George Washington (1732-99) was commander in chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (1775-83) and served two terms as the first U.S. president, from 1789 to 1797. The son of a prosperous planter, Washington was raised in colonial Virginia. As a young man, he worked as a surveyor then fought in the French and Indian War (1754-63).
During the American Revolution, he led the colonial forces to victory over the British and became a national hero. In 1787, he was elected president of the convention that wrote the U.S. Constitution. Two years later, Washington became America’s first president. Realizing that the way he handled the job would impact how future presidents approached the position, he handed down a legacy of strength, integrity and national purpose. Less than three years after leaving office, he died at his Virginia plantation, Mount Vernon, at age 67.
Political Party: N/A Terms: 1789-1797
Era
- Period 3 (1754-1800)
- Constitutional Period
Political Policies
- Judiciary Act of 1789
- Whiskey Rebellion (1794)
- Federalist Party
- Democratic-Republican Party
Social Policies
Economic Policies
- Assumption Plan
- First National Bank of the United States
- Samuel Slater’s Factory (1791)
- Cotton Gin by Eli Whitney (1793)
Foreign Policy Developments
- French Revolution
- Citizen Genet
- Jay Treaty
- Pickney Treaty