GEORGE WASHINGTON First President of the United States Born in 1732 - Died in 1799 Enter your search terms Submit search form   Web gardenofpraise.com

George Washington became known as "The Father of Our Country". He is an important person in the history of the United States.

George's great-grandfather came from England and became a landowner in America. He owned more than 5,000 acres of land. George's father, Augustine, settled in Westmoreland County, Virginia. This is where George was born to Augustine and his second wife, Mary Ball. They had five more children after George was born.

He only went to school for 7 or 8 years, and his favorite subject was arithmetic.

His father died when he was 11, and he helped his mother take care of the plantation * . He grew very tall; 6 feet and 2 inches, and he liked to show how far he could throw rocks.

When he was sixteen he went to live with his half brother, Lawrence, who had inherited Mount Vernon from their father. Later on George would inherit the estate from Lawrence since Lawrence did not have any surviving children. George married a widow * , Martha Custis. They never had children of their own, but they raised Martha's two children, John Parke Custis, who was called "Jacky", and Martha "Patsy" Custis. Then after Jacky's death in the war, they adopted two of his children, their grandchildren.

Men came to Philadelphia to meet with the First Continental Congress. Washington thought he would be a good man to be general of the army, so he showed up in a uniform he had designed himself. The men agreed he would be the best person for the job.

The people of America wanted to be free of the rule of England and fought for that freedom.

Washington was a good general. At one time Congress could not pay the soldiers and the soldiers started to rebel. The general spoke to them about the need to keep fighting and he said he himself would accept no pay until the war was won. The soldiers began to cry and there was no talk of mutiny * after that day.

Washington at Valley Forge with Lafayette

Washington was always trying to become a better person. He worked to learn how to write neatly so people could read his writing easily. To improve his manners, he copied 110 rules or sayings written by a French priest. One of his favorites was: "When walking with a great man, don't walk right beside him, but somewhat behind. Stay close enough that he may speak easily to you."

The people wanted to make him king, but he thought the country needed a different kind of government. They elected him president in 1789. He received a unanimous * vote by the men who were doing the electing. Every one of them voted for him.

He served for two terms; 8 years, as president. The people wanted him to run for a third term, but he said, "No", and went back to the plantation.

He later returned and became Commander in Chief of the Army.

In 1799 he became ill with a sore throat. The doctors in those days did not know how to treat an illness, and some think their treatment caused his death.

It is said of Washington he was "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen".

"General George Washington" listen to a song sung by the Texas Boys Choir for the bicentennial celebration George and Martha Washington Portraits Martha Washington family history Washington Crosses the Delaware Eye Witness to History The Death of George Washington Eye Witness to History George Washington's Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior Was George Washington a Christian? Christian Answers.net George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress The Life of George Washington Biography of Washington from World of Biography George Washington at Buzzle.com Mount Vernon estate and gardens George Washington student research George Washington Printables American Revolution at Kid Info George Washington American Presidents, Life Portraits Listen to stories about this president. The Revolutionary War video lesson (Click on the topics "Interactive Media Files", be sure volume is turned up.) At biography.com search for George Washington. Scroll the panel for the "Video & Audio Results".

George Washington (Beautiful Feet Books) By Ingri D'Aulaire / Beautiful Feet Books In "George Washington," the d'Aulaires form a glowing pageant of colonial life in their depiction of our first president. From the little boy George, growing up on a Virginia plantation, through his schooling and his life on the Mount Vernon estate, this book details the experiences which brought Washington to lead the struggling colonies through a revolutionary war to freedom. Young readers will be inspired as they learn how little George Washington grew up to become the "Father of His Country." This oversized book is beautifully illustrated. Recommended for ages 4 to 11.

Great Stories #2 - Audiobook on Cassette By Your Story Hour Your story hour is proud to present another great series of fully dramatized exciting stories to add to your library. This extraordinary collection of stories illustrates the courage, dedication, and faith of persons who, despite adversities, perservered to follow their vision. Enjoyable listening for "kids of all age"! Stories included are about George Washington, Henry Ford, John Hancock, Sam Clemens, Louisa May Alcott and much more. 6 cassettes.

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From Word Central's Student Dictionary
by Merriam - Webster
(Pronunciation note: the schwa sound is shown by &)

original
Function: adjective
1 : relating to or being the origin or beginning
: FIRST, EARLIEST ...

plantation
Pronunciation: plan-'tA-sh&n
Function: noun
1 : a group of plants and especially trees planted and cared for
2 : a settlement in a new country or region : COLONY
3 : a planted area; especially : an agricultural estate worked by laborers...

widow
Pronunciation: 'wid-O
Function: noun
: a woman who has lost her husband by death

mutiny
Pronunciation: 'myoot-&n-E, 'myoot-nE
Function: noun
: refusal to obey authority; especially : a military outbreak against the officer in charge
synonym see REBELLION - mutiny verb...

unanimous
Pronunciation: yu-'nan-&-m&s
Function: adjective
1 : being of one mind : agreeing completely
the councilors were unanimous in their approval of the report
2 : agreed to by all ...

Biographies in this Series

Presidents of the United States	George Washington 1st U.S. President	John Adams 2nd U.S. President	Thomas Jefferson 3rd U.S.President
	James Monroe 5th U.S. President	Andrew Jackson 7th U.S. President	Abraham Lincoln 16th U.S.President
	Franklin D. Roosevelt 32nd U.S. President	John F. Kennedy 35th U.S. President	James Madison 4th U.S. President
	Theodore Roosevelt 26th U.S. President
American Patriots	Benjamin Franklin patriot and statesman	Francis Scott Key Star Spangled Banner	Deborah Sampson woman soldier in the Revolutionary War
World Leaders	Constantine Roman Emperor	Alexander the Great conqueror	Winston Churchill British Prime Minister
Inventors	Alexander Graham Bell telephone	Johann Gutenberg printing press	Cyrus McCormick mechanical reaper
	The Wright Brothers first airplane	Henry Ford Automaker	Thomas A. Edison electric light bulb
	Sequoyah Cherokee alphabet	Nikola Tesla 700 patents	.
Explorers	Christopher Columbus explorer	Meriwether Lewis explorer	Robert Peary Arctic explorer
	John Muir Naturalist	Matthew Henson Arctic Explorer	Sir Edmund Hillary Mr.Everest
	Kit Carson Indian agent	"Johnny Appleseed" orchardist	.
Women who made a difference	Clara Barton founder of the Red Cross	Helen Keller overcame blindness & deafness	Florence Nightingale founder of nursing profession
	Joan of Arc religious and military leader	Amelia Earhart Aviator	Annie Oakley sharpshooter
	Susan B. Anthony Suffragette	Elizabeth Keckly Seamstress	Harriet Tubman deliverer of slaves
	Anne Frank Diarist	Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian	.
Scientists	George Washington Carver botanist and educator	Sir Isaac Newton explained gravity and properties of light	Marie Curie scientist, physicist
	Louis Pasteur Biologist	Albert Einstein physicist, genius	Galileo Astronomer, physicist
Educators	Noah Webster writer of dictionary	Booker T. Washington leader and educator	Aristotle Greek philosopher
Physicians	Hippocrates father of medicine	Walter Reed discovered cause of yellow fever	Albert Schweitzer humanitarian
Religious Leaders	Increase Mather Salem witch trials	.
Athletes	Lou Gehrig baseball player	Wilma Rudolph Olympic gold medal winner	Tiger Woods golfer
Civil Rights Leaders	Martin Luther King civil rights leader	Rosa Parks bus desegregation	Sojourner Truth Former slave
	Frederick Douglass Abolitionist	Mary Ann Shadd Cary Civil rights leader	James Forten Inventor, abolitionist
Composers	Beethoven composer
Artists	John James Audubon artist and naturalist	Gutzon Borglum sculptor, Mount Rushmore	Ansel Adams photographer

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Photograph by Melinda Kolk