George Washington (1732-1799) was an American military officer and statesman who led the Continental Army to victory during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) and served as the first president of the United States (1789-1797). Often regarded as the 'Father of His Country', Washington remains one of the most revered and iconic figures in US history.
More about: George Washington5 days left
Server Costs Fundraiser 2024
Help our mission to provide free history education to the world! Please donate and contribute to covering our server costs in 2024. With your support, millions of people learn about history entirely for free every month.
$14442 / $18000
Definition
Timeline
-
22 Feb 1732George Washington is born at 10 am on Pope's Creek plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia.
-
12 Apr 1743Augustine Washington dies; 11-year-old George inherits the property of Ferry Farm and 10 slaves, goes to live with his brother Lawrence at Mount Vernon.
-
Mar 1748George Washington embarks on his first land surveying expedition into western Virginia.
-
Nov 1751 - Dec 1751George Washington accompanies his older brother Lawrence to Barbados; while there, George contracts smallpox but recovers .
-
26 Jul 1752Lawrence Washington dies of tuberculosis, aged 34.
-
11 Dec 1753Major Washington arrives at Fort LeBoeuf to demand the French stop building forts on the Ohio River. He is politely, but firmly, rebuffed.
-
28 May 1754Washington and Mingo chief Tanacharison ambush a party of French soldiers at Jumonville Glen, killing the French commander.
-
3 Jul 1754Battle of Fort Necessity; the French allow Washington and his men to return home after signing a document admitting they 'assassinated' a French diplomat.
-
9 Jul 1755A British expeditionary force under Gen. Braddock is ambushed by French and Indians near the Monongahela River in modern PA; 800 British casualties, including Braddock.
-
Aug 1755Colonel Washington appointed commander of the Virginia Regiment.
-
6 Jan 1759George Washington marries the wealthy widow Martha Dandridge Custis, becomes stepfather to her two children.
-
1761George Washington becomes the sole owner of Mount Vernon upon the death of Anne Fairfax, Lawrence's widow.
-
10 Feb 1763Treaty of Paris of 1763 ends the French and Indian War.
-
19 Jun 1773George Washington's stepdaughter, Martha "Patsy" Parke Custis, dies of an epileptic seizure, age 17.
-
Aug 1774 - Oct 1774Washington becomes increasingly involved in the American Revolution; attends the First Virginia Convention and the First Continental Congress.
-
15 Jun 1775The Second Continental Congress adopts the Continental Army, names George Washington as commander-in-chief.
-
2 Jul 1775George Washington arrives in Cambridge, MA to take command of the Continental Army, implements army reforms.
-
17 Mar 1776George Washington's troops enter Boston, MA after an 11-month siege.
-
9 Jul 1776Gen. George Washington reads the Declaration of Independence aloud to his troops in NYC; a statue of King George III on Bowling Green is torn down and melted into bullets.
-
27 Aug 1776 - 27 Dec 1776George Washington's depleted army is chased across the Delaware River in the New York and New Jersey Campaign.
-
27 Aug 1776Battle of Long Island; the Continental Army is defeated by British troops and German auxiliaries.
-
26 Dec 1776After recrossing the Delaware River, Gen. George Washington surprises and defeats a Hessian garrison at the Battle of Trenton.
-
11 Sep 1777Battle of Brandywine Creek; George Washington's army is defeated by British forces after 11 hours of fighting. Lafayette is wounded.
-
Nov 1777 - Apr 1778The Conway Cabal threatens to remove George Washington from his role as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army but is ultimately thwarted.
-
19 Oct 1781Gen. George Washington accepts the surrender of Lord Cornwallis following the Siege of Yorktown.
-
May 1787 - Sep 1787George Washington serves as president of the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
-
4 Feb 1789In the first US presidential election, George Washington wins all 69 electoral votes; John Adams is elected vice president.
-
30 Apr 1789George Washington is inaugurated as president of the United States at Federal Hall in New York City.
-
30 Apr 1789George Washington is inaugurated as the first President of the United States, having been unanimously voted in by the electors.
-
4 Mar 1793President George Washington is sworn in for his second term.
-
22 Apr 1793President George Washington issues a Proclamation of Neutrality, stating that the U.S. would remain neutral in the French Revolutionary Wars .
-
Sep 1794 - Oct 1794President George Washington assembles a 13,000-man militia army to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion in western PA.
-
19 Nov 1794Controversial Jay Treaty reopens trade with Great Britain.
-
19 Sep 1796President George Washington delivers his 'Farewell Address' in which he warns of the dangers of political parties.
-
4 Mar 1797President George Washington leaves office at the end of his second term, retires to Mount Vernon.
-
14 Dec 1799President George Washington dies at Mount Vernon, at the age of 67.
