Wikijunior:Presidents of the United States/George Washington
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Formal | Proper |
| Indigenous | Having native ancestry in a place |
| Colonel | A high military rank |
| Promoted | Given a higher position or rank |
| Independent | A country being able to make its own laws |
| Term | A period of time in a position |
| Established | Created, founded, or set as |
| Capital | The city in which the government is headquartered |
| Ratified | Made official |
George Washington was the first president of the United States.
He was born on February 22, 1732 in Virginia, at his family's farm. He had no middle name. Growing up, George did not have much formal schooling, meaning he did not go to school much. When he did, he went to a small school. Back then, most schools were private schools and cost money. George's mother, Mary, taught him a lot, and he loved to read. When George was 11 years old, his father passed away, and when George was 20, his stepbrother passed away too.
When he grew older, George became a land surveyor, meaning he created maps, decided what counted as a person's property, and more. With some of the money he earned as a surveyor, he would buy land himself. Sometimes, he would ask to be paid with land, rather than money.
In 1753, when he was 20 years old, George joined the French and Indian War. In this war, Great Britain fought France, and various indigenous groups who worked with France, for land. He eventually became a colonel, which means he had a high rank in the British army.
George was later promoted, becoming the commander of the Virginia Regiment. Regiment means a unit, or part, of a military.
In 1759, George married Martha Custis, whose husband had passed away. George served in the Continental Congress. George was elected to the House of Burgesses, which was part of the government of the Colony of Virginia. As the American Revolutionary War began, George led the army, but it lost most of its battles. However, the United States still won and became an independent country. Independent means not being governed by other countries. In 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the war and recognizing the United States as its own country, and George retired to his estate, Mount Vernon.
In 1788, the first presidential election began, and George Washington ran for president. He won the election, winning 100% of the votes from members of the Electoral College. The Electoral College votes on the next president of the United States; voters in the Electoral College are elected by citizens of the United States.
George Washington's presidency
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George Washington became president on April 30, 1789. His vice president was John Adams, who became the next president after George's second term.
During his time as president, George Washington signed into law the bill that established Washington, D.C. as the nation's capital. The capital city is named in his honor.
In 1790, during George Washington's presidency, the Constitution was ratified, meaning it was made official. Also during his presidency, he signed a bill, establishing a national bank of the United States.
There was also fighting during his term. A United States military force was defeated by indigenous people in Miami, a large city which is now part of Florida.
Bibliography
[edit | edit source]- Browne, Stephen Howard. "Presidential Election of 1789". George Washington's Mount Vernon. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/presidential-election-of-1789
- Chervinsky, Lindsay M. (2016). "George Washington: Life in Brief". Miller Center. https://millercenter.org/president/washington/life-in-brief
- The White House. "George Washington". The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/george-washington/
- "George Washington - Key Events". Miller Center. https://millercenter.org/president/george-washington/key-events