As most everyone knows, George Washington was the first president of the United States of America, but that is not the only thing he accomplished. He was born on February 22, 1732 in Virginia, and died on December 14, 1799 in Mount Vernon at the age of 67.
During the Revolutionary War, Congress decided to make Washington the commander of the Continental Army. He thought he was prepared for the job because of his experience. Also, he married a wealthy widow named Martha, which gave him a more important standing. Washington was very proud of his new position.When the Revolutionary War was over, and the Americans won, Washington was unanimously elected as president of the new country. I thought this was a good choice because many people loved him, whether those people were poor or wealthy. Washington wanted to appear as a selfless man, so when offered a generous salary, he declined, but eventually accepted it. Before making final decisions or passing laws, he held many meetings to debate all aspects of the issue. Doing this was a great thing because it showed people that he cared about every little thing that was passed.He passed the Residence Act of 1790, which allowed the president to decide where the official seat of the government would be. There would be three people surveying the land, and they chose what they named “The City of Washington in the Territory of Columbia”. This was later changed to the District of Columbia, or Washington D.C. In 1794, when people were angered by the tax on whiskey, they rioted, which was called the Whiskey Rebellion. Washington created the Militia Act of 1792, and calmed the rebels. He went to Pennsylvania himself, and proved once again that he could fight for his country.Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson had two completely different political ideas. Hamilton believed in a strong central government and the wealthy, educated, upper-class people being in charge. Alexander Hamilton also believed that an industry was very important. Jefferson believed in strong state and local governments, and thought farming was very important. George Washington took Hamilton’s side, because he trusted him more than he trusted Jefferson.Washington denied a third term as president, which eventually established the amendment that declared a president could only serve two terms.Washington was a great president, and many people loved him. He accomplished many things, including getting on the dollar bill! People mourned his death for months, and he will never be forgotten.
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