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George Washington
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George Washington
The defining moments of George Washington's life
George Washington George Washington: map Mount Vernon The Farmer, George Washington George Washington: sketch map George Washington: wedding to Martha Dandridge Custis
Learn about George Washington's hobbies before becoming the first president of the United States of America
George Washington: Mount Vernon map
For Students
Gilbert Stuart: portrait of George Washington
George Washington summary
Mount Vernon
George Washington Timeline
French and Indian War
George Washington’s Achievements
Quizzes
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Washington Monument. Washington Monument and fireworks, Washington DC. The Monument was built as an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington.
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The American Revolution
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Read Next
"George Washington before the Battle of Trenton" oil on canvas by John Trumbull, c. 1792-94; in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
The Plot to Assassinate George Washington
Portrait of American President Gerald Ford dressed in a blue, pin-striped suit as he stands with his arms crossed, taken during his first month in office, August 1974. First official portrait of President Gerald R. Ford.
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Detail of a concept image of the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution. We the People
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Parsons Weems' Fable, oil on canvas by Grant Wood, 1939; in the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Catalog entry: The historian Mason Locke Weems, commonly known by his clerical title, Parson Weems, pulls back a curtain to point at 6-year-old George Washington. Bearing an adult head and holding an axe, George gazes blankly up at his father, Augustine, who questions his son while holding a partially cut cherry tree. All of this takes place in front of a 20th-century brick building, which Wood modeled after his own home in Iowa. The scene illustrates the fable of Washington and the cherry tree, which Weems invented in 1806 for the first president's biography. Wood playfully suggests the artifice of the tale here, presenting the story in the manner of a costumed stage play rather than a real event. Amid the action, two Black figures pick cherries in the background, a reference to Washington' slaveholding past and a reminder of of what often gets left out in historical mythmaking.
Did George Washington Really Say, “I Can’t Tell a Lie”?
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George Washington: Facts & Related Content

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Facts

Also Known As Father of His Country
Born February 22, 1732 • Virginia
Died December 14, 1799 (aged 67) • Mount Vernon • Virginia
Title / Office presidency of the United States of America (1789-1797), United States • Continental Congress (1774-1775), United States
Political Affiliation Federalist Party
Awards And Honors Hall of Fame (1900)
Notable Family Members spouse Martha Washington
Role In American Revolution • Battle of Brandywine • Battle of Germantown • Battle of Jumonville Glen • Battle of Long Island • Battle of Monmouth • Battles of Trenton and Princeton • Citizen Genêt Affair • Constitutional Convention • French and Indian War • Jay Treaty • Siege of Boston • Siege of Yorktown • Battle of Fort Necessity

Did You Know?

  • George Washington is one of only two presidents whose face appears on a U.S. bill and coin.

Photos and Videos

George Washington
George Washington
George Washington: map
Mount Vernon
The Farmer, George Washington
George Washington: sketch map
George Washington: wedding to Martha Dandridge Custis
George Washington: Mount Vernon map
Martha Washington and George Washington and their children
George Washington: painting
The defining moments of George Washington's life
Learn about George Washington's hobbies before becoming the first president of the United States of America
The video thumbnail image shows a historical painting of George Washington and Revolutionary troops in the winter.
Learn about George Washington's crossing the Delaware, winter at Valley Forge, and victory at Yorktown
Washington: The only state named after a president
See All Videos, Images and Interactives →

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Parsons Weems' Fable, oil on canvas by Grant Wood, 1939; in the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Catalog entry: The historian Mason Locke Weems, commonly known by his clerical title, Parson Weems, pulls back a curtain to point at 6-year-old George Washington. Bearing an adult head and holding an axe, George gazes blankly up at his father, Augustine, who questions his son while holding a partially cut cherry tree. All of this takes place in front of a 20th-century brick building, which Wood modeled after his own home in Iowa. The scene illustrates the fable of Washington and the cherry tree, which Weems invented in 1806 for the first president's biography. Wood playfully suggests the artifice of the tale here, presenting the story in the manner of a costumed stage play rather than a real event. Amid the action, two Black figures pick cherries in the background, a reference to Washington' slaveholding past and a reminder of of what often gets left out in historical mythmaking.
Did George Washington Really Say, “I Can’t Tell a Lie”?