Historian Ron Chernow maintains that overseers were required to warn slaves before resorting to the lash and required Washington's written permission before whipping, though his extended absences did not always permit this. George Washington began inheriting enslaved people when he was 11-years-old. [440] In personal correspondence the next year, he made clear his desire to see the institution of slavery ended by a gradual legislative process, a view that correlated with the mainstream antislavery literature published in the 1780s that Washington possessed. [257], Washington proclaimed November 26 as a day of Thanksgiving in order to encourage national unity. [125] Patriot morale reached its lowest when Lee was captured. [241] Washington read a speech in the Senate Chamber, asking "that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations—and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, consecrate the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States". The state of Washington is the only US state to be named after a president. [425] Washington frequently cared for ill or injured slaves personally, and he provided physicians and midwives and had his slaves inoculated for smallpox. It contained the remains of his brother Lawrence and other family members, but the decrepit brick vault was in need of repair, prompting Washington to leave instructions in his will for the construction of a new vault. The illness may have caused him to become sterile, leaving him childless. He publicly attended services of different Christian denominations and prohibited anti-Catholic celebrations in the Army. [238][n] His coach was led by militia and a marching band and followed by statesmen and foreign dignitaries in an inaugural parade, with a crowd of 10,000. [296][o] The Northwest tribes under Miami chief Little Turtle allied with the British Army to resist American expansion, and killed 1,500 settlers between 1783 and 1790. For other uses, see. On April 30, 1789, George Washington, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York, took his oath of office as the first President of the United States. [250], Washington dealt with major problems. [47][f] Washington disagreed with General John Forbes' tactics and chosen route. [382] He had a rugged and dominating presence, which garnered respect from his male peers. [53], On January 6, 1759, Washington, at age 26, married Martha Dandridge Custis, the 27-year-old widow of wealthy plantation owner Daniel Parke Custis. [57], The marriage gave Washington control over Martha's one-third dower interest in the 18,000-acre (7,300 ha) Custis estate, and he managed the remaining two-thirds for Martha's children; the estate also included 84 slaves. He served as commander-in-chief of the Colonial Army during the American Revolution, leading the Patriot forces to victory over the British., leading the Patriot forces to victory over the British. [473] A 2018 Siena College Research Institute survey ranked him number 1 among presidents. Washington is often called the Father of His Country. [173] The Indian warriors joined with Loyalist rangers led by Walter Butler and viciously slew more than 200 frontiersmen in June, laying waste to the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania. [208][k] Loyalists in New York considered Howe a liberator and spread a rumor that Washington had set fire to the city. [46], In 1758, the Virginia Regiment was assigned to the British Forbes Expedition to capture Fort Duquesne. [338], Washington grew restless in retirement, prompted by tensions with France, and he wrote to Secretary of War James McHenry offering to organize President Adams' army. [457] Lee's words became the hallmark by which Washington's reputation was impressed upon the American memory, with some biographers regarding him as the great exemplar of republicanism. [311] Washington's close nephew George Augustine Washington, his manager at Mount Vernon, was critically ill and had to be replaced, further increasing Washington's desire to retire and return to Mount Vernon. [417] Most historians agree the Revolution was central to the evolution of Washington's attitudes on slavery;[418] "After 1783", Kenneth Morgan writes, "...[Washington] began to express inner tensions about the problem of slavery more frequently, though always in private..."[419], The many contemporary reports of slave treatment at Mount Vernon are varied and conflicting. Just a few years after leaving the office of president, Washington caught a bad cold. [261], Washington's first term was largely devoted to economic concerns, in which Hamilton had devised various plans to address matters. [323] In May 1796, Washington sent the manuscript to his Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton who did an extensive rewrite, while Washington provided final edits. [411] Washington owned and worked African slaves his entire adult life. Washington has since appeared on many postage issues, more than any other person. "It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor." I found it interesting that he never wore a wig. [258], In response to two antislavery petitions, Georgia and South Carolina objected and were threatening to "blow the trumpet of civil war". His longtime friend Thomas Jefferson became his Vice President, and he kept most of Washington's Cabinet members in place. [464][t], Parson Weems wrote a hagiographic biography in 1809 to honor Washington. [249] He remained non-partisan throughout his presidency and opposed the divisiveness of political parties, but he favored a strong central government, was sympathetic to a Federalist form of government, and leery of the Republican opposition. Finally, he served for eight years as the first president of the United States . Washington was outraged over what he viewed to be excessive Native American brutality and execution of captives, including women and children. [17] He received a surveyor's license the following year from the College of William & Mary. Washington declined, demanding to be addressed with diplomatic protocol, as general and fellow belligerent, not as a "rebel", lest his men be hanged as such if captured. George Washington led the American colonists to victory in the American Revolution. Important alterations must be made." The following day, he wrote to Burwell Bassett: "It is easier to conceive, than to describe, the distress of this Family". [352] Various modern medical authors have speculated that he died from a severe case of epiglottitis complicated by the given treatments, most notably the massive blood loss which almost certainly caused hypovolemic shock. He chose a partial attack on the retreating British at the Battle of Monmouth; the British were commanded by Howe's successor General Henry Clinton. He held an "ingrained sense of racial superiority" over African Americans, but harbored no ill feelings toward them. [247] He was an able administrator and a judge of talent and character, and he talked regularly with department heads to get their advice. [109][i], Washington then proceeded to New York City, arriving on April 13, 1776, and began constructing fortifications there to thwart the expected British attack. He endeavored to assimilate Native Americans into Anglo-American culture, but combated indigenous resistance during instances of violent conflict. New York Harbor was frozen over, snow and ice covered the ground for weeks, and the troops again lacked provisions. To supplement his income he erected a distillery for substantial whiskey production. [363][q], Washington was buried in the old Washington family vault at Mount Vernon, situated on a grassy slope overspread with willow, juniper, cypress, and chestnut trees. [51] He increased the professionalism of the regiment as it increased from 300 to 1,000 men, and Virginia's frontier population suffered less than other colonies. [80] That July, he and George Mason drafted a list of resolutions for the Fairfax County committee which Washington chaired, and the committee adopted the Fairfax Resolves calling for a Continental Congress. George Washington contracted smallpox while visiting Barbados. [441] He significantly reduced his purchases of slaves after the war, but continued to acquire them in small numbers. Crawford allotted 23,200 acres (9,400 ha) to Washington; Washington told the veterans that their land was hilly and unsuitable for farming, and he agreed to purchase 20,147 acres (8,153 ha), leaving some feeling they had been duped. The first presidential election was held on January 7, 1789, and Washington won handily. [262] The establishment of public credit became a primary challenge for the federal government. The Electoral College unanimously elected him president on February 13, 1793, and John Adams as vice president by a vote of 77 to 50. How 'His Highness' George Washington Became 'Mr. "[227] Nevertheless, he lent his prestige to the goodwill and work of the other delegates. He arrived on Christmas Eve, delighted to be "free of the bustle of a camp and the busy scenes of public life". [383] These dental problems left him in constant pain, for which he took laudanum. [444] The historian Philip D. Morgan (2005) disagrees, believing the remark was a "private expression of remorse" at his inability to free his slaves. Became a… View Post [136], The troops spotted Hessian positions a mile from Trenton, so Washington split his force into two columns, rallying his men: "Soldiers keep by your officers. [115] After the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, Washington informed his troops in his general orders of July 9 that Congress had declared the united colonies to be "free and independent states". [269] Hamilton demanded that Jefferson resign if he could not support Washington, and Jefferson told Washington that Hamilton's fiscal system would lead to the overthrow of the Republic. He procured four American ships as privateers to strike at Spanish forces (British allies) in Florida while organizing militias to strike at other British possessions. [203] On November 25, the British evacuated New York City, and Washington and Governor George Clinton took possession. Many members of his own Federalist party and the Cabinet wanted the … [70], Washington soon was counted among the political and social elite in Virginia. [297], Washington decided that "The Government of the United States are determined that their Administration of Indian Affairs shall be directed entirely by the great principles of Justice and humanity",[298] and provided that their land interests should be negotiated by treaties. Virginia's Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie appointed him as a major and as commander of one of the four militia districts. [433] Washington supported many slaves who were too young or too old to work, greatly increasing Mount Vernon's slave population and causing the plantation to operate at a loss. Martha wore a black mourning cape for one year, and she burned their correspondence to protect their privacy. [133], Washington first ordered a 60-mile search for Durham boats, to transport his army, and he ordered the destruction of vessels that could be used by the British. French commander Joseph Coulon de Jumonville, who carried a diplomatic message for the British to evacuate, was killed. It was difficult for him to talk or to eat. George Washington inherited ten enslaved people from his father's will. [24], In October 1753, Dinwiddie appointed Washington as a special envoy to demand that the French vacate territory which the British had claimed. 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