People We Admire
George Washington
My name is George Washington. I was called The Father of our Country. I helped the U.S. Government develop in its early stages. A student chose to write about me because I was the first president and he wanted to learn more about me. I was born in Westmoreland, Virginia on February 22, 1732. My father was Augustine Washington and my mother was Mary Ball Washington. I had five brothers and one sister, but my favorite brother was my older half-brother named Lawrence. In fact, my favorite game when I was little was to pretend I was a soldier like him.
I did not have much formal schooling. I was mainly home schooled by tutors. I studied astronomy, Latin and geometry. I was especially good at mathematics,which helped me become a land surveyor later. Sadly, I never went to college because when my dad died we did not have enough money to send me away to college.
When I was 14, I started to survey land. A land surveyor is someone who measures land. I surveyed land for my half-brother Lawrence and his friends. When I was 16, I surveyed land in the Shenandoah Valley. Lawrence became sick and died.
After he died I wanted to replace him in the British army. My first job in the military was to train the troops. Later I was assigned to carry a message to the French telling them to get off our land. The French said that it was their land and said that we would be arrested. Angry, I went back to Virginia to tell the governor that the French were staying on the land. Years later when the revolutionary war was first starting, I was elected General and Commander in chief of the whole United Colonies army. I lost quite a few battles but I won the important ones. I won the Revolutionary War. Oh! I almost forgot to tell you! I got married to Martha Dandrige Custis on January 6, 1759. My stepchildren were John Parke Custis and Martha Parke Custis. They liked to be called Jackie and Patsy. I had a unanimous vote when I was elected for president. I set the office of president. I let everyone have a say in the decisions. I died of a very bad throat infection on December 14, 1799. I was greatly honored by many people so they made the Washington Monument and named the capital of the country after me. Many people say I was a great man.
