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Today we're going to learn about the American president, George Washington.
George Washington, the first president of the united states, was born February 22, 1732,
in Westmoreland County, Virginia.
He was homeschooled until he was 16, when he left home to become a surveyor. A surveyor
is someone who maps and inspects land. Washington was a talented cartographer, making dozens
of maps in his lifetime.
When he was 20, his older brother died, and Washington inherited his family's estate at
Mt. Vernon. At age 22, he became a major in the militia. By age 23, he was promoted to
colonel, and was in command of all the soldiers in Virginia. At this time, George Washington
and his men were fighting on the same side as the British in the French and Indian war.
In 1758, Washington left the militia and went home to Mt. Vernon. He got married, and was
elected to Virginia's house of Burgesses. The house of Burgesses was a government body
of representatives, similar to modern-day congress.
During this time, the relationship between Great Britain and the American colonies began
to be strained. The British had lost a lot of money in the French and Indian war, and
they wanted to get some of it back. Unfortunately, they did this by creating new, heavy taxes
that the colonists had to pay, and they did it without giving the colonists any say in
the matter. When the revolutionary war started in 1775, George
Washington was appointed General and Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. The British Army
had more soldiers and more supplies than Washington, but he didn't give up!
One famous battle he fought was the battle of Trenton. Washington took his troops across
the icy Delaware river to surprise Hessian soldiers who were stationed there. The sneak
attack allowed him to capture over 1,000 soldiers without much trouble.
Another important victory in the Revolutionary war was at Yorktown. Washington and his men
defeated the British and they were forced to surrender. It was fought in 1781, and was
the last major battle of the war. The American colonists had won.
It took a few years for the newly freed colonies to create a strong government, but in 1787
the constitution was created.
On April 30th, 1789, George Washington was sworn in as the first president of the united
states of america. He is the only president in history to be unanimously elected, which
means that everyone voted for him. When his first
four year term as President was up, voters elected him again. In fact, he was so popular
that he ran unopposed, which means that no one tried to be the president instead of him.
George Washington was so well liked that he probably could have been the president until
he died, but he didn't want America to have a leader like a king, who was in charge for
their whole life. To help make sure that Presidents after him would step down when their turn
was over, he set the example and went home to mount Vernon in 1797.
On December 14, 1799, George Washington died at the age of 67. He was buried on his estate
at Mt. Vernon, where his body remains to this day.
George Washington left a lasting legacy. He is often called the 'father of our country'
because he played such an important part in the founding of the united states. His picture
is on dollar bills and quarters, a monument to him
stands in Washington DC, the capital city that was named for him, and we celebrate his
birthday every February. More than 200 years after his death, he is still remembered as
was written of him: "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."
I hope you enjoyed learning about the American President, George Washington. Goodbye till
next time!