President George Washington
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, at Bridges Creek in Virginia, and can trace his family back to 13th-century England. At 15, he became a surveyor and by 1751, owned 1,500 acres. In 1753, he was commissioned as a major in the militia, later becoming a lieutenant colonel in the French and Indian War, which made him a well-known soldier. He married Martha Custis in 1759 and settled at Mount Vernon. Washington expanded his land holdings to 40,000 acres while farming and serving as a legislator. During the American Revolution, he was appointed general in chief, displaying strong leadership throughout the eight-year conflict. After the war, he declined the suggestion to become king and returned to his plantation. In 1787, Washington played a key role at the Constitutional Convention and was unanimously elected the first president in 1789. He served two terms and refused a third. Known as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen," he died on December 14, 1799, and was buried at Mount Vernon.