George Washington!!!This magnificent man was our first president. He was the firstborn of his mother but not his father. His father was Augustine Washington, but had two other boys and a daughter with his former wife Jane Butler who died in 1730. Augustine remarried Mary Ball in 1731 and on February 22, 1732 they had George Washington. In 1743, Augustine died and left Mary to care for all the children they had together and the children he had with Jane. He had a total of ten children. George was only eleven years old when his father died and had to turn to his older half-brother Lawrence for advice. Lawrence tutored and tried to give George as much education as possible. George was enthusiastic and ambitious to start learning. George had become close to his brother's wife and their children who were his nieces and nephews even though he was still a teenager. Lawrence's wife was Anne Fairfax and they had four children together. Anne was very wealthy and influential, which led Washington to work as a surveyor on the Virginia frontier. He was in his late teens when he began working as a surveyor. This work allowed George to be courageous and adventurous. He was able to visit many places and explore different habitats. This work soon allowed George to purchase his own land, which led him to become interested in purchasing land grants on the frontier. In 1751, something traditional happened that affected George and his entire family. Lawrence was suffering from the effects of tuberculosis. (An infectious bacterial disease characterized by the growth of nodules in the tissues, lungs, and other places.) George hoped his half-brother would get better, so they traveled from North America to Barbos to see if... .... middle of paper ...... In October, he lost several more fights. Further fighting by American troops distracted Britain while Washington and his army quickly managed to trap another British army and force it to surrender at Saratoga. Saratoga was the turning point of all the combats of the American troops. This success led other countries to join in, such as the French and the Spanish. In December 1777, Washington dragged his men to Valley Forge to encourage them and help them advance. Most of the men died from disease or lack of supplies. After Washington urged his men to continue, they quickly stood up and won every battle they needed to and signed the Treaty of Paris to gain independence from Britain. Along with George Washington at the constitutional convention, he convinced all thirteen states to ratify the new United States Constitution and he was also unanimously elected the first president..