Washington, George - Life (2)

The son of a wealthy landowner, in 1752 began a military career and during the war with France, he served (1754-59) as an officer of the colonial troops engaged alongside the British Army: distinguished himself in to rescue the survivors after the defeat suffered by the British in Monongahela (1755), he was given command of the militia of Virginia and in 1758 contributed to the capture of Fort Duquesne (now Pittsburgh). Who retired with the rank of colonel, while participating in the political life of Virginia as a member of the local parliament (1759-74), he devoted himself mainly to the large plantations which had become owner after marrying (1759), a wealthy widow, Martha Dandridge.

Espressosi several times in parliament against the British colonial policy, W. was one of seven delegates chosen to represent Virginia at the First Continental Congress of the colonies (Philadelphia, 1774) and, hostilities broke out with the British, was appointed by the commander-in-second Congress chief of the US Army (1775). Boston released in March 1776, the month after W. was forced to leave New York and was repeatedly defeated in May and November of the same year; after the victorious actions of Trenton (December 1776) and Princeton (jan. 1777), he had yet to suffer the occupation of Philadelphia (Pos. 1777) and the defeat of Germantown (October 1777). During the harsh winter of 1777-78, spent in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, W. was able to rebuild the morale of an army not numerous, without adequate weapons and equipment and nearing collapse; thanks to his covenant with France, the tide of the war changed and W., after defeating the British at Monmouth (June 1778), was able to count on from 1780 French troops arrived in America under the command of the Count of Rochambeau, with which aid obtained on October 19 1781 the decisive capitulation of Ch. Cornwallis at Yorktown. The conflict ended with the Peace of Paris (Sept. 3. 1783), W. left the command of the army and returned to his estate of Mont Vernon. Representative of the Virginia Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia (May-Sept. 1787), was elected President and, after ratification by the states of the constitution it drafted, was elected by unanimous vote the first president of the United States of America (1789 ), a position which was confirmed three years later (1792). The administration W. resettled public finances, favored the creation of a national banking system and strengthened against the native western borders of the Union, while in foreign policy was primarily concerned with keeping the country away from the conflicts between European powers: what is He translated actually in a departure from revolutionary France (followed by the resignation of francophile Jefferson) and the conclusion of a trade treaty with Britain (1794). Refused the application for a third presidential term and retired to his estate (1797), W. accepted the position of lieutenant general in the army when (1798) relations with France deteriorated to the point of fearing the outbreak of a conflict.