George Washington

George Washington was born February 22 1732, Westmoreland county, Virginia died December 14, 1799, Mount Vernon, Virginia, U.S. the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander in chief of the Continentl Army in 1775–1783, and he presided over the writing of the Constitution in 1787. As the unanimous choice to serve as the first President of the United States, he developed the forms and rituals of government that have been used ever since, such as using a cabinet system and delivering an inaugural address. As President, he built a strong, well-financed national government that stayed neutral in the wars raging in Europe, suppressed rebellion and won acceptance among Americans of all types, but also saw the advent of contentious political parties. Washington was universally regarded as the "Father of his country".

Little is known of George Washington's early childhood, spent largely on the Ferry Farm on the Rappahannock River, opposite Fredericksburg, Virginia. Mason L. Weems's stories of the cherry tree and of young Washington's dislike to fighting are fake efforts to fill a manifest gap. He attended school irregularly from his 7th to his 15th year, first with the local church sexton and later with a schoolmaster named Williams. Some of his schoolboy papers survive. He was fairly well trained in practical mathematics, several types of mensuration, and trigonometry. He studied geography, possibly had a little Latin, and certainly read some of The Spectator and other English classics.

The Continental Congress named Washington the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, after which Washington drove the British out of Boston in 1776. Washington was then driven out of New York City, Long Island and into New Jersey. On Christmas Day, 1776, Washington lead a surprise attack on Trenton New Jersey, swinging the war back in the favor of the revolutionaries. This was followed up by another major victory at Princeton on January 3rd. Despite the moral boost of the victories, the particularly harsh winter lead to a large contraction in the size of Washington's army to number as low as a thousand, through both lack of reenlistment and desertion. American victory was despite the brilliance of the victories not guaranteed at this stage. Washington set about a reorganisation of the army in responce with both a carrot and stick method - a carrot of promise of monetary reward for three-year enlistment or land for enlisting for the duration of the war, a stick of increasing punishment from 39 to 100 lashes in order to discourage desertion. This was effective and numbers quickly rose again to ten thousand under Washington's direct command.

There is no question that Washington suffered a sore throat. It started Dec. 13, 1799, the day after he had made a tour of his Mount Vernon, estate in a freezing rain. But it took nothing for it, since, according to his secretary Tobias Lear, the general was always averse to nursing himself for minor complaints.Early the following day Washington's throat worsened. Breathing became difficult and swallowing was painful. At daybreak, the estate overseer was summoned to bleed Washington. Bleeding was a common medical practice of the day, performed by lay persons as well as physicians.Despite his loss of blood, Washington insisted on sitting up. Blisters were applied to his legs, a bran to his throat. He almost choked to death leaning his head back to swallow medicine.