George Washington is considered the most influential president of all time as he was such an important figure at the time and this celebration still continues. Although not the first president of the 13 colonies, he was the first official one. Washington was born on February 22, 1732, on his family’s plantation in Pope’s Creek, Virginia.

Washington was the eldest of six children that his parents, Augustine Washington and Mary Ball Washington had. Washington’s father died when he was around 11 and after that he helped his mother manage the plantation where he learned his commanding skills.

The early education of Washington is not known, but it is said that his mother paid a tutor to teach him at home and Washington finished with his education at age 15. At a very young age he became a very successful surveyor who went on paid surveying expeditions in Virginia.

Washington was forced travel outside the U.S. in 1751 because he took his already sick half-brother, Lawrence, to Barbados. They both were hoping that the warm weather would help Lawrence’s tuberculosis which did not work and the trip gave Washington the smallpox.

Washington did survive this illness, but it left him with scars on his face. Eventually Lawrence died months after their arrival and Washington inherited all his estate which included his home, Mount Vernon, on the Potomac River near Alexandria, Virginia.

In December 1952 Washington was made commander of the Virginia Militia, although having no military experience. Soon after he was promoted to commander of all Virginia’s Militia forces. In 1959 he met and married a wealthy widow, Martha Dandridge Custis.

The widow already had two children and Washington became a stepfather but never had any of his own with Martha. By the late 1760’s Washington like all American’s wasn’t happy about the heavy taxing making him want to do something about it.

Washington was the most important General during the Revolution and eventually his leadership ended up winning the war. The revolution had been won and Washington was declared a national hero. Not long after everything, the people wanted him to be the president.

His presence was so superior that he had no security and would walk as a normal citizen and was loved by all. We all know times have changed now. George Washington served two terms and then left office. Washington’s most powerful speech said, “However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”

Washington later died on his plantation of a throat infection on December 14, 1799. Before his death he had declared that all his 300 slaves would be freed after the death of Martha Washington. Washington was the first President of the U.S. and will continue to be the most recognized of all.