Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

George Washington was more than the first president of the United States, he was the very model delegates at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 had in mind when they agreed to create the executive office. Known for his military achievements and leadership ability, it is his character that captivated his contemporaries and historians alike. The embodiment of the concept of “virtue,” he was the only major leader of the Revolutionary Era to free his slaves. The future president was born to Augustine and Mary Ball Washington, a family of moderate means, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. His formal studies were minimal – the equivalent of a modern elementary-level education. By age 15 he was an able field surveyor, gaining skills of wilderness survival as well as an appreciation for land that would feed his later interest in westward expansion and a brief career in land speculation. From an early age he was known as a practical person concerned with proper manners and outward appearances. Washington first gained notice during the French and Indian, or Seven Years', War. His ability to rally his fellow troops and his bravery under fire led Virginia governor Robert Dinwiddie to place him in charge of the state's troops at the rank of colonel. Though most of the real fighting was directed from Britain and conducted by British regulars, Washington took his duties seriously, working diligently ... log in or subscribe to read full text