George Washington Facts For Kids

By John C. Barnard Last updated May 23, 2022 0

George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was the first President of the United States (1789–1797), the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and one of the nation’s Founding Fathers.

Early years

On the Rappahannock River, the Washingtons have a home.

The Washingtons were a well-to-do Virginia family. George Washington was the first of Augustine and Mary Ball Washington’s six children, born on February 22, 1732, in Popes Creek, Westmoreland County, Virginia.

His father was a justice of the peace and a well-known public person, with four more children from his previous marriage to Jane Butler.

In 1735, the family relocated to Little Hunting Creek, then in 1738 to Ferry Farm on the Rappahannock River in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Washington acquired Ferry Farm and 10 slaves when Augustine died in 1743, but his older half-brother Lawrence inherited Little Hunting Creek and renamed it, Mount Vernon.

Washington did not receive the same rigorous education as his older brothers at England’s Appleby Grammar School, but he did learn arithmetic, trigonometry, and land surveying. He was a gifted mapmaker and draughtsman.

Prior to the American Revolutionary War

Washington followed in his father’s footsteps and became a farmer. Mount Vernon was the name of his farm. He also worked as a land surveyor, taking measurements. Washington had always desired to be a soldier and was a member of the Virginia colonial militia. He was dispatched to the “forks of the Ohio River,” today known as Pittsburgh, multiple times. His mission was to defeat the French who were attempting to conquer the Ohio River Valley.

Many of his troops were slain as a result of his failure. The battle was the start of the French and Indian War, and it drew Britain into the Seven Years’ War. He was elected to the Virginia assembly in 1758.

Washington married Martha Custis, a widow, in 1759. There were no children from the marriage.

The Revolutionary War

Lafayette thought this bust of Washington was the best likeness he could find.

Washington was a delegate to the First Continental Congress, which was formed by the Thirteen Colonies in response to the British government’s various legislation. He was appointed as the Continental Army’s commanding commander by the Second Continental Congress. From 1775 until the end of the war in 1783, Washington led the army.

After losing the major Battle of Long Island and being pursued across New Jersey, Washington led his forces across the Delaware River on Christmas Day, 1776, in a surprise attack against Hessian mercenaries at the tiny Battle of Princeton and Trenton. Although the British had more troops and supplies than Washington, he kept his troops united and won these little battles.

Despite the fact that Washington did not win many engagements, he never allowed the British to annihilate his army. In the final major battle of the Revolutionary War, Washington forced a British army to surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, with the support of the French army and naval. The Treaty of Paris, signed in 1783, marked the end of the conflict.

Following the WAR

Washington was regarded as a national hero after the Revolutionary War ended. Washington was offered a government position that would have amounted to a dictatorship over the colonies, but he declined, left the army, and returned to Mount Vernon in an unexpected move. He desired a strong administration for the colonies but did not want to be in charge of it, nor did he want the colonies to be ruled by a tyrant. In 1784, George Washington asked Luis de Unzaga y Amézaga to intervene in the former General Walter Stewart’s free trade affairs, as he had previously mediated in financial aid matters requested by him and other founding fathers of the United States, such as Robert Morris and Patrick Henry, to Louis de Unzaga y Amezaga.

Washington was one of the leaders who advocated for a new constitution for the country. In 1787, Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention. The delegates drafted the United States Constitution, which was accepted by all of the states and incorporated into the new government.

Presidency

Washington was elected President of the United States without opposition in 1789, making him the country’s first president. Despite the fact that Washington was not a member of any political party, he agreed with some Federalist ideas, such as the need for a standing army and a national bank. For a second term, he was re-elected. Despite his great popularity, Washington decided not to run for reelection after his second term. His decision to limit himself to two terms set a pattern that was followed by every president until Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940.

In his parting address, Washington advised the country against becoming divided into political parties and getting entangled in foreign wars. For almost a century, most Americans have backed Washington’s non-interventionist foreign policy. Because political parties were already formed at the time of his speech, his admonition to avoid them was utterly ignored.

Retirement

After his second tenure expired in 1797, Washington returned to Mount Vernon (Virginia). He died of pneumonia two years later, on December 14, 1799, in Mount Vernon, at the age of 67.

Wealth

George Washington inherited a large piece of farmland from his marriage, where he farmed tobacco, wheat, and vegetables. Washington also possessed over 100 slaves, all of whom were freed after he died. While he was president, he did not have much cash on hand and had to borrow money. Washington’s estate was valued at over $500,000 at the time of his death.

Teeth that aren’t real

A widespread misunderstanding is that George Washington wore fake teeth made of wood. He did, however, test a variety of tooth replacement options, including having teeth carved from elk or ivory. Ivory and bone both exhibit hairline fractures that are typically undetectable but have darkened as a result of Washington’s wine consumption.

The darker, small fractures in the bone gave the lines the appearance of the wood grain. George Washington’s teeth began to fall out when he was approximately 22 years old, and by the time he became president, he only had one tooth left.

He found it impossible to speak or eat. He used to wear false teeth with a particular hole in them so that his remaining tooth could protrude through. He tried soaking them in wine to keep them smelling fresh, but they turned mushy and black instead.

George Washington’s last tooth had to be extracted by a dentist in 1796, and he preserved it in a gold locket attached to his watch chain. When it came time for the president’s portrait to be painted, cotton was put between his lips to give him the appearance of fangs. His mouth puffed up as a result of the cotton, as seen on the $1 bill.

George Washington has some fascinating information.

George Washington’s birthdate was 11 days earlier than it appears on the calendar. The date was modified when the colonies moved from the Gregorian to the Julian calendar.

George was born without a middle name.

Rather than donning a wig, George powdered his natural hair.

George Washington was promoted to General of the United States Armies in 1976, making him the military’s highest-ranking officer.

George Washington is supposed to have died as a result of a doctor attempting to help him (Washington had pneumonia) taking too much blood from his body during a procedure known as bloodletting.

In his lifetime, he wrote between 18,000 and 20,000 letters. If you wrote one letter every day, it would take 50-55 years to write that many letters.

George Washington was a dog lover.

George Washington was the only President to fight in battle while in office.