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George Washington Birth: Westmoreland County, Virginia, February 22nd, 1732 Death: Mount Vernon, Virginia, December 14, 1799 Vocation: General, President, Farmer Accomplishments: Allegiance: American colonies, Continental Congress, United States George Washington was born to Augustine and Mary Ball Washington on February 22nd 1732. The Washington's owned a good amount of property ran a tobacco plantation. As a young man George worked as a surveyor, this taught him how to evaluate land and terrain. In 1752, Washington joined the Virginia militia and was appointed a major. Shortly after this he was sent to a number French forts in the Ohio river valley including one at Fort Le Boeuf to warn the French about building forts there. He was accompanied by an Iroquois leader named Tanacharison. The French ignored the threats, but Washington was able to collect some information about the fort.

Washington and Tanacharison set out the following spring to set up fortifications but arrived to find the French Fort Duquesne. They ambushed and captured a group of approaching soldiers, the leader was assassinated by Tanacharison. This led to one of the opening skirmishes of the Seven Year War or French and Indian War. They then built Fort Necessity but Tanacharison left and Washington was forced to surrender the fort. In 1755, Washington, with other people like Daniel Boone and Horatio Gates accompanied General Braddock on the Monongahela expedition. It was a major effort to retake forts along the Ohio River. Once a major engagement occurred it was disastrous. Washington was able to organize a successful retreat. After having his own command for a time, Washington assisted in Forbes campaign. This was another attempt to capture French forts along the Ohio and was successful.

After the war Washington married Martha Custis and concentrated or diversifying his farm at Mount Vernon. Eventually though, he was drawn into politics because of British passage of laws and taxes. He was elected as a delegate to the First Continental Congress. After fighting broke out in 1775 the Second Continental Congress made him Commander in Chief of the Continental Army.

Washington started by forcing the British out of Boston via a siege, he then tried to defend New York but was forced to withdraw. As his army left the area, Washington did have a couple of victories, namely the Battle of Trenton and the Battle of Princeton, but he then had a significant loss at the Battle of Brandywine. After Horatio Gates won a key victory at Saratoga against the British, the French entered the war as American allies. At this time, some wanted Gates to replace Washington. Washington and his army wintered and trained at Valley Forge with the help of a Prussian named Baron von Steuben. In the spring they attacked the enemy at Monmouth and came out victorious. Washington began to focus on New York. In 1779, the Sullivan Expedition attacked Iroquois settlements aligned with the British, somewhat weakening these important allies to the British. In 1781, a French navel victory at the Battle of Chesapeake led to a successful siege at Yorktown with help from French ground forces, as well as, French navel forces led by General Comte de Rochambeau against General Lord Cornwallis. While battles continued, this was effectively the end of the war.

After the United States Constitution was ratified the electoral college unanimously voted Washington president, with John Adams as his vice-president. He as not a member of any political party and was generally opposed to them, even as Alexander Hamilton began to form the beginnings of the Federalist Party and Thomas Jefferson began to form the Jeffersonian Republicans. When the government placed an excise tax on some types of alcohol a riot referred to as the Whiskey Rebellion began on the frontier. Washington led militia troops into the rebellious areas, one of the few times a sitting U.S. president has led troops. The rebellion was put down with no fighting. Washington with Hamilton's help negotiated with the British to adjust the U.S. Canada border and developed normal trade. This was opposed by Jefferson and his supporters who felt that relations with the new republic in France should a higher priority. It also angered the French who had given a lot of help to the American Revolution. After two terms in office Washington retired in 1797.

The following year, at the request of President John Adams, he worked on plans for raising and developing an army in case of an emergency. After this he returned to his farm and died the following year after taking ill due to being caught in the rain. He was mourned throughout the world.

Battles: Battle of Jumonville Glen, Battle of Fort Necessity, Battle of the Monongahela, Battle of Fort Duquesne, Boston campaign, New York campaign, Battle of Brooklyn Heights, New Jersey campaign, Battle of Trenton, Battle of Princeton, Philadelphia campaign, Battle of Brandywine, Yorktown campaign