First US President - George Washington- An outstanding American historical, political, statesman and military figure, the first president of the United States of America, one of the so-called Founding Fathers of the United States, hero of the American War of Independence, founder of the American presidency.
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in the town of Bridges Creek, Virginia, into the family of a landowner. At first he worked as a land surveyor. In 1752, he voluntarily joined the people's militia and took part in military operations against the French and Indian tribes. In 1758 he completed his military career with the rank of colonel. Washington actively began developing his vast estate and soon became one of the largest planters. In 1758-1774, he was elected several times to the Legislative Assembly of Virginia, where he defended the rights of the colonies with Britain. Participated in the First Continental Congress as a delegate. After the outbreak of hostilities with Great Britain, he was popularly chosen as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, which he successfully commanded until the surrender of British troops in 1781. In 1789, George Washington was unanimously and deservedly chosen first US President.
In 1792, George Washington was re-elected. He was one of the initiators of the construction of the new US capital. On December 14, 1799, George Washington died suddenly. On December 18 he was buried at his estate in Mount Vernon in Virginia.
More about George Washington:
On February 22, 1732, in Wakefield, Virginia, a major US statesman and military leader, George Washington, was born, who, by the will of fate, was destined to become the first American president.
Washington was born into a wealthy Virginia planter family. At the age of 11, Washington lost his father, whose role was now assigned to his older brother Lawrence, who had a strong influence on the formation of the views of young Washington.
George did not go to school, but received a good education at home. Although I learned most of my science in my spare time from books.
In 1749 he became surveyor of Culpepper county. In 1752, his brother died, and Washington inherited the Mount Vernon estate. From 1758 to 1774 - Was elected several times to the state legislature. In 1752 he became a major of the local regiment. During the Seven Years' War he took part in battles against the French and rose to the post of colonel.
In 1759, changes occurred in his personal life. Washington married a young widow, Dandridge Custis.
Washington was an ardent opponent of Great Britain's colonial policy and supported a boycott of British goods. He was never a supporter of violent actions akin to the Boston Tea Party of 1773.
From 1774 to 1775 - Representative of Virginia to the Continental Congress. After Washington realized that all attempts at reconciliation with the mother country were futile, he defiantly put on a military uniform.
In June 1775 he was elected commander-in-chief of the American army. He held this post from 1775 to 1783. It is said about George Washington that he created an army out of nothing, an army that showed courage and bravery. For this he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. After signing the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Washington resigned.
After some time, he was elected president of the Constitutional Convention, and on April 30, 1789, he became president of the United States. In 1792, Washington was re-elected to a second term.
Washington accelerated constitutional processes, supported the creation of new governing bodies, and reconciled the three branches of government for some time. In his first term, he included two opponents in the government - Republican T. Jefferson and Federalist A. Hamilton.
Under Washington, the country's financial and industrial development stabilized, but since the president supported the Federalists, their opponents did not like this. Therefore, the situation in the country has become extremely aggravated.
Washington decided his relationship with the Indians using military force. When the country's first uprising of farmers in western Pennsylvania broke out in 1794, Washington did not hesitate to suppress the uprising.
Washington was against US intervention in the internal political situation in Europe. In 1793, he adopted a proclamation of neutrality. The threat of war with England was avoided thanks to the Jay Treaty signed by Washington. In 1795, another Pinckney Treaty was signed. According to the document, the United States established clear borders with the Spaniards and, also important, the Americans could now safely sail their ships along the Mississippi River.
On January 19, 1796, Washington made his will in the form of a “Farewell Message.” In the document, Washington called on his people for integrity and harmony, to strengthen friendly relations between states and countries.
Washington lived out his life in Mount Vernon. In 1798, the government turned to the former president with a request to take part in resolving the conflict with France and lead the army.
On December 13, 1799, Washington was running around his estate and fell into wet snow. Two days later the president died. He was buried on December 18 in Mount Vernon.
The capital of the United States, a lake, an island, a mountain and a canyon, and several other settlements, as well as a number of educational institutions, were named in honor of the first president.
In 1888, a monument to the first President of the United States was opened in Washington. The monument reaches a height of 150 m.
First American President George Washington, whose name is the capital of the United States, street, lake, canyon, state, mountain, island, is the bearer of the title “Father of the Fatherland.” Thanks to him, North America gained independence from the British metropolis.
short biography
George Washington is born February 22, 1732 in the Colony of Virginia in North America. His father - Augustine Washington, land surveyor and tobacco plantation owner. His mother - Maria Ball Washington, a housewife raising five children.
George was the 2nd oldest among his siblings. His family had lived in a colony in North America for the fourth generation.
Education
Little George did not receive any education as such: everything he knew at that moment was achieved basically thanks to self-education.
At the age of 11, George lost his father and was forced to rise in life on his own. At age 15, when his stepbrother Lawrence married the daughter of the owner of neighboring lands Lord Fairfax, George unexpectedly acquired a mentor in the person of the latter.
It was Fairfax who advised young Washington to master the profession of a land surveyor, and also personally taught the young man history and other sciences.
From major to colonel
In 1752 George Washington, after Lawrence's death, became the owner Mount Vernon estates, as well as the rank of major in the local militia organization against the British government. All this was bequeathed to him by his half-brother after his death.
By that time, Washington was already a master at riding and shooting very accurately. In 1755, after several successful assignments as a militia commander, George Washington was captured. After this there was a second attack on Fort Duquesne and this time the campaign was successful.
Washington, after a successful campaign, received rank of colonel and continued to fight on the continent against the French and the local population (Indians). In 1758 he resigns and returns to Virginia.
Marriage
Upon returning home, George Washington married a widow Martha Dandridge Custis, who had two children from her first marriage. The wife took her husband's surname after marriage.
Washington received a rich dowry: 17 thousand acres of land, about 300 slaves, a mansion in Williamsburg and 23 thousand pounds sterling, which lay in several English banks.
Despite the apparent prudence in marriage on George's part, historians write that their marriage was happy. The couple had no children together.
Beginning of a political career
During from 1958 to 1774 year George Washington was constantly elected to Virginia Legislature. He was an adherent of a policy of reconciliation with the metropolis, which did not allow landowners to expand their estates on the territory of its colonies of North America.
"Boston Tea Party" and "Unbearable Taxes"
Together with Thomas Jefferson And Patrick Henry Washington organized a union in Virginia to boycott British goods. However, he disapproved of violent acts, which included "Boston Tea Party" December 16, 1773.
First and Second Continental Congresses
These events led to a British response known as the "Intolerable Taxes". This led to the convening First and Second Continental Congresses, the result of which was the beginning of the American War of Independence.
By that time, Washington had abandoned all attempts to reconcile the colonies with the metropolis, realizing the futility of his efforts. Instead, he came to the next meeting of Congress in military uniform and was unanimously elected Commander in Chief of the Continental Army in June 1775.
American Revolutionary War
In the first months under Washington's leadership, the Continental Army surrendered several cities in central North America. In December 1776, George was given powers military dictator.
Success of military campaigns
After this, the streak of failures as a military leader ended with the army, and Washington and his troops began to win one victory after another: Trenton, Princeton, Boston, and Saratoga were taken.
These victories strengthened the spirit of the army, as well as the international position of the entire state. As a result, after numerous defeats, the British army surrendered November 18, 1781 near Yorktown.
Recognition of US independence
In November 1783 it was signed "Treaty of Paris", after which hostilities ceased in North America and the United States gained independence.
After these events, George Washington resigned as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and returned to his estate, Mount Vernon. However, he continued to monitor the situation in the country.
It is known that he wrote a letter to the leadership of all states in which he urged strengthen central power in order to preserve the integrity of the country itself.
George Washington - first US President
In 1787, Washington, as a supporter of strengthening central power, was elected head of the Constitutional Council (Convention) of Philadelphia. In the same year, the draft US Constitution was prepared and approved.
The new document was approved by the heads of all 13 states!
First presidential term
Merits to the country and popularity in political circles allowed George Washington April 30, 1789 become the first president of the United States of America. Absolutely all members of the Electoral College voted for him - This is the only case in the entire existence of the United States!
Throughout his reign, George tried to instill in his countrymen respect for the Constitution, leading by example. It was during his reign that a two-party system was organized in the United States: Republicans and Democrats.
The most important achievement was the adoption in December 1791 Bill of Rights passed through Congress by Madison. This disarmed critics of the constitution, who believed that it did not provide broad rights and freedoms.
Second presidential term
Despite the fact that Washington himself did not run for a second term, his followers, among all the major political movements, parties and Congress, offered him become US President for the second time.
This proposal was accepted, and in 1792 George Washington accepted a second term as president.
During this period, Washington strengthens the economic and political system within the country, without getting involved in the disagreements of European states. This course allowed America to rise economically.
The capital of USA
The decision to place the federal Columbia region between the states of Maryland and Virginia, and to build a capital on the Potomac River, was supposed to symbolize the equality of the South and the North.
Washington benefited personally from this, as he was one of the largest landowners in Virginia. Site for the famous presidential mansion like "White House", he chose personally. "Georgetown" became the first city in the United States to be built according to a clear plan.
"Father of the Fatherland"
Refusing a third term as president, Washington said September 20, 1796 his farewell speech and address to the nation. In his speech, he called for making the principles of religion and morality the pillars of human happiness in the United States.
He called for friendly relations with all countries, more trade and less political ties with them. The unspoken rule that the US President cannot rule for more than 2 terms was observed by all followers of Washington until it was legalized in 1945 by the 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution.
last years of life
The great politician and commander-in-chief spent the last years of his life on his estate on the river bank Potomac surrounded by family and visiting guests.
He farmed and also built a distillery on the Mount Vernon property. He often visited the capital under construction.
Death of George Washington
On December 13, 1799, Washington was caught in a heavy rainstorm and fell ill. His illness quickly developed into complex pneumonia. Two days later, on the night of December 15, 1799 George Washington died after being treated with bloodletting and mercuric chloride.
His body is buried in Mount Vernon, Virginia. In honor of the first President of the United States, erect a monument in the US capital - Washington Monument, having a height of 152 meters. It is legally prohibited in the city to build any structure above this mark.
And the first president North American United States, born February 22, 1732, in Virginia. Having lost his father early, Washington spent his childhood in the care of his older brother Lawrence, a participant in the Anglo-Spanish War. His stories about her greatly influenced the development of Washington's character, as did his mother's religiosity. Even in the parish school, he was distinguished by his directness, truthfulness, resourcefulness and endurance. Upon completion of his studies, Washington entered the agricultural school, where for two years he enthusiastically studied mathematics and land surveying.
At the age of sixteen, with the title of surveyor, Washington accepted the offer of a wealthy planter, Lord Fairfax, to demarcate his lands and went on a long expedition into the forest wilds of America. Washington had to become acquainted with the life and customs of the local Indians, which later brought him great benefit. Having completed this assignment, Washington took up the position of public surveyor and for three years closely studied the character of the country and its inhabitants.
National Geographic. Secrets of history. George Washington. Video
Participation in the war with the French in the 1750s.
The possessions of the British and French in America were not precisely demarcated, and therefore often caused disputes, especially aggravated in the late 1740s. Many English colonies began to form militia units. 20-year-old Washington with the rank of major was also appointed to manage the recruitment of soldiers and their training in one of the districts of Virginia. He energetically set to work and, in preparation for war, began to supplement his education by reading books on military history, tactics and strategy and practicing shooting and fencing. Relations between the French and the English colonists became increasingly strained. The Governor of Virginia instructed Washington to enter into negotiations with the commandant of the French fortress and win over the warlike Indian tribes by supplying them with weapons. He carried out this task brilliantly, collecting important information about the fortresses built by the French.
In the spring of 1754, Washington was promoted to lieutenant colonel and assigned to command three Virginia regiments, at the head of which he opposed the French, deciding to “attack the enemy wherever possible.” However, Washington's military actions were unsuccessful. The French, who significantly outnumbered the Virginians, surrounded Washington's small detachment (four hundred people) and forced him to surrender. Despite this unsuccessful outcome of the expedition, the Virginia Legislative Assembly expressed gratitude to Washington for the services rendered to the fatherland. Washington nevertheless resigned and retired to his estate at Mount Vernon. But when a year later England sent two regular regiments under the command of General Braddock to help its colonists, Washington accepted the position of his assistant and arrived to the troops on the eve of the battle of the Monongahela River. Braddock's regiments, which, contrary to the advice of Washington, acted according to all the rules of the then “art of war” in close formation, were completely defeated by the French, who used Indian tactics. Braddock was killed, and only thanks to the presence of the spirit of Washington, who took command of the British, he managed to avoid capture with the remnants of his troops. In this battle near Washington, two horses were killed, and his coat was shot through in several places.
This failure had such an effect on Washington that he decided to leave military activity forever, but, yielding to the requests of the Virginians, he accepted the appointment of commander-in-chief of all Virginian troops. In 1755 - 1758, Washington had to wage a difficult struggle with the Indian tribes that were devastating the country. Washington's army did not exceed two thousand people and consisted exclusively of volunteers who enlisted for the love of adventure, or in anticipation of a good reward. Washington had to show a lot of patience and hard work to create a trained and disciplined army from such volunteers.
In 1758, England sent General Abercrombie and Brigadier Forbes with three divisions to help Virginia. Having united with them, Washington forced a march to Fort Duxen, where the main forces of the French were concentrated, who hastened to clear the fortress without a fight and retreat across the Ohio River. The occupation of Fort Duxen essentially ended the war. Washington retired again (1759) and devoted himself to agriculture. As a planter, Washington was a slave owner, but his relationship with slaves was imbued with a humanity rare for that time: “Admonition has a stronger effect on people than punishment,” Washington wrote in his diary. In his entire life, he resorted to punishment only twice.
Washington in the American Revolutionary War
While Washington led the peaceful life of a rural owner, alarming clouds began to gather over the English colonists. Needing money, England imposed tariffs on some goods imported into America. The colonists did not want to submit to these taxes and began to prepare for war with the mother country. A national defense commission was formed, and Washington was elected a member. “I have made a firm decision,” he informed his brother, “if necessary, to sacrifice my life and my fortune for the sake of a cause in which we are all so deeply interested... The critical moment has come when we must defend our rights, otherwise custom and habit will make us submissive and despicable slaves." On congress On May 10, 1775, it was decided to raise 10 regiments and attach them to the militia in Boston. Washington was unanimously elected commander-in-chief of all American troops and promoted to general. He set about organizing the army with exceptional energy. But since not all colonies had sufficient funds to hire the appropriate number of people, in November 1775, instead of 20 thousand volunteers, only 5 thousand showed up at the assembly point.
Under such difficult conditions, Washington began military action against England. Despite this, already at the beginning of 1776 he forced Lord Howe, who commanded the English ground forces, to clear Boston, and the English fleet to leave the harbor for the open sea. To commemorate the liberation of Boston, a gold medal with an image of Washington was struck. On July 4, 1776, the colonies declared themselves independent states. Following this, General Howe (Howe) came from England with a proposal to end hostilities on certain conditions. The official letter outlining this proposal was addressed simply to “George Washington,” since General Howe did not consider it possible to treat Washington as anything other than a rebel. Washington returned this letter unopened and reported to Congress: “I would never sacrifice the essence of the matter for the sake of formality; but in this case I considered it my duty regarding my country to insist on the respect due to me, which I would willingly refuse from any other point of view, but not from a public point of view.”
Having received a categorical refusal to offer peace, Howe resumed hostilities. Despite the fact that Washington avoided engaging in a decisive battle with significant enemy forces and that his army often suffered defeats, Howe soon became convinced that he could not cope with the American “ragamuffins” under Washington’s command without reinforcements. While waiting for them, he was inactive, and Washington took advantage of this break, beginning to organize a new standing army with a three-year service life. To attract volunteers under the banner, Washington obtained from the states an increase in salaries for officers and soldiers and promises to reward them after the war with money and land. At the same time, Congress granted Washington the right to appoint all officers and invested him with the power of a dictator, freeing him from any dependence on the military council. Washington paid special attention to recruiting the officer corps. “Choose officers only from among gentlemen,” he wrote to his assistant Colonel Baylor.
Winter 1777 - 78 was the most difficult for the army, the soldiers suffered from cold and hunger. Supplies were delivered very late and in insufficient quantities. There was a murmur in the army, and escapes became more frequent. Anonymous letters began to circulate among members of Congress, pointing out Washington's inability and accusing him of criminal slowness. As it turned out later, these accusations came from Generals Conwell and Gates, who were jealous of Washington. Washington left these anonymous messages unanswered, but he managed to stop the unrest in the army by inviting officers to express in writing their opinions on issues of army reorganization. Based on the responses received, Washington presented its draft to Congress, which was almost entirely adopted.
In 1778, after Washington's brilliant victory at Trenton and Princeton and General Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga, France recognized the independence of the United States and, by a special treaty, pledged to assist them with money and troops. Then England offered to make peace, promising a general pardon if the colonists laid down their arms. Congress, in agreement with Washington, rejected this proposal, demanding the removal of all British troops from the territory of the states and recognition of their independence. The war continued with varying success until the end of 1781, when Washington's army, reinforced by the French. troops and navy, surrounded Yorktown, where the main forces were concentrated. English forces under Lord Cornwallis, who surrendered. With this victory, the war was ended, and a peace treaty was signed in Paris, confirming the independence of the North American United States.
Having received news of peace, Washington resigned as commander-in-chief and refused Congress's offer to reimburse him for his monetary expenses. “At last I have become a private citizen,” he wrote to his friend Lafayette. He settled on his estate in Mount Vernon and began managing and establishing schools and higher educational institutions, to which he generously donated large sums. According to his thoughts, people's universities began to emerge in America, which subsequently became widespread in all countries.
Washington - US President
In 1787, Washington was elected as a delegate to the conference to draft a new constitution. Upon arrival in Philadelphia, he was unanimously elected its chairman. The constitution drawn up by the conference, with only amendments, is in force in the United States at the present time. In 1789 the draft constitution was adopted by all the states, and in April of that year the voters, without distinction of party, elected Washington president of the new republic. Modest and thrifty, he remained the same in his new post. Washington refused the salary, agreeing only to allocate to him the sums that were necessary for the maintenance of the presidential house. In exercising his right to appoint ministers and officials to positions, Washington never paid any attention to their origin, religion or political beliefs and strictly adhered to the rule of not appointing anyone under patronage. Immediately after the opening of the congress, it was decided to build a new city in the state of Colombia for the seat of the president and meetings of the congress. The construction of the city was personally supervised by Washington, after whom it was named.
George Washington. Portrait by J. Stuart, 1797
In 1793, Washington was again elected president. This year, war broke out between England and France. Public opinion in the United States was clearly inclined to help France. Washington, although he sympathized with what was happening in France revolution, firmly spoke out for the neutrality of the United States. This policy, known as Monroe Doctrine“, since then for a long time it has become a characteristic system of international relations for America.
In 1797, six months before the end of the second quadrennium, Washington, feeling extremely tired and ill, resigned as president and returned to Mount Vernon. Shortly before his death, relations with France had become so bitter that Congress had to prepare for war. Washington once again had to assume the responsibilities of commander in chief. A change of government in France cleared up the misunderstandings, but Washington was no longer destined to live to see the end of the conflict. On the night of December 14-15, 1799, he died at the age of 68 and was buried in Mount Vernon. To perpetuate the memory of Washington, it was decided to erect a marble monument to him.
Washington left behind many manuscripts, diaries and notes.
George Washington rightfully bears the title “Father of the Fatherland.” It was thanks to his activities that North America emerged from the control of England, which was its metropolis, gained independence and acquired a Constitution. The memory of this outstanding political and public figure is immortalized in the name of the capital of the United States, as well as the state, street, canyon, lake, island and mountain.
Son of a provincial land surveyor
George Washington, the first president of the United States, was born on February 22, 1732 in the family of a large landowner, Augustine Washington, who lived in the North American colony of Virginia. A land surveyor by his main occupation, his father spent all his days on the vast plantations that surrounded their estate. The mother of the future head of state, Maria Bol Washington, ran the household, devoting herself to the children, of whom there were five in the family. Her lessons became the home and only education that George received in his early years.
Having lost his father at the age of eleven and inherited his profession as a land surveyor, the future President Washington began to work early. Already in 1748, he took part in surveying work carried out in the Shenandoah Valley, and a year later became the official surveyor of Culpepper County.
The fighting youth of the future president
In his childhood, his closest person after his mother was his half-brother Lawrence, after whose death in 1752, George inherited a vast estate located on and thereby acquired financial independence. At the same time, he received the rank of major in the local militia, which carried out military operations against British troops.
The chronicle of this period of Washington's life is full of descriptions of military operations, in most of which he was a commander. In 1755, during one of the campaigns against Fort Duquesne, he was captured, but, finding himself free after some time, he managed to bring the matter to a victorious end. When the military campaign against British forces was successfully completed, President Washington, now a colonel, continued to fight the French and Indians who raided the estates of local colonists.
Marriage and the beginning of political activity
Having resigned in 1758, a twenty-six-year-old veteran, George returned to Virginia and married the young widow Martha Dandridge Custis, who already had two children from her first marriage. Evil tongues claimed that in concluding a marriage, Washington was guided primarily by selfish motives, but from the memoirs of contemporaries it is clear that they lived happily, despite the absence of common children.
George Washington, the first president of the United States, began his political career by participating in the Virginia Legislature, to which he was elected from 1758 to 1774. In his activities, he pursued a line of reconciliation with the mother country, despite the fact that the English government prevented the expansion of private land holdings in the territory of its North American colonies.
The opponent of violence and his like-minded people
Washington saw the policy of boycotting British goods as one of the methods of influencing London. His allies and like-minded people were such later famous political figures as Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson. While pursuing their line, they nevertheless opposed any violent actions.
It is known, in particular, that they had an extremely negative attitude towards the so-called Boston Tea Party - the destruction of a cargo of tea arriving from England in Boston Harbor in December 1773, in response to which the British government adopted a number of laws unacceptable to the colonists.
Again in the thick of war
Such measures caused a wave of outrage overseas and provoked the outbreak of the American War of Independence. George Washington was unanimously chosen as commander-in-chief of the continental army, who by that time had abandoned hopes of reconciliation with the mother country and appeared in June 1775 at a meeting of Congress in full military uniform.
The first months of the military campaign did not bring success to the army led by Washington. Moreover, a series of defeats forced the surrender of several cities in the central part of the country to the enemy. The reason for the failure, as subsequent events showed, was the lack of powers granted by Congress to the commander in chief.
The picture changed dramatically in December 1776, after George Washington was delegated powers that essentially placed him in the position of a military dictator. Concentrating enormous power in his hands, he managed to turn the tide of hostilities, and from that time on, the troops entrusted to him began to win one victory after another. In a short time, strategically important cities were captured: Boston, Saratoga, Princeton and Trenton.
Victory and recognition of US independence
Inspired by the victories, the Continental Army continued its offensive, pushing the enemy in all directions, which in those days greatly increased the prestige of the United States in the international arena. The result of their brilliant actions was the surrender of the British troops, signed on November 18, 1781. The victorious culmination was the peace treaty concluded in November 1783 in Paris, which put an end to hostilities and recognized the independence of the United States.
After the victorious conclusion of hostilities, the glorious commander-in-chief resigned and returned home to the Mount Vernon estate, which he had once received as a dowry. A new period of life began, which his biography, familiar to every modern American, tells about. George Washington transformed from a military commander into a wise politician.
Creation of the country's Constitution
His first civil act was letters addressed to the leadership of all American states, in which, for the sake of preserving the integrity of the country, he called for the comprehensive strengthening of the central government. In particular, Washington was the initiator of the suppression of the uprising of Massachusetts farmers against the legally elected government of Boston, since he considered only the constitutional path to resolve all disagreements.
Taking into account his previous merits and current political views, the citizens of the country chose Washington as the head of the Convention, whose labors in 1778 resulted in its fairly rapid ratification by all thirteen states that were then part of the country, which was largely due to the indisputable authority of Washington, who personally led the work on this document.
As President of the United States
According to the Constitution, the head of state is the president, a position to which George Washington was unanimously elected by the entire membership in late April 1789. Such unanimity regarding his candidacy became a unique case in the entire subsequent history of the country.
Three years later, President Washington was confirmed in office for another term, although he did not personally take part in the election campaign. By decision of Congress, his annual salary was 25 thousand dollars. Being a wealthy man, Washington initially refused it, but then found it possible to accept the money.
The Constitution is the supreme law of state life
George Washington, the President of the United States, who stood at the origins of the creation of a democratic society in the country, directed all his efforts to instill in the citizens of the country respect for the Constitution. Being its guarantor by virtue of his position, he created precedents that demonstrated his deep respect for this fundamental law of the state, realizing that only by his own example could he force ordinary citizens to respect it.
Since Washington became president at a time when American statehood was just taking shape, he also paid great attention to the formation of its three branches of government. As a wise ruler, he created his inner circle, guided primarily by the intellectual and business qualities of candidates for senior government positions. This allowed him to form a team whose work brought the desired result.
Selected features of Washington's rule
It is characteristic that President Washington, being in the thick of political passions, did not give any visible preference to any of the parties. He seemed to take a position of neutrality, excluding any accusations of bias in any of his decisions. Having the right to veto decisions of Congress that he did not like, President Washington used it only in the most extreme cases, trying to be guided not by his personal preferences, but solely by the requirements of the law.
The most important achievement of the first President of the United States was the acceptance of a famous person, carried through Congress under his leadership by Senator Madison. It is also known that after the expiration of the second presidential term, he was persuaded to run for a third time (success was ensured), but he categorically refused. With this, Washington laid the foundation for a tradition, later enshrined in the corresponding article of the law, according to which the president can be elected no more than twice.
A banal end to a great life
George Washington died on December 14, 1799. The cause of death of this great man was a cold he received while riding on horseback through his domain. The medicine of those years was powerless in the face of complications, expressed in acute laryngitis and pneumonia.
For the role that Washington played in the US gaining independence and the formation of the entire state system, in the memory of grateful descendants he remained crowned with the title “Father of the Nation.” The US President after Washington, John Adams, fully supported the traditions laid down by his predecessor, and thereby served to create a strong democratic society.
George Washington- American statesman, first President of the United States of America (1789-1797)
February 22, 1732. born in Virginia, Westmoreland County, into the family of a landowner. He was educated at home and was fond of reading books. At the age of 11 I lost my father. He worked as a surveyor and took part in Lord Fairfax's expeditions. In 1752, he inherited the Mount Vernon estate, in the same year he joined the militia, took part in military operations against the French and Indians, and was captured. In 1758 he retired with the rank of colonel.
In 1759, Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis and actively began developing his estate, becoming one of the richest planters in Virginia.
In 1758-1774, Washington was elected to the Virginia Legislative Assembly, where he fought with the mother country for the rights of the colonies, nevertheless condemning violent actions. He was one of the delegates to the First Continental Congress. After armed clashes with Great Britain, he abandoned attempts at reconciliation, donned a military uniform and was unanimously elected commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. Having reorganized the troops, he led their actions from the siege of Boston in 1776 until the surrender of the British troops at Yorktown in 1781. In November 1783, after the conclusion of the Paris Peace Treaty, he resigned and retired to the Mount Vernon estate.
Dissatisfied with the Articles of Confederation, Washington was elected chairman of the Constitutional Convention, which drafted the Constitution of the United States in 1787. IN 1789 George Washington was unanimously elected as the first President of the United States. In 1792 he was re-elected for a second term. As head of state, he contributed to the strengthening of the Union, the implementation of the principles of the Constitution and the construction of the capital of the United States. He was involved in the formation of central government bodies and management systems, created precedents for the institution of presidents, and encouraged economic development. Maintained friendly relations with Congress. In 1794, he suppressed the first uprising against government power in US history. In foreign policy he avoided interference in the affairs of European states. Refused to run for president for the third time. Before leaving, he addressed the nation with a farewell message.