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Timeline On George Washington
Born on February 22, 1732 in Virginia, George Washington’s parents were Augustine and Mary Washington. In 1748, he began his career as a surveyor for a popular Virginia landowner. In 1752, Washington inherited the ancestral property at Mount Vernon following the death of his brother Lawrence Washington. |
On July 9, 1755, despite the British losing to the French at Monongahela River, George Washington was recognized for his bravery. In August, he was subsequently appointed as a colonel and became the commander in chief for Virginia colonial forces. The primary duty of the force was to defend a frontier of 350 miles.
The year 1758 saw George Washington resigning as commander in chief of Virginia colonial forces. He returned to his Mount Vernon plantation and begun taking care of it. In the same year, he was elected to the Virginia’s House of Burgesses when he contested from Frederick County in the Shenandoah Valley.
George Washington married widow Martha Dandridge Custis in 1759 and adopted her two children Martha Patsy and John Parke.
In 1789, he became the first President of the United States and introduced many usages and customs. In 1793, his aversion towards taking part in foreign wars that killed millions of lives saw him proclaim the Proclamation of Neutrality. He funded the national debt, and tried to build a strong government out of it and implemented effective tax systems.
The circumstances that led to George Washington’s retirement were unfortunate. During the French Revolution that signaled the start of the bitter war between the French forces and the British forces, George Washington wanted to take a middle path during the war. This decision was born after he heard two contrasting recommendations from his pro-French Secretary of State and the pro-British Secretary of the Treasury. However, to his disappointment when the first term ended he witnessed the birth of two factions. And at the end of the second term he felt very tired physically and mentally and retired from active politics.
His farewell address was marked with foresight and forewarning. George Washington insisted on his fellow Americans to shed extremism even if it is party-related and to transcend geographical distinctions. At the same time, he warned his countrymen against retaining alliances for a long term.
Interestingly, Washington never joined the Federalist Party, but was its leader and effectively supported its ideologies. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to American life and Constitution, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. George Washington retired to spend 3 years at Mount Vernon. He was diagnosed with a throat infection and died on December 14, 1799.
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