Makes biography of george washington

Since independence, the young republic had been struggling under the Articles of Confederation , a structure of government that centered power with the states. But the states were not unified. They fought among themselves over boundaries and navigation rights and refused to contribute to paying off the nation's war debt. In some instances, state legislatures imposed tyrannical tax policies on their own citizens.

Washington was intensely dismayed at the state of affairs, but only slowly came to the realization that something should be done about it. Perhaps he wasn't sure the time was right so soon after the Revolution to be making major adjustments to the democratic experiment. Or perhaps because he hoped he would not be called upon to serve, he remained noncommittal.

In , Congress approved a convention to be held in Philadelphia to amend the Articles of Confederation. At the Constitutional Convention , Washington was unanimously chosen as president. Washington, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton had come to the conclusion that it wasn't amendments that were needed, but a new constitution that would give the national government more authority.

In the end, the Convention produced a plan for government that not only would address the country's current problems, but would endure through time. After the convention adjourned, Washington's reputation and support for the new government were indispensable to the ratification of the new U. The opposition was strident, if not organized, with many of America's leading political figures — including Patrick Henry and Sam Adams — condemning the proposed government as a grab for power.

Even in Washington's native Virginia, the Constitution was ratified by only one vote. Still hoping to retire to his beloved Mount Vernon, Washington was once again called upon to serve this country. During the presidential election of , he received a vote from every elector to the Electoral College, the only president in American history to be elected by unanimous approval.

As the first president, Washington was astutely aware that his presidency would set a precedent for all that would follow. He carefully attended to the responsibilities and duties of his office, remaining vigilant to not emulate any European royal court. To that end, he preferred the title "Mr. President," instead of more imposing names that were suggested.

However, Congress persuaded him to accept the compensation to avoid giving the impression that only wealthy men could serve as president. Washington proved to be an able administrator. He surrounded himself with some of the most capable people in the country, appointing Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury and Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State.

He delegated authority wisely and consulted regularly with his cabinet listening to their advice before making a decision. Washington established broad-ranging presidential authority, but always with the highest integrity, exercising power with restraint and honesty. In doing so, he set a standard rarely met by his successors, but one that established an ideal by which all are judged.

During his first term, Washington adopted a series of measures proposed by Treasury Secretary Hamilton to reduce the nation's debt and place its finances on sound footing. His administration also established several peace treaties with Native American tribes and approved a bill establishing the nation's capital in a permanent district along the Potomac River.

Then, in , Washington signed a bill authorizing Congress to place a tax on distilled spirits, which stirred protests in rural areas of Pennsylvania. Quickly, the protests turned into a full-scale defiance of federal law known as the Whiskey Rebellion. Washington invoked the Militia Act of , summoning local militias from several states to put down the rebellion.

Washington personally took command, marching the troops into the areas of rebellion and demonstrating that the federal government would use force, when necessary, to enforce the law. This was also the only time a sitting U. In foreign affairs, Washington took a cautious approach, realizing that the weak young nation could not succumb to Europe's political intrigues.

In , France and Great Britain were once again at war. At the urging of Hamilton, Washington disregarded the U. In , he sent John Jay to Britain to negotiate a treaty known as the "Jay Treaty" to secure a peace with Britain and clear up some issues held over from the Revolutionary War. The action infuriated Jefferson, who supported the French and felt that the U.

Washington was able to mobilize public support for the treaty, which proved decisive in securing ratification in the Senate. Though controversial, the treaty proved beneficial to the United States by removing British forts along the western frontier, establishing a clear boundary between Canada and the United States, and most importantly, delaying a war with Britain and providing over a decade of prosperous trade and development the fledgling country so desperately needed.

All through his two terms as president, Washington was dismayed at the growing partisanship within the government and the nation. The power bestowed on the federal government by the Constitution made for important decisions, and people joined together to influence those decisions. The formation of political parties at first were influenced more by personality than by issues.

As Treasury secretary, Hamilton pushed for a strong national government and an economy built in industry. Secretary of State Jefferson desired to keep government small and center power more at the local level, where citizens' freedom could be better protected. He envisioned an economy based on farming. Washington despised political partisanship, believing that ideological differences should never become institutionalized.

He strongly felt that political leaders should be free to debate important issues without being bound by party loyalty. However, Washington could do little to slow the development of political parties. The ideals promoted by Hamilton and Jefferson produced a two-party system that proved remarkably durable. These opposing viewpoints represented a continuation of the debate over the proper role of government, a debate that began with the conception of the Constitution and continues today.

Washington's administration was not without its critics who questioned what they saw as extravagant conventions in the office of the president. During his two terms, Washington rented the best houses available and was driven in a coach drawn by four horses, with outriders and lackeys in rich uniforms. After being overwhelmed by callers, he announced that except for the scheduled weekly reception open to all, he would only see people by appointment.

Washington entertained lavishly, but in private dinners and receptions at invitation only. He was, by some, accused of conducting himself like a king. However, ever mindful his presidency would set the precedent for those to follow, he was careful to avoid the trappings of a monarchy. George Washington, the first American general, president, and national hero was born in rural colonial Virginia on February 22, After the early death of his father, a young George Washington only seven years old at the time learned the ways of farming and planting as he became the primary owner of his family's plantation farm.

He stayed at home throughout his early teenage years, helping his mother run the family's estate. At the age of fifteen, George became a surveyor. He was able to land this prestigious job through vital connections that his older brother, Lawrence Washington, possessed.

Makes biography of george washington

Lawrence Washington was close partners with the wealthy Colonel William Fairfax, a very wealthy Virginian politician and landholder. After receiving a good word from the influential Colonel Fairfax, George Washington not only became a successful surveyor, but also was placed in a position to gain land and political positions. Upon the death of his brother Lawrence, George achieved his first political position in Virginia's Northern District.

Furthermore, Colonel Fairfax took the young Washington under his wing as a role model and a sort of surrogate father, fostering in the ambitious George Washington a yearning to also learn about the art of war. His two most prominent cabinet appointees were Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton , two men who disagreed strongly on the role of the federal government.

Washington believed that divergent views were critical for the health of the new government, but he was distressed at what he saw as an emerging partisanship. Secret agents, invisible ink, ciphers and codes—the gritty and dangerous underworld of the colonial insurgency. The Founding Father left the presidency a healthy man, but then died from a sudden illness less than three years later.

He signed the first United States copyright law, protecting the copyrights of authors. He also signed the first Thanksgiving proclamation, making November 26 a national day of Thanksgiving for the end of the war for American independence and the successful ratification of the Constitution. In his second term, Washington issued the proclamation of neutrality to avoid entering the war between Great Britain and France.

His meddling caused a stir between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans, widening the rift between parties and making consensus-building more difficult. It helped the U. Internationally, it caused a stir among the French, who believed it violated previous treaties between the United States and France. The Treaty of Tripoli, signed the following year, gave American ships access to Mediterranean shipping lanes in exchange for a yearly tribute to the Pasha of Tripoli.

In , after two terms as president and declining to serve a third term, Washington finally retired. The address is still read each February in the U. Washington returned to Mount Vernon and devoted his attentions to making the plantation as productive as it had been before he became president. More than four decades of public service had aged him, but he was still a commanding figure.

In December , he caught a cold after inspecting his properties in the rain. The cold developed into a throat infection and Washington died on the night of December 14, , at the age of He was entombed at Mount Vernon, which in was designated a national historic landmark. Washington left one of the most enduring legacies of any American in history.

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