Transcript George Washington - High Point University

George Washington:
A Fearless Leader of Our
Country
Key Facts To Why George
Washington is important
• George Washington, also called Father of his Country,
was an American general and Commander-in-Chief of
the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War
and later the first President of the United States under
the U.S. Constitution. He also served as President of the
1787 Constitutional Convention. For the role he played in
winning and securing American independence,
Washington is generally recognized as one of the most
important figures in all of U.S. history. Unlike many other
revolutionary leaders, he voluntarily relinquished power
even though some others wanted him to retain that
power for life. This established an important precedent of
republican democracy, that served as an example
around the world.
George Washington’s Farewell
Address
• 1796: Our nation and our
freedoms face grave threats a common condition in the
annals of history. In Old
Testament times of danger, a
watchman would blow the
trumpet and alert the nation.
Today, George Washington’s
final message could serve as
such a trumpet call for us. In
his Farewell Address, our first
president shared his
“apprehension of danger” and
issued a sobering reminder of
the many “causes which may
disturb our union.” –George
Washington
Bring History To Life
•
Bring History to Life …..
•
George Washington's Mount
Vernon Estate & Gardens offers
a variety of fieldtrip
experiences. Designed to help
you meet specific curriculumbased standards, these
programs focus on George
Washington’s life in the 18th
century. George Washington's
Mount Vernon estate extended
over eight thousand acres and
was divided into five farms,
each a complete unit with its
own overseers, work force of
slaves, livestock, equipment,
and buildings. George
Washington’s estate has
become an educational tourist
site for people all around the
world.
George Washington was known for:
• Took part in the French and Indian War
• A Virginia Politician
• Commander and Chief of the Continental Army
in the American Revolution
• The 1st President of the United States
• His Farewell Address when he left office
• His acceptance of Jay’s Treaty in 1974
• He headed the Virginia delegation to the
Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia
GW: February 22, 1732 –
December 14, 1799
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George Washington was the successful Commander in Chief of the Continental
Army in the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1783, and later became
the first President of the United States, an office to which he was twice elected
unanimously, and held from 1789 to 1797.
Washington first gained prominence as an officer during the French and Indian
War and as a leader of colonial militia supporting the British Empire. After
leading the American victory in the Revolutionary War, he refused to lead a
military regime, though encouraged by some of his peers to do so. He returned
to civilian life at Mount Vernon.
In 1787 he presided over the Constitutional Convention that drafted the current
United States Constitution and, in 1789, was the unanimous choice to become
the first president of the United States. His two-term administration set many
policies and traditions that survive today. After his second term expired,
Washington again voluntarily relinquished power, thereby establishing an
important precedent that was to serve as an example for the United States and
also for other future republics.
Because of his central role in the founding of the United States, Washington is
often called the "Father of his Country". Scholars rank him with Abraham
Lincoln among the greatest of United States presidents.