Who Is George Washington?

George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was the first president of the United States (1789 - 1797, served two four year terms) and was the man who led America's Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). Washington is revered by many as the father of America.

Born in 1732 into a Virginia planter family, Washington learned the morals, manners, and body of knowledge required of an 18th century Virginia gentleman. Washington was baptized as an infant into the Church of England and served on the vestry for his local church.

In 1759, Washington married a wealthy widowed woman named Martha Dandridge Custis. They never had children together.

Today, depictions of George Washington are often used as national symbols of the United States, along with the icons such as the flag and great seal. Together with Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln, Washington is depicted in stone at the Mount Rushmore Memorial.