Nandini rangaswamy biography of george washington

Through all of this, Washington discovered an important lesson: The political nature of war was just as important as the military one. Washington began to understand that military victories were as important as keeping the resistance alive. Americans began to believe that they could meet their objective of independence without defeating the British army.

Meanwhile, British General Howe clung to the strategy of capturing colonial cities in hopes of smothering the rebellion. Howe didn't realize that capturing cities like Philadelphia and New York would not unseat colonial power. The Congress would just pack up and meet elsewhere. The 11,man force went into winter quarters and over the next six months suffered thousands of deaths, mostly from disease.

But the army emerged from the winter still intact and in relatively good order. Realizing their strategy of capturing colonial cities had failed, the British command replaced General Howe with Sir Henry Clinton. Washington and his men delivered several quick blows to the moving army, attacking the British flank near Monmouth Courthouse. Though a tactical standoff, the encounter proved Washington's army capable of open field battle.

For the remainder of the war, Washington was content to keep the British confined to New York, although he never totally abandoned the idea of retaking the city. The alliance with France had brought a large French army and a navy fleet. Facing the combined French and Colonial armies and the French fleet of 29 warships at his back, Cornwallis held out as long as he could, but on October 19,he surrendered his forces.

Washington had no way of knowing the Yorktown victory would bring the war to a close. A near-mutiny was avoided when Washington convinced Congress to grant a five-year bonus for soldiers in March By November of that year, the British had evacuated New York City and other cities and the war was essentially over. The Americans had won their independence.

Washington formally bade his troops farewell and on December 23,he resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the army and returned to Mount Vernon. For four years, Washington attempted to fulfill his dream of resuming life as a gentleman farmer and to give his much-neglected Mount Vernon plantation the care and attention it deserved. The war had been costly to the Washington family with lands neglected, no exports of goods, and the depreciation of paper money.

But Washington was able to repair his fortunes with a generous land grant from Congress for his military service and become profitable once again. InWashington was again called to the duty of his country. Since independence, the young republic had been struggling under the Articles of Confederationa structure of government that centered power with the states.

But the states were not unified. They fought among themselves over boundaries and navigation rights and refused to contribute to paying off the nation's war debt. In some instances, state legislatures imposed tyrannical tax policies on their own citizens. Washington was intensely dismayed at the state of affairs, but only slowly came to the realization that something should be done about it.

Perhaps he wasn't sure the time was right so soon after the Revolution to be making major adjustments to the democratic experiment. Or perhaps because he hoped he would not be called upon to serve, he remained noncommittal. InCongress approved a convention to be held in Philadelphia to amend the Articles of Confederation. At the Constitutional ConventionWashington was unanimously chosen as president.

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Washington, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton had come to the conclusion that it wasn't amendments that were needed, but a new constitution that would give the national government more authority. In the end, the Convention produced a plan for government that not only would address the country's current problems, but would endure through time.

After the convention adjourned, Washington's reputation and support for the new government were indispensable to the ratification of the new U. The opposition was strident, if not organized, with many of America's leading political figures — including Patrick Henry and Sam Adams — condemning the proposed government as a grab for power. Even in Washington's native Virginia, the Constitution was ratified by only one vote.

Still hoping to retire to his beloved Mount Vernon, Washington was once again called upon to serve this country. During the presidential election ofhe received a vote from every elector to the Electoral College, the only president in American history to be elected by unanimous approval. As the first president, Washington was astutely aware that his presidency would set a precedent for all that would follow.

He carefully attended to the responsibilities and duties of his office, remaining vigilant to not emulate any European royal court. To that end, he preferred the title "Mr. President," instead of more imposing names that were suggested. However, Congress persuaded him to accept the compensation to avoid giving the impression that only wealthy men could serve as president.

Washington proved to be an able administrator. He surrounded himself with some of the most capable people in the country, appointing Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury and Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State. He delegated authority wisely and consulted regularly with his cabinet listening to their advice before making a decision. Washington established broad-ranging presidential authority, but always with the highest integrity, exercising power with restraint and honesty.

In doing so, he set a standard rarely met by his successors, but one that established an ideal by which all are judged. During his first term, Washington adopted a series of measures proposed by Treasury Secretary Hamilton to reduce the nation's debt and place its finances on sound footing. His administration also established several peace treaties with Native American tribes and approved a bill establishing the nation's capital in a permanent district along the Potomac River.

Then, inWashington signed a bill authorizing Congress to place a tax on distilled spirits, which stirred protests in rural areas of Pennsylvania. Quickly, the protests turned into a full-scale defiance of federal law known as the Whiskey Rebellion. Washington invoked the Militia Act ofsummoning local militias from several states to put down the rebellion.

Washington personally took command, marching the troops into the areas of rebellion and demonstrating that the federal government would use force, when necessary, to enforce the law. This was also the only time a sitting U. In foreign affairs, Washington took a cautious approach, realizing that the weak young nation could not succumb to Europe's political intrigues.

InWashington was elected president of the Constitutional Convention and used his immense influence to persuade the states to ratify the resulting constitution. Inhe was unanimously elected the first president of the United States.

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He faced huge challenges in welding together the individual states to establish a new nation, and creating a government for that nation. Washington was also dismayed by the emergence of political parties, the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans, led by his two closest advisers, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson respectively.

Washington wanted to retire after his first term, but was re-elected to a second term in He succeeded in maintaining American neutrality when war broke out between Britain and France in and also normalised diplomatic relations with Britain. Washington finally retired from public life in and died at Mount Vernon on 14 December Search term:. After the early death of his father, a young George Washington only seven years old at the time learned the ways of farming and planting as he became the primary owner of his family's plantation farm.

He stayed at home throughout his early teenage years, helping his mother run the family's estate. At the age of fifteen, George became a surveyor. He was able to land this prestigious job through vital connections that his older brother, Lawrence Washington, possessed. Lawrence Washington was close partners with the wealthy Colonel William Fairfax, a very wealthy Virginian politician and landholder.

After receiving a good word from the influential Colonel Fairfax, George Washington not only became a successful surveyor, but also was placed in a position to gain land and political positions. Upon the death of his brother Lawrence, George achieved his first political position in Virginia's Northern District. Furthermore, Colonel Fairfax took the young Washington under his wing as a role model and a sort of surrogate father, fostering in the ambitious George Washington a yearning to also learn about the art of war.

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Following a failed attempt to enter the British Royal Navy thwarted, in part, by George's motherWashington finally got his chance to serve in the militia. The 13 Most Cunning Military Leaders. Cesare Beccaria. Betsy Ross. Samuel Adams. John Adams. Andrew Jackson. George Rogers Clark. Roger Sherman. James Monroe. George III.