George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Virginia. During this time Virginia was part of the 13 English colonies. His father was a rich Virginian farmer. He grew up in a good family with his three brothers and two sisters. Washington never went to college or received a formal education. Washington was only 11 when his father passed away and did not leave their family of seven with enough money for a proper education. 

Craving adventure, George wanted to join the British Navy, but his mother refused to let him. Instead, he worked alongside George William Fairfax as a surveyor to the unexplored wilderness of the Virginia frontier in 1748. He went with Fairfax on his second expedition.  Seven years later, Washington joined the British Army as a volunteer in March 1755. Now Washington didn’t know this at the time, but what he learned by volunteering for the British Army he would be able to use in a couple of months to his advantage.

On January 6th, 1759, Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis, a charming and active young woman from the Tidewater area of Virginia. Martha brought enormous wealth, along with two small children, Jacky and Patsy to the marriage. It was her second marriage and his first. Washington’s stepson, John Parke Custis (Jacky), died of camp fever at the age of 27. He was the last of Martha’s remaining children. His sister Patsy had died as a teenager eight years earlier following an epileptic seizure. Martha was devastated by Jacky’s death.

With the coming of open war with Britain in 1775, the congress decided to make Washington commander in chief of the new Continental Army. Washington had as much military experience as anyone in the colonies, and his selection helped gain the allegiance of Virginia, which was by far the most populated of the 13 colonies. The information Washington gained from the British helped increase the chance of winning the war.  In April 1783 the war ended and we won.  

Finally, at 10 p.m. on December 14, 1799, Washington died at his Mount Vernon home at the age of 67.