Introduction The image of George Washington carved in stone on the side of Mount Rushmore Mighty Sequoia Studio Shutterstock com 6
F irst in war first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen These words were uttered as part of a eulogy for the first president of the United States George Washington More than sim ply a nice speech honoring a public figure who had died the words revealed a lot about Washington’s character As this book shows George Washington was indeed a courageous soldier a respected statesman and in many ways a true man of the people Washington first proved himself a capable military leader somewhat early in life Joining the military as an assistant officer of a Virginia district at age 20 Washington quickly rose through the ranks and was named com mander of all Virginia armed forces within three years His leadership during the French and Indian War was a big reason why he was made commander in chief of colonial forces at the start of the American Revolutionary War During the fight for American indepen dence from Britain Washington’s ability as a military leader seemed to shine the bright est He led his forces to several victories in New Jersey early in the war before suffering 7
George Washington hard losses in Pennsylvania Yet even after these defeats and spending a brutal winter in Valley Forge Washington was able to rally his troops to defeat the British at Yorktown which was the final battle of the conflict In peacetime following the conclusion of the war Washington was chosen to preside over the Constitutional Convention which drafted the new nation’s abiding set of laws and rules the U S Constitution Writing the Constitution was a process that involved many arguments and debates and required a lot of compromise As head of the conven tion Washington was charged with making sure that discussions didn’t get out of hand and leading all parties to the successful com pletion of their task The fate of the new nation depended on it Once the Constitution was completed all eyes immediately turned to Washington to serve as the first president of the United States and he was unanimously elected to the office Under his political leadership the country added more states to the Union established a federal financial system and adopted the Bill of Rights Washington set the tone for U S foreign relations when he issued the Proclamation of Neutrality in 1793 8
Introduction and showed great diplomacy when settling boundary disputes with Britain and Spain in the years that followed In addition to having fame and power Washington also was a common man Citizens of the United States could relate to him He was a family man with a wife and stepchildren A successful landowner and farmer Washington frequently got his own hands dirty working in the fields and in his orchards He was popular with his neighbors His home at Mount Vernon was the site of many parties and social gatherings Washington was well-known for being a military and political leader He was also a working man and a gracious host These traits have combined to make Washington a beloved figure in his time and for all time 9
