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GEORGE WASHINGTON First President of the United States Born in 1732 - Died in 1799

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 at Valley Forge

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 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".

This biography by Patsy Stevens, a retired teacher, was written in 2001.

A frequent question: "Who wrote this biography and when was it written?" Look on this Reference Citations Chart.

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PRINTABLES Alphabetical Order George Washington Word Search* George Washington - Word Match * Washington Crossword Puzzle George Washington - Word Scramble Washington Study Sheet Worksheet Color a picture of George Washington Print George Washington Test

RESEARCH LINKS

"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 George Washington Humanities Web The Life of George Washington The Life of George Washington - the Movie Early America.com George Washington at Buzzle.com George Washington Ducksters Mount Vernon estate and gardens George Washington Printables George Washington Powerpoint (look in the "Famous People" section) 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.) Whitehouse fun facts Profiles of Our Nation's Leaders Smithsonian Kids George Washington Lesson Plan Lesson Snips.com (You must register to access lessons.) The American Revolution Lesson Plan Lesson Snips.com At biography.com search for George Washington. Scroll the panel for the "Video & Audio Results". Presidential Coloring Pages Information about all the U.S. Presidents George Washington Quotes Famous Quotes by QuoteDepot.Net From Word Central's Student Dictionary by Merriam - Webster (Pronunciation note: the schwa sound is shown by ə) original Function: adjective 1 : relating to or being the origin or beginning : FIRST, EARLIEST ... plantation Pronunciation: plan-'tA-shən 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-ən-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-ə-məs Function: adjective 1 : being of one mind : agreeing completely the councilors were unanimous in their approval of the report 2 : agreed to by all ... The Real George Washington: The True Story of America's Greatest Diplomat By Andrew M. Allison / National Center For Constitutional Study Appropriately enough, the story of our first president's life reflects much of America's own. Rather than focus on the interpretations of historians, this up-close-and-personal look relies on Washington's own words---through biography and important and insightful passages from his writings. Much can be learned by studying the sound principles of one of our Founding Fathers! 928 pages, softcover from National Center for Constitutional Studies. George Washington Biography FunBook By Carole Marsh & Sherry Moss(Editor) / Gallopade International Everyone's favorite way to learn about America's most important citizens! Easy-to-read information, facts, trivia, humor and activities are all included in Biography Funbooks! Ages 7-12. paperback. George Washington By Cheryl Harness / Random House, Inc It has been 200 years since George Washington died, but his story is more important than ever. His sacrifices for his country made him a legend, but who was this complex and valiant man? Cheryl Harness uses her lively writing style and richly detailed watercolors to bring the man behind the monument to life. You'll smell the "hot blood and smoke" as George dodges bullets in the French and Indian War, sense his "purple fury" at soldiers who ran from battle early in the Revolution, shiver as he leads his army across the icy Delaware, and shout "Long live George Washington" as he is sworn in as President of the United States. But you'll see another George, too: A man who loved to dance, listen to his granddaughter play music, and entertain friends at his beloved Mount Vernon. Love of liberty compelled George Washington to serve his country. Was he always sure he could do the job? Not at all! But he had to try. Who Was George Washington? By Roberta Edwards / Grosset & Dunlap In 1789, George Washington became the first president of the United States. He has been called the father of our country for leading America through its early years. Washington also served in two major wars during his lifetime: the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. With over 100 black-and-white illustrations, Washington's fascinating story comes to life?revealing the real man, not just the face on the dollar bill! A LIBRARY OF ONLINE BOOKS and BOOK PREVIEWS George Washington, picture book by James Lantos (full view) Order here) George Washington: Frontier Colonel by Sterling North (selected pages) Order here George Washington, Compass Point Book by Andrew Santella (selected pages) Order here George Washington: Father of the Nation by Tracie Egan (selected pages) Order here George Washington by Tamara L. Britton (selected pages Order here George Washington by Rick Burke (selected pages) Order here George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War by Thomas B. Allen, Cheryl Harness (selected pages) Order here George Washington, First Biographies by Cassie Mayer (selected pages) Order here George Washington, Bio Graphics by Rod Espinosa (selected pages) Order here George Washington, Buddy Books by Christy Devillier (selected pages) Order here George Washington by Kristin Thoennes Keller (selected pages) Order here George Washington: The Life of an American Patriot by David West, Jackie Gaff (selected pages) Order here George Washington, Presidential Leaders by Jeremy Roberts (selected pages) Order here George Washington for Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities by Brandon Marie Miller (selected pages) Order here George Washington, Our First President by Sneed B. Collard (selected pages) Order here America in the Time of George Washington: 1747 To 1803 by Sally Senzell Isaacs (selected pages)Order here George Washington, A Life of Leadership by Robin Nelson (selected pages) Order here George Washington by Edward F. Dolan(selected pages) Order here George Washington, America's Patriot by Renee Taft Meloche (selected pages) Order here Chasing George Washington by The Kennedy Center, Ronald Kidd (selected pages) Order here The Life George Washington by Washington Irving (full view) Preview the Amazon books using the links below. George Washington, Leading a New Nation by Matt Doeden, Cynthia Martin (selected pages) George Washington,An American Life by Laurie Calkhoven (selected pages) Childhood of Famous Americans - George Washington by Augusta Stevenson (selected pages) George Washington, First Biographies by Barbara Knox (selected pages) George Washington, Farmer, Soldier, President by Pamela Hill Nettleton (selected pages) George Washington,Photo Illustrated Biographies by T. M. Usel (selected pages) A Picture Book of George Washington by Alexandra Wallner, John C. Wallner (selected pages)

George Washington: American Revolutionary
Video at The Biography Channel

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2012-02-08 hello I was wondering if george washington had a favorite book or quote? michelle

2011-06-15 "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" According to my history, he was Commander in Chief while he was President. Why would he return after serving two terms as Commander in Chief to become Commander in Chief of the Army? Otherwise, it great history for young folks. Robert L. Huffstutter

2011-04-12 Thanks for the info! For some reason all these websites are saying some guy named John Hanson?! John Hanson and seven other men each served one year terms as Presidents under the Articles of Confederation. George Washington was the first president under the Constitution.

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Biographies in this Series

Reference citations information for these biographies

Presidents of the United States	George Washington	John Adams	Thomas Jefferson	James Madison	James Monroe	Andrew Jackson
	Martin Van Buren	Abraham Lincoln	Theodore Roosevelt	Franklin D. Roosevelt	Harry S. Truman	Dwight D. Eisenhower
	John F. Kennedy	Lyndon B. Johnson	Jimmy Carter	Ronald Reagan	Barack Obama	Calvin Coolidge
American Patriots	Benjamin Franklin	Francis Scott Key	Deborah Sampson	Molly Pitcher
World Leaders	Constantine	Alexander the Great	Winston Churchill
Inventors	Alexander Graham Bell	Johann Gutenberg	Cyrus McCormick	The Wright Brothers	Henry Ford	Thomas A. Edison
	Sequoyah	Nikola Tesla	Michael Faraday	Dean Kamen	Jack Kilby	Leonardo Da Vinci
	Donald O'Neal
Explorers	Christopher Columbus	Meriwether Lewis	Robert Peary	John Muir	Matthew Henson	Sir Edmund Hillary
	Kit Carson	Johnny Appleseed	Daniel Boone
Women who made a difference	Clara Barton	Helen Keller	Florence Nightingale	Joan of Arc	Amelia Earhart	Annie Oakley
	Susan B. Anthony	Elizabeth Keckly	Harriet Tubman	Anne Frank	Eleanor Roosevelt	Madam C.J. Walker
	Sadako Sasaki	Henrietta Lacks
Scientists	George Washington Carver	Sir Isaac Newton	Marie Curie	Louis Pasteur	Albert Einstein	Galileo
	Lise Meitner	Norman Borlaug	Benjamin Banneker
Educators	Noah Webster	Booker T. Washington	Aristotle	Mary McLeod Bethune
Physicians	Hippocrates	Walter Reed	Albert Schweitzer
Religious Leaders	George Muller	Increase Mather
Athletes	Lou Gehrig	Wilma Rudolph	Tiger Woods	Michael Phelps
Civil Rights Leaders	Martin Luther King	Rosa Parks	Sojourner Truth	Frederick Douglass	Mary Ann Shadd Cary	James Forten
	Gandhi	César Chávez	William Wilberforce	Nelson Mandela
Composers	Beethoven	Mozart
Authors	Laura Ingalls Wilder	Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)	Ernest Hemingway	Greg Mortenson	Phillis Wheatley
Artists	John James Audubon	Gutzon Borglum	Ansel Adams	Dale Chihuly	Van Gogh	Michelangelo
	Rembrandt	Grandma Moses	Cassatt	Renoir	Cezanne	Rockwell

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