Notes

George Washington
George Washington was born into a mildly prosperous Virginia farming family in 1732. After his father died, when he was eleven, George’s mother, Mary, a tough and driven women, snuggled to hold their home together with the help of her two sons from the previous marriage. Although he never received an elementary school education, young George displayed a gift for mathematics. In 1759 he married Martha Custis. Their wedding and reception took place in Martha’s plantation home, which was called the White House. They enjoyed many happy years together before war came. Washington was elected in both the First and the Second Continental Congress. He was later named Commander in Chief of the armed forces. When war began, he was the most experienced and most revered officer the new Continental Army had. Beset by ill-trained soldiers, bad weather, and bad luck, Washington did his best to win the Revolutionary War. During the election of 1788 George Washington was elected America’s first President by acclamation, receiving all 69 electoral votes in the very first presidential election. During the election of 1792 Washington was re-elected in 1792, and Adams again received the second highest number of votes. By this time, the other three original Colonies had ratified the Constitution and Kentucky and Vermont were states. The national population had grown, and Washington’s electoral vote total was 132. He died December 14, 1799, Mount Vernon, VA.