Who Was The First President Of The United States
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George Washington was the first President of the United States, serving in office from April 30, 1789 to March 4, 1797. He was the leader of a movement to form a new nation and became, in effect, the country’s first leader, setting precedents that subsequent presidents followed.
Washington was born in Virginia on February 11, 1732. He attended school in town, was tutored by his father, and gained practical experience as a surveyor in the Virginia backcountry. He subsequently became a successful planter in Virginia, before leading the continental troops that won independence from Britain during the Revolutionary War.
As the commander of the continental army, Washington had no precedent to follow, having to create new policies on the fly. He also had to enforce harsh and sometimes unpopular decisions to keep an undermined, ragtag group of forces together and prevent a rout in the face of the stronger, better-equipped British forces.
His strong character, leadership, and sense of responsibility showed in his selection as the head of the convention that drafted the Constitution of the United States. Writing in the 1780s, John Adams later observed in a letter to Thomas Jefferson:
I always considered [Washington] as the Man to whom the world was most indebted for the American Revolution and consequently for the establishment of the American Government.
Washington accepted the office reluctantly, and worked hard to become the leader that he was expected to be. He famously said about the presidency: “I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent.”
In his eight years as President, Washington was a strong leader, setting precedents in economics, government organization, foreign policy, and more. He also kept the fragile peace between the states, reducing political divisions and keeping the new republic from falling into civil war.
Washington was a leader who is still admired and remembered today, with his image used to represent the United States. He was the first President of the United States and his actions helped to guide and shape the country that he was instrumental in creating.