George Washington
At a Glance
Term: 1st President of the United States (1789-1797)
Born: February 22, 1732, Pope's Creek, Virginia
Nickname: "Father of His Country"
Education: The equivalent of an elementary school education
Religion: Episcopalian
Marriage: January 6, 1759, to Martha Dandridge Custis (1731-1802)
Children: None
Career: Soldier, Planter
Political Party: Federalist
Died: December 14, 1799, Mount Vernon, Virginia
Buried: Family vault, Mount Vernon, Virginia
A Life in Brief: 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. More....
Essays on George Washington and His Administration
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George Washington
A Life in Brief • Life Before the Presidency • Campaigns and Elections • Domestic Affairs • Foreign Affairs • Life After the Presidency • Family Life • The American Franchise • Impact and Legacy • Key Events |
| First Lady Martha Washington |
| Vice President John Adams (1789-1797) |
| Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson (1789 - 1793) • Edmund Randolph (1794 - 1795) • Timothy Pickering (1796 - 1797) |
| Secretary of War Henry Knox (1789 - 1794) • Timothy Pickering (1795 - 1796) • James McHenry (1796 - 1797) |
| Postmaster General Samuel Osgood (1789 - 1791) • Timothy Pickering (1791 - 1795) • Joseph Habersham (1795 - 1797) |
| Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton (1789 - 1795) • Oliver Wolcott Jr. (1795 - 1797) |
| Attorney General Edmund Randolph (1789 - 1794) • William Bradford (1794 - 1795) • Charles Lee (1795 - 1797) |
Consulting Editor: Stephen Knott
Professor Knott is an Associate Professor in the National Security Decision Making Department at the United States Naval War College. Prior to joining the War College faculty, he served as project director for the Ronald Reagan and Edward M. Kennedy Oral History Projects at the Miller Center of Public Affairs. His writings include:
The Reagan Years (Facts on File, 2005)
Alexander Hamilton and the Persistence of Myth (University Press of Kansas, 2002)
Presidential SpeechesBelow are selections from the Miller Center's George Washington speech collection. To view the Miller Center's other speeches by George Washington or by another President, please click the link below. October 3, 1789 - Thanksgiving Proclamation |
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Miller Center Scholarship and SpeakersThe Miller Center of Public Affairs is a national nonpartisan center to research, reflect, and report on American government, with special attention to the central role and history of the presidency. Below is a selection of Miller Center resources on George Washington.
George Washington came to the presidency with an abundance of military experience. Click here to learn more about the Miller Center’s National War Powers Commission. Click here to learn more about the Center's National Commission on the Presidential Nominating Process and its relationship to Washington. |
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Scripps Library Reference ResourcesBelow are links to reference resources prepared by the Miller Center's Scripps Library that are designed to help students and scholars quickly conduct their research. Bibliography on George Washington and his Administration Information on George Washington's Private and Public Papers |
Presidential Speeches |
Academic Programs | Public Programs
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Presidential Bibliographies | Presidential Papers |
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Listen to Michael Riccards's 1992 presentation at the Miller Center on