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To err is natural; 
to rectify error is glory.
~George Washington~

America's first president was George Washington. He was a very well-liked president. He was known as the "Father of Our Country." In fact, Abraham Lincoln read George Washington's bio over and over when he was a child, and he decided to follow in Washington's footsteps. He became the sixteenth president of the United States.

George Washington was born to Augustine and Mary Washington on February 22, 1732 on Wakefield Plantation, which is a farm in Virginia. Washington was the eldest of six children from his father's second marriage. Washington started school when he was seven. He attended a school with children of all ages who had one teacher. It was called a one-room schoolhouse.

At the age of eleven, George Washington lost his father. He was very sad. He took care of the farm and his brothers and sister with his mom. A few years later, he went to stay with his half-brother Lawrence on a farm called Mount Vernon. George's father left Mount Vernon and most of his property to Lawrence. George learned all about hunting, farming, fishing, and riding horses on Mount Vernon. He loved riding horses.

Lawrence was a soldier. He often told George about his war experiences. George loved living with Lawrence. He learned how to ride horses, shoot a gun, dance, and play cards. Lawrence was a second father to George.

George Washington was very good at math. He used his mathematical skills to become a surveyor. When he was sixteen, he spent about four weeks surveying thousands of acres of land that belonged to his neighbor Colonel William Fairfax's family. At this time, Washington enjoyed camping and riding his horse.

Four years later, Lawrence died of a lung disease. George Washington was very sad. He inherited Mount Vernon. Following in Lawrence's footsteps, he became a volunteer soldier for Virginia.

George Washington joined the army of Virginia. The French and British soldiers started fighting in 1754. This was the beginning of the French and Indian War. George Washington was in charge of several attacks against the French and the Indians. Washington, twenty-three, became the leader of Virginia's army. Great Britain won the war after seven years. Great Britain now owned all the territory to the right of the Mississippi River, and also Canada. And George Washington gained much experience as a soldier. He became known as being brave and courageous.

Washington went back to Mount Vernon. He met a young widow named Martha Custis. She had two young children. George and Martha fell in love and got married in 1759. George lived with his new family at Mount Vernon. They were very happy there. Martha was one of the richest women in America. George used some of her money to buy many of the farms that were around Mount Vernon. He wanted to be a farmer for the rest of his life.

At this time, the British king, King George III, was making the American's lives very difficult. Great Britain needed to raise money to pay the debt from the French and Indian War. King George III made the colonies pay high taxes on the paper, tea, and paint that they bought. He also passed many laws that were unpopular. Many of the colonists were upset, so they refused to pay the king his taxes. The king's taxes and laws motivated George Washington to fight for freedom in America. Many people wanted the same.

In 1774, representatives from each colony met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at a meeting called the Continental Congress. The meeting was called to discuss what to do about Great Britain's new laws. Washington was a representative of Virginia. He was a good listener and very fair, but he rarely spoke in front of large groups of people. He was so fired up about the freedom of the United States that he spoke to his fellow members of congress. They listened to him, and felt that his opinion was very valuable. Patrick Henry, a representative of Virginia, said that Washington was able to make decisions better than anyone else. The representatives decided they would go against the British if they had to.

In Lexington, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775, the British fired on the colonists. Ten Americans were wounded and eight were killed. Americans were very upset about the attack, and they decided it was time to fight the British. A Second Continental Congress was called, and George Washington was picked to lead the American soldiers against the British. Washington said he would do his best, but he did not feel like he was the best man for the job. He refused to take any pay except for expenses. Immediately after the second meeting in Philadelphia, Washington left to command the troops against the British.

It took George Washington eight years to train and lead the American soldiers. When they started, they were very successful. They got the British out of Boston. But as the army got smaller, it also grew weaker. There was not always enough food or even weapons. The winter was very harsh. They spent the winter of 1777-1778 camped at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Some of the troops did not have shoes. Regardless of their lack of resources, George Washington encouraged his men to keep fighting. The Americans lost many battles, but Washington never gave up. In 1781, at Yorktown, Virginia, the British general Lord Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington. The American Revolution battles were over. After the battles ended, the colonies were free and so was America.

George Washington was tired and wanted to get back to farming, so he returned to Mount Vernon. Again, he felt a calling from his country. He knew America needed a new government and new laws. Representatives from each state met in 1787 to decide on the government and the laws. Washington helped create the Constitution of America. This is a document that set standards for the government to follow. George Washington was a representative of Virginia, and he was also elected president of the Constitutional Convention. The new government they created would have a president that was elected by the people. George Washington was the people's choice. It was unanimous. Washington was not confident because he was a soldier and a farmer. He didn't know if he should be president, because he did not want to disappoint the people.

On April 30, 1789, George Washington became the first president of the United States. He wanted to set a good example for future presidents. Four years later, he was elected to another term. As a result of his presidency, democracy became very strong.

After George Washington served his two terms as president, he and his wife went to live at Mount Vernon. George Washington became very sick and developed a bad cold. Several doctors tried everything to help Washington get better, but nothing worked. George Washington died two years later on December 14, 1799. Washington spent most of his life serving his country, and he died at the age of sixty-seven. He was buried at Mount Vernon. There is a river separating Mount Vernon from Washington, D.C., our nation's capital. It was named after George Washington.

I die hard but am not afraid to go.
~George Washington~

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