George Washington's Life and Legacy: 9 Key Questions Answered

A comprehensive article from The Collector answers nine frequently asked questions about George Washington's life and legacy, drawing on recent scholarship. Born on February 22, 1732, along the Potomac River in Westmoreland County, Virginia, Washington was the first U.S. president (April 1789). He was a loyal British subject who sought a British officer's commission during the French and Indian War (1754-1763) but never received one; after the battles of Lexington and Concord (April 1775), he supported the American Revolution and assumed command of American forces in June 1775. Washington inherited Mount Vernon from his half-brother Lawrence in 1761 and married Martha Dandridge Custis in 1759; he had no biological children but was stepfather to her children and close to his step-grandchildren. He stood at least 6 feet 2 inches tall. He died on December 14, 1799, at age 67, likely from epiglottitis exacerbated by bleeding treatments. His will provided for the emancipation of his slaves. Historians note his role in the American Revolution, the Constitution, and westward expansion, as well as his contradictions regarding slavery and Native American land seizures.