On March 15, 1783, in a crowded meeting hall at Newburgh, New York, George Washington faced the angriest audience of his life: his own officers. The war was won, but Congress had not paid them, and some were whispering about marching on the government. Washington had the army, the fame and the loyalty to take control of the young nation. Instead, he talked them down, and over the next fourteen years he gave up power twice when he could have kept it.
This George Washington biography follows the surveyor's son from Virginia who became commander, president and, above all, the man who proved a leader could walk away.
Early Life: The Boy Who Measured Mountains
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. His father, Augustine, died when George was eleven. His older half-brothers had been schooled in England, but there was no money left for George to follow them. At sixteen he joined a surveying trip into the Shenandoah Valley, and at seventeen he became a licensed county surveyor. He slept outdoors, measured wild land for wealthy planters and learned the self-discipline that would shape his life.
Years later he wrote to his officers that "discipline is the soul of an army", a lesson learned long before he commanded one.
The French and Indian War: Bullets Through His Coat
At twenty-two, Washington led Virginia troops on the frontier and was forced to surrender at Fort Necessity in 1754. A year later, at the Battle of the Monongahela, General Braddock's British army was routed. Washington, aged twenty-three, had two horses shot from under him and four bullets tear through his coat, yet he was not wounded. He helped lead the survivors to safety and came home with a reputation for courage under fire.
The Farmer Who Became a Revolutionary
In 1759 Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis and settled at Mount Vernon. For about sixteen years he farmed, experimented with crops and served in Virginia's House of Burgesses. As Britain tightened its grip on the colonies with taxes passed without colonial representation, he moved from loyal subject to firm opponent.
In June 1775 the Continental Congress chose him to command its new army. He accepted while telling Congress, "I do not think my self equal to the Command I am honored with." He refused a salary and asked only that his expenses be paid.
Valley Forge: The Winter That Tested Everything
In December 1777 the Continental Army marched into winter camp at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Many men had no proper shoes, and Washington wrote to Congress that his soldiers' path could be tracked by the blood from their feet. Food and clothing ran short, and disease killed around two thousand soldiers before spring.
Washington stayed with his men, pleaded with Congress for supplies and backed Baron Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian officer who drilled the troops into a disciplined fighting force. The army that marched out in June 1778 was smaller, but far stronger. Washington had written early in the war that "perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages", and Valley Forge proved him right.
Victory, the Newburgh Conspiracy and the Ultimate Test
In October 1781, with the help of French forces, Washington trapped General Cornwallis at Yorktown and forced the surrender that effectively ended the war. He was now the most powerful man in America.
In 1782 an officer named Lewis Nicola wrote to suggest Washington become king. Washington replied that he read the idea "with abhorrence" and told Nicola to banish such thoughts. Then came Newburgh. When anonymous letters urged the unpaid officers to defy Congress, Washington called a meeting. His speech did not win the room, so he began reading a letter from a congressman, stopped, and pulled out a pair of spectacles few had seen him wear. "Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles," he said, "for I have not only grown gray but almost blind in the service of my country." Many officers wept, and the plot collapsed.
On December 23, 1783, at Annapolis, Maryland, Washington handed his commission back to Congress and went home to Mount Vernon. King George III is reported to have said that if Washington gave up power, he would be the greatest man in the world.
The Reluctant President
Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and when the new government needed a leader, he was the only choice. He was elected unanimously by the Electoral College and sworn in on April 30, 1789, in New York City. He was elected unanimously again in 1792, the only president ever to achieve this.
Every decision set a precedent, from the cabinet to the title "Mr. President". After two terms he chose to retire in 1797, setting the two-term tradition that lasted until Franklin D. Roosevelt and later became law through the 22nd Amendment. In a 1791 letter he wrote, "It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one", a fair summary of how he tried to lead.
The Legacy of Restraint
In his Farewell Address, published in September 1796, Washington warned Americans against the spirit of party and against permanent foreign alliances. He died at Mount Vernon on December 14, 1799, at the age of sixty-seven.
His legacy is not spotless. Washington enslaved hundreds of people at Mount Vernon over his lifetime. In his will he ordered that the people he personally owned be freed after Martha's death, and he was the only slaveholding founding president to do so.
His greatest gift to his country was restraint. In an age of kings and emperors, he showed that real power lies in serving and then stepping aside. As he wrote to James Madison in 1788, "Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth." Washington planted it deep by proving that leaders serve terms, not lifetimes.
Life Lessons from George Washington
- Character beats ambition: he turned down a crown, a salary and a third term.
- Stay with your people in hard times: at Valley Forge he shared the winter with his soldiers.
- Know your limits and use good people: he relied on von Steuben, Hamilton and others who had skills he lacked.
- Discipline builds everything: from surveying at sixteen to commanding an army, his self-control was his strength.
Frequently Asked Questions About George Washington
When and where was George Washington born?
He was born on February 22, 1732, at Popes Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia.
Why did George Washington refuse to become king?
He believed the Revolution was fought to end rule by a king, not to create a new one. He rejected the 1782 suggestion of a crown, stopped the Newburgh Conspiracy and resigned his command in 1783.
What was the Newburgh Conspiracy?
In March 1783, unpaid army officers at Newburgh, New York, were urged to defy Congress. Washington's speech on March 15, 1783 ended the threat.
How many terms did George Washington serve as president?
Two terms, from 1789 to 1797. He was elected unanimously both times and chose not to run again.
Did George Washington really have wooden teeth?
No, this is a myth. His dentures were made from human and animal teeth, ivory and metal, but not wood.
Did George Washington have children?
He had no children of his own. He raised Martha's two children from her first marriage and later two of her grandchildren.
How did George Washington die?
He died on December 14, 1799, at Mount Vernon from a severe throat infection. He was 67.
What is the best George Washington biography to read?
Ron Chernow's Washington: A Life, which won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Biography.
Best Books on George Washington
- Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow - Pulitzer Prize-winning biography covering his whole life and character.
- His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis - a short, readable portrait of his leadership.
- 1776 by David McCullough - the hardest year of the war, told like a story.
- Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fischer - Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the Delaware crossing and the turning point of the war.
- The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789 by Edward J. Larson - the years between his resignation and the presidency.
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