A Precedent-Setting President

FYI: This week in American History I learned quite a bit about George Washington. Here's an essay I wrote about him--hope you enjoy it! :) ~Photobug

As the United States of America was being born, why did our leaders pick George Washington to be our first President? Quite simply, Washington was the best. He became a precedent-setting President.

Born in 1732, Washington was the second son of a wealthy Virginia planter. Unfortunately, when young George was only 11 years old, his father died. Five years later when he turned 16, Washington became a surveyor, marking off plots of land in the wilderness frontier, so people wouldn’t squabble over what belonged to whom. In 1752, Washington’s older brother died, thus making Washington the owner of the family plantation, Mount Vernon. Later in the 1750s Washington became involved in the Seven Years’ War, and was right in the middle of everything the whole time.

Washington married Martha Custis in 1759, and married into a very rich family. Washington had been rich before, but now he was one of the most influential men of all New England. Washington got involved with politics and was elected to the House of Burgesses, and promoted colonial rights actively. Later he was elected to the Continental Congress, and became the Commander-in-Chief of the American army in the Revolutionary War.

While Washington suffered more defeats than victories, everyone still liked him and held him in very high esteem. Through everything, he kept his men together—and alive. He did have some victories, and with the help of the French, was victorious over the world-renowned British Army.

George Washington became the most respected man in America.

He was elected president of the Constitutional Convention, and when the time came to choose a President of our new nation, Washington was the unanimous choice.

Washington was, in the truest sense of the word, a precedent-setting President. He upheld the Constitution, and did not interfere with the other governmental branches’ decisions. During his service as President, he lived in a mansion in New York City, and received $25,000 as his salary. However, he had to pay all of his expenses from that, which was about $5,000.

After two terms of service in office Washington was ready to step down. In his Farewell Address, Washington urged his beloved country to keep the country unified, and to stay far away from European politics. And in 1799, George Washington died at his home, Mount Vernon.