proved to be only about fifty men, so Washington advanced on May 28 with a small force of Virginians and Indian allies to ambush them. On October 7, 1777, Burgoyne tried to take Bemis Heights but was isolated from support by Howe. [47][f] Washington disagreed with General John Forbes' tactics and chosen route. The war lasted another four years, but Washington resigned his commission and returned to Mount Vernon. George Washington was born on February 22 (new calendar) or February 11 (Julian or old style calendar), 1732 at Pope’s Creek, Wakefield Plantation, Westmoreland County, Virginia. [54] They raised John Parke Custis (Jacky) and Martha Parke (Patsy) Custis, children from her previous marriage, and later their grandchildren Eleanor Parke Custis (Nelly) and George Washington Parke Custis (Washy). Although he and Martha had a good relationship, the great love of his life was Sally Fairfax, the wife of his friend George. He later became troubled with the institution of slavery and freed his slaves in a 1799 will. They set up fortifications about the city, making it impervious to attack. [29] Washington set out for the Forks with half the regiment in April but soon learned a French force of 1,000 had begun construction of Fort Duquesne there. [248], Washington dealt with major problems. (Augustine had three additional children from his first marriage.) [61] He plied the voters with beer, brandy, and other beverages, although he was absent while serving on the Forbes Expedition. When the war ended, Washington left the army and returned home to Virginia to manage Mount Vernon, the plantation he had recently inherited upon the death of his older brother. Washington's army of less experienced men were defeated in the pitched battles at Philadelphia. The treaty was ratified in April 1783, and Hamilton's Congressional committee adapted the army for peacetime. The Mount Vernon funeral service was restricted mostly to family and friends. [265] Jefferson believed Hamilton was part of the scheme, in spite of Hamilton's efforts to ameliorate, and Washington again found himself in the middle of a feud. Washington's 1751 bout with smallpox is thought to have rendered him sterile, though it is equally likely "Martha may have sustained injury during the birth of Patsy, her final child, making additional births impossible. Washington's Birthday is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the third Monday of February in honor of George Washington, the first president of the United States, who was born on February 22, 1732.The Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1971 moved this holiday to the third Monday, which can fall from February 15 to 21, inclusive. Soon after, Washington entered the city with 500 men, with explicit orders not to plunder the city. [219] Some nationalists feared that the new republic had descended into lawlessness, and they met together on September 11, 1786, at Annapolis to ask Congress to revise the Articles of Confederation. Hamilton believed in a strong national government requiring a national bank and foreign loans to function, while Jefferson believed the government should be primarily directed by the states and the farm element; he also resented the idea of banks and foreign loans. [96] On January 16, 1776, Congress allowed free blacks to serve in the militia. [421] Washington frequently cared for ill or injured slaves personally, and he provided physicians and midwives and had his slaves inoculated for smallpox. [177] The British went on to occupy the South Carolina Piedmont in June, with no Patriot resistance. Washington justified his action against "certain self-created societies" which he regarded as "subversive organizations" which threatened the national union. At Martha's behest Washington attempted to capture Ona, using a Treasury agent, but this effort failed. [202] The Treaty was signed on September 3, 1783, and Great Britain officially recognized the independence of the United States. It contained the remains of his brother Lawrence and other family members, but the decrepit brick vault was in need of repair, prompting Washington to leave instructions in his will for the construction of a new vault. The plot was well planned. [169] Washington recalled the commanders positioned under Arnold at key points around the fort to prevent any complicity, but he did not suspect Arnold's wife Peggy. Pisces #14. His men followed across the ice-obstructed river in sleet and snow from McConkey's Ferry, with 40 men per vessel. Jefferson and Randolph insisted that the new bank was beyond the authority granted by the constitution, as Hamilton believed. On December 14, 1799, Washington died of a severe respiratory ailment. [214], Washington reactivated his interests in the Great Dismal Swamp and Potomac canal projects begun before the war, though neither paid him any dividends, and he undertook a 34-day, 680-mile (1090km) trip to check on his land holdings in the Ohio Country. [320] In May 1792, in anticipation of his retirement, Washington instructed James Madison to prepare a "valedictory address", an initial draft of which was entitled the "Farewell Address". and a federal government. READ MORE: George Washington's Final Years—And Sudden, Agonizing Death, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/george-washington-is-born. [159], The British evacuated Philadelphia for New York that June and Washington summoned a war council of American and French Generals. Chernow has also said Washington "never used his religion as a device for partisan purposes or in official undertakings". [316], In January 1795, Hamilton, who desired more income for his family, resigned office and was replaced by Washington appointment Oliver Wolcott, Jr.. Washington and Hamilton remained friends. [126] Now reduced to 5,400 troops, Washington's army retreated through New Jersey, and Howe broke off pursuit, delaying his advance on Philadelphia, and set up winter quarters in New York. He was considered an incisive leader who kept his "ambition in check". Cavalry and foot soldiers led the procession, and six colonels served as the pallbearers. Washington's cabinet became a consulting and advisory body, not mandated by the Constitution. [357] Washington's estate at the time of his death was worth an estimated $780,000 in 1799, approximately equivalent to $14.3 million in 2010. [200] Washington submitted an account of $450,000 in expenses which he had advanced to the army. It called for an entirely new constitution and a sovereign national government, which Washington highly recommended. [386] Washington was baptized as an infant in April 1732 and became a devoted member of the Church of England (the Anglican Church). [380] As a public figure, he relied upon the strict confidence of his dentist. [181], Washington's army went into winter quarters at New Windsor, New York in December 1780, and Washington urged Congress and state officials to expedite provisions in hopes that the army would not "continue to struggle under the same difficulties they have hitherto endured". On March 17 9,000 British troops and Loyalists began a chaotic ten-day evacuation of Boston aboard 120 ships. [213] He was a celebrity and was fêted during a visit to his mother at Fredericksburg in February 1784, and he received a constant stream of visitors wishing to pay their respects to him at Mount Vernon. [124] Howe's pursuit forced Washington to retreat across the Hudson River to Fort Lee to avoid encirclement. He set enduring precedents for the office of president, including the title "Mr. President", and his Farewell Address is widely regarded as a pre-eminent statement on republicanism. 1738: Washington family moved to Ferry Farm (a plantation on the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg); George Washington spent most of his youth here. [317], In the final months of his presidency, Washington was assailed by his political foes and a partisan press who accused him of being ambitious and greedy, while he argued that he had taken no salary during the war and had risked his life in battle. [170] André's trial for espionage ended in a death sentence, and Washington offered to return him to the British in exchange for Arnold, but Clinton refused. [157] Washington promoted Von Steuben to Major General and made him chief of staff. He warned against foreign alliances and their influence in domestic affairs and against bitter partisanship and the dangers of political parties. [220] Congress agreed to a Constitutional Convention to be held in Philadelphia in Spring 1787, and each state was to send delegates. [348] They continued the process of bloodletting to approximately five pints, and Washington's condition deteriorated further. In that war, he dodged bullets, had horses shot out from under him and was even taken prisoner by the French. Generals Charles Lee and Lafayette moved with 4,000 men, without Washington's knowledge, and bungled their first attack on June 28. Learn More Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. [349] Various modern medical authors have speculated that he died from a severe case of epiglottitis complicated by the given treatments, most notably the massive blood loss which almost certainly caused hypovolemic shock. George Washington Carver was born enslaved and went on to become one of the most prominent scientists and inventors of his time, as well as a … [416] Historian Kenneth Morgan (2000) maintains that Washington was frugal on spending for clothes and bedding for his slaves, and only provided them with just enough food, and that he maintained strict control over his slaves, instructing his overseers to keep them working hard from dawn to dusk year round. To supplement his income he erected a distillery for substantial whiskey production. [277] Governors sent troops, initially commanded by Washington, who gave the command to Light-Horse Harry Lee to lead them into the rebellious districts. [433] The next year, he stated his intention not to separate families as a result of "a change of masters". [111] A plot to assassinate or capture him was discovered but thwarted, resulting in the arrest of 98 people involved and/or complicit (56 of which were from Long Island (Kings (Brooklyn) and Queens counties), including the Loyalist Mayor of New York David Mathews. George Washington (February 22, 1732[b] – December 14, 1799) was an American political leader, military general, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson opposed Hamilton's agenda and founded the Jeffersonian Republicans. He delivered the British demand to vacate to French commander Saint-Pierre, but the French refused to leave. George's father, Augustine Washington, was a Virginia plantation owner and member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. An unenthusiastic political leader, Washington nevertheless recognized his unique and symbolic role in keeping a fledgling nation together. Opposed to taxes imposed by the British Parliament on the Colonies without proper representation,[74] he and other colonists were also angered by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which banned American settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains and protected the British fur trade. Saint-Pierre gave Washington his official answer in a sealed envelope after a few days' delay, and he gave Washington's party food and extra winter clothing for the trip back to Virginia. "[242] To that end, he preferred the title "Mr. President" over more majestic names proposed by the Senate, including "His Excellency" and "His Highness the President". Washington's supporters resisted and the matter was finally dropped after much deliberation. [21] Washington contracted smallpox during that trip, which immunized him but left his face slightly scarred. [459] He was posthumously appointed to the grade of General of the Armies of the United States during the United States Bicentennial to ensure he would never be outranked; this was accomplished by the congressional joint resolution Public Law 94-479 passed on January 19, 1976, with an effective appointment date of July 4, 1976. In advising McHenry of potential officers for the army, he appeared to make a complete break with Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans: "you could as soon scrub the blackamoor white, as to change the principles of a profest Democrat; and that he will leave nothing unattempted to overturn the government of this country. [229], The delegates to the Convention anticipated a Washington presidency and left it to him to define the office once elected. An extraordinary figure in American history and unusually tall at 6′ 3, Washington was also an ordinary man. He recommended that Congress expedite supplies, and Congress agreed to strengthen and fund the army's supply lines by reorganizing the commissary department. His favorite foods were pineapples, Brazil nuts (hence the missing teeth from cracking the shells) and Saturday dinners of salt cod. George Washington Bush (1779 – April 5, 1863) was an American pioneer and one of the first African-American (Irish and African) non-Amerindian settlers of the Pacific Northwest. Washington is often credited with setting the principle of a two-term presidency, but it was Thomas Jefferson who first refused to run for a third term on political grounds. That’s right. "It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor." George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, at Popes Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia,[11] and was the first of six children of Augustine and Mary Ball Washington. [23], Lawrence Washington's service as adjutant general of the Virginia militia inspired George to seek a commission. Washington was immensely brave. The Hessians had 22 killed (including Colonel Johann Rall), 83 wounded, and 850 captured with supplies. [427] [334] His plantation operations were only minimally profitable,[39] and his lands in the west (Piedmont) were under Indian attacks and yielded little income, with the squatters there refusing to pay rent. The first doubts were prompted by his transition from tobacco to grain crops which left him with a costly surplus of slaves, causing him to question the economic efficiency of the system. [272] Washington remained aloof from congressional attacks on Hamilton, but he did not publicly protect him, either. The precedent of a two-term limit was created by his retirement from office. He regarded the press as a disuniting, "diabolical" force of falsehoods, sentiments that he expressed in his Farewell Address. [98], As Washington headed for Boston, word of his march preceded him, and he was greeted everywhere; gradually he became a symbol of the Patriot cause. In 1752, he joined the British army and served as a lieutenant in the French and Indian War. Other family members in the directory include Robert Lee Cox, Meady C. Cox, Edward Cox, and James Cox. Jefferson claimed that it angered France and "invited rather than avoided" war. [364] Washington's peak net worth was $587.0 million, including his 300 slaves. His moral and physical courage are legendary. [287], The British agreed to abandon their forts around the Great Lakes, and the United States modified the boundary with Canada. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gage, Washington, still very ill, rallied the survivors and formed a rear guard, allowing the remnants of the force to disengage and retreat. [75], Washington believed the Stamp Act of 1765 was an "Act of Oppression", and he celebrated its repeal the following year. He publicly attended services of different Christian denominations and prohibited anti-Catholic celebrations in the Army. [187], By late September, Patriot-French forces completely surrounded Yorktown, trapped the British army, and prevented British reinforcements from Clinton in the North, while the French navy emerged victorious at the Battle of the Chesapeake. Washington has since appeared on many postage issues, more than any other person. The Continental Congress ratified the treaty in May, which amounted to a French declaration of war against Britain. [323], Washington stressed that national identity was paramount, while a united America would safeguard freedom and prosperity. [36], The full Virginia Regiment joined Washington at Fort Necessity the following month with news that he had been promoted to command of the regiment and to colonel upon the death of the regimental commander. [206] In a final appearance in uniform, he gave a statement to the Congress: "I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last solemn act of my official life, by commending the interests of our dearest country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who have the superintendence of them, to his holy keeping. I shall also carry with me the hope that my country will never cease to view them with indulgence, and that, after forty-five years of my life dedicated to its service with an upright zeal, the faults of incompetent abilities will be consigned to oblivion, as myself must soon be to the mansions of rest. [164], During mid-1780, Arnold began supplying British spymaster John André with sensitive information intended to compromise Washington and capture West Point, a key American defensive position on the Hudson River. [59] In late 1770, Washington inspected the lands in the Ohio and Great Kanawha regions, and he engaged surveyor William Crawford to subdivide it. [161], Washington became "America's first spymaster" by designing an espionage system against the British. [178] Congress replaced Lincoln with Horatio Gates; he failed in South Carolina and was replaced by Washington's choice of Nathaniel Greene, but the British already had the South in their grasp. George Washington was born in Virginia on February 11, 1731, according to the then-used Julian calendar. [278], Washington's forceful action demonstrated that the new government could protect itself and its tax collectors. [349] Washington instructed Brown and Dick to leave the room, while he assured Craik, "Doctor, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go. Two-thirds of the British force became casualties, including the mortally wounded Braddock. [17] He received a surveyor's license the following year from the College of William & Mary;[c] Even though Washington had not served the customary apprenticeship, Fairfax appointed him surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia, and he appeared in Culpeper County to take his oath of office July 20, 1749. All of the homes and plantations where Washington lived were maintained by enslaved labor. This support lead to a dispute which resulted in a physical altercation between Washington and another Virginia planter, William Payne. When Augustine died in 1743, Washington inherited Ferry Farm and ten slaves; his older half-brother Lawrence inherited Little Hunting Creek and renamed it Mount Vernon. [250] Great Britain refused to relinquish its forts in the American West,[249] and Barbary pirates preyed on American merchant ships in the Mediterranean at a time when the United States did not even have a navy. [299] Secretary of War Henry Knox also attempted to encourage agriculture among the tribes. Modern experts have concluded that Washington probably died from acute bacterial epiglottitis complicated by the administered treatments, including Morens and Wallenborn in 1999, The Constitution came under attack in Pennsylvania, and Washington wrote to Richard Peters, "It would seem from the public Gazettes that the minority in your State are preparing for another attack of the now adopted Government; how formidable it may be, I know not. A Patriot attack failed against the British at Germantown in October. The votes were tallied the next day,[233] and Congressional Secretary Charles Thomson was sent to Mount Vernon to tell Washington he had been elected president. [309] Washington's close nephew George Augustine Washington, his manager at Mount Vernon, was critically ill and had to be replaced, further increasing Washington's desire to retire and return to Mount Vernon. [463] Historian Ron Chernow maintains that Weems attempted to humanize Washington, making him look less stern, and to inspire "patriotism and morality" and to foster "enduring myths", such as Washington's refusal to lie about damaging his father's cherry tree. [151] Biographer John Alden maintains, "It was inevitable that the defeats of Washington's forces and the concurrent victory of the forces in upper New York should be compared." Washington hoped the process could be bloodless and that Indian people would give up their lands for a "fair" price and move away. [432], In a 1778 letter to Lund Washington, he made clear his desire "to get quit of Negroes" when discussing the exchange of slaves for land he wanted to buy. George Washington's Will. Modern historian David Hackett Fischer has expanded upon Freeman's assessment, defining Washington's character as "integrity, self-discipline, courage, absolute honesty, resolve, and decision, but also forbearance, decency, and respect for others". Clinton returned to New York and left 8,000 troops commanded by General Charles Cornwallis. [224] The convention's state-mandated purpose was to revise the Articles of Confederation with "all such alterations and further provisions" required to improve them, and the new government would be established when the resulting document was "duly confirmed by the several states". [51] He increased the professionalism of the regiment as it increased from 300 to 1,000 men, and Virginia's frontier population suffered less than other colonies. [325] He counseled friendship and commerce with all nations, but advised against involvement in European wars.

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