1732 - 1799
The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government. But the constitution which at any time exists till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people is sacredly obligatory upon all. Farewell Address
George Washington was born into a mildly prosperous Virginia farming family in 1732. After his father died when George was eleven, George's mother, Mary, a tough and driven woman, struggled to hold their home together with the help of her two sons from a previous marriage. Although he never received more than an elementary school education, young George displayed a gift for mathematics. This knack for numbers combined with his quiet confidence and ambition caught the attention of Lord Fairfax, head of one of the most powerful families in Virginia. While working for Lord Fairfax as a surveyor at the age of sixteen, the young Washington traveled deep into the American wilderness for weeks at a time.
The Washington Papers
The Papers of George Washington was established in 1968 at the University of Virginia. Read about recent findings from ongoing research.
George Washington v. Woodrow Wilson
Longtime Foreign Service officer Murat Williams compares Washington and Wilson’s approaches to promulgating American values in the world
The 1788 “General” election: Military experience in the White House
Being the architect of America’s victory over the British made Washington popular, but relinquishing his power made him seem immortal. Because he could be trusted with power, he made the presidency possible