George Washington

George Washington was born in the family of a Virginian planter. When he was 20 years old, he was appointed major of Virginia militia, and three years later he was made colonel and commander of all Virginia's forces. He took part in the French and Indian War in and distinguished himself by capturing Fort Duquesne.

After 1770 getting independence from Britain became the major problem in the American colonies. In 1774 George Washington was chosen one of Virginia's delegates to the First, and in 1775 to the Second Continental Congress. When the War for Independence began, Washington was appointed commander-in-chief of all the colonial forces.

Washington clearly understood the difficulty of fighting a powerful enemy with a badly equipped and poorly trained army. The colonists were not accustomed to taking orders, and Washington faced great difficulties in his efforts to establish strict discipline.

Part of Washington's greatness lay in the fact that commanding this new kind of army, he appreciated its qualities and realized its needs. He insisted that it was necessary to impress upon the mind of every soldier the importance of the cause they were fighting for.

Washington's fidelity to the Revolution inspired others, and by 1781 he had managed to build up a strong army, which won a victory in the war.

On April 6,1789, George Washington was unanimously elected President of the United States of America and served two terms( ).

George Washington died in In honour of the first President, the newly-built capital of the country was named Washington.