George_Washington

George Washington Born on Feb. 22, 1732,in Westmoreland County, Va., George Washington was the oldest son of Augustine Washington and his second wife, Mary Ball Washington, who were rich Virginians of English descent. George spent his childhood on the family estate on the Potomac River. His schooling included the study of surveying, math, and the “rules of civility." Augustine died in 1743, and soon after that George went to live with his half brother Lawrence at Mount Vernon, Lawrence's lands on the Potomac River. Lawrence, who became something of father for George, married into the Fairfax family, prominent and influential Virginians who helped begin George's career. An early desire to go to sea had been opposed by George's mother; instead, decided to be a surveyor, securing (1748) an assignment to survey the Fairfax's lands in the Shenandoah Valley. He played a major role in planning out the Virginia town of Belhaven in 1749 and then got the position as surveyor for Culpepper County. George and his brother went to Barbados in an effort rid Lawrence of tuberculosis. Lawrence died in 1752, soon after the brothers returned. As a result George got the Mount Vernon lands. By 1753, the problems between the French washington, french, british, george, new, troops, war, vernon, mount, major, army, american, virginia, fort, britain, against, after, york, river, lawrence, indian, estate, during, commander, city, between, although, young, washington's, very, took, states, soon, problems, president, philadelphia, out, october, nj, near, march, helped, first, end, died, been, became, attacked, attack, again