author

George Washington

1732–1799

Best known as the first president of the United States, he also led the Continental Army during the American Revolution and helped shape the early republic. His life has come to symbolize both the founding ideals of the nation and the complicated realities of its beginnings.

4 Audiobooks

Washington's Masonic Correspondence

Washington's Masonic Correspondence

by George Washington

George Washington's Rules of Civility

George Washington's Rules of Civility

by Moncure Daniel Conway, George Washington

Journal of my journey over the mountains

Journal of my journey over the mountains

by George Washington

State of the Union Addresses

State of the Union Addresses

by George Washington

About the author

Born in Virginia on February 22, 1732, George Washington grew up in colonial America and built an early career as a surveyor, planter, and military officer. During the Revolutionary War, he served as commander in chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, becoming the central military figure in the fight for independence.

After the war, Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and was unanimously elected the first president of the United States in 1789. He served two terms, helping establish many of the customs and expectations of the presidency before stepping down in 1797.

Washington died at Mount Vernon on December 14, 1799. Remembered as a founding figure in American history, he remains one of the country’s most written-about and debated leaders, admired for his public service while also studied for the contradictions of his era, including his ownership of enslaved people.