Essay Example on George Washington was the commander and chief of the Continental Army

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George Washington was the commander and chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and served two terms as the first U S president from 1789 to 1797 George's father Augustine Washington was one of the leading planters in the area and also served as a justice of the county court Augustine's first wife Jane Butler died in 1729 that left him with two sons named Lawrence and Augustine Jr and also a daughter named Jane The older Augustine then married George s mother Mary Ball Washington in 1731 George was the oldest of Augustine Washington and Mary Bells six children In 1734 family moved up the Potomac River to another home In 1738 they moved again to Ferry Farm a plantation on the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg Virginia where George spent much of his young life George was 11 years old when his father died After his father died George had to help his mother manage their home where they lived George did not attend much school so he had little education Eager for adventure George wanted to join the British Navy but his mother would not let him Instead he helped George William Fairfax as a surveyor to the wilderness of the Virginia frontier George read mathematical texts to learn the geometric principles necessary for surveying In July at 17 years old George secured a spot as county surveyor for the county of Culpeper Four years later in the fall of 1753 Dinwiddie sent Washington who was 21 years old to deliver a message to the French demanding them to leave the area 



With the help of a guide and Indians he reached the French fort with the message Washington returned to the frontier in 1775 as a volunteer aide to General Edward Braddock Braddock had been sent by the King of England to drive the French from the Ohio country Braddock's army was routed near the Monongahela river and fled in confusion to Virginia During the battle while trying to rally the British Soldiers Washington had two horses shot down under him and four bullet holes shot through his coat Washington was very brave but could do little except lead the survivors to safety In recognition of his conduct Washington was given command of Virginia s entire military force With a few hundred men he was ordered to protect a frontier about 350 miles long Although it was a frustrating assignment it provided him with experience in commanding troops through a very hard campaign On January 6th 1759 Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis who was from the tidewater area of Virginia Martha was very wealthy and had two small children Jacky and Patsy About two weeks after the battle of yorktown Washington's step son Jackie died of camp fever at the age of 27 Jacie was the last of Martha s remaining children His sister Patsy had died as a teenager 8 years before having a seizure Martha was very sad about Jacky dying In June 1775 Congress wanted George Washington to take command of the Continental Army He wrote home to Martha that he expected to be home safe in the fall The command kept him away from Mount Vernon for 8 years Washington learned on the job about the war and how to command and what to do in certain situations Washington figured out how to win the war he was leading Washington somehow won the war with the British by making them surrender It took many wars to defeat them but Washington and his army got it done On December 23 1783 



Washington presented himself before Congress in Annapolis Maryland and resigned from being the commander Washington had was able to give up power when he could have been crowned a king He left Annapolis and went home to Mount Vernon with the decision of never being a commander or leader again This decision to give up power made him an international hero Washington served two terms as president His first term 1789 1793 was occupied with organizing the Executive Branch of the new government and establishing administrative procedures that would make it possible for the government to operate with energy and efficiency he believed they were essential to the republics future Washington's second term 1793 1797 was dominated by foreign affairs and marred by a deepening partisanship in his own administration Washington finally retired from public service George and Martha returned to Mount Vernon Unfortunately for Washington his time at the estate would be short lived On Thursday December 22 1799 Washington was out on horseback supervising farming activities from late morning until three in the afternoon The weather shifted from light snow to hail and then to rain Upon Washington's return it was suggested that he change out of his wet riding clothes before dinner Known for his punctuality Washington chose to remain in his damp clothes Some time later Washington got sick and had a sore throat and his voice was hoarse Martha was concerned about his state and sent for help Although Washington got much medical attention his condition still got worse On December 14 1799 between ten and eleven at night Washington died He was surrounded by people who were close to him including his wife who sat at the foot of his bed According to his wishes Washington was not buried for three days During that time his body lay in a Mahogany casket in the new room On December 18 1799 a solemn funeral was held at Mount Vernon and Washington was buried


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