After the victory in the war, Washington retired to his Mount Vernon estate. He was soon called back to serve the people as the president of the Constitutional Convention. This was called in 1787 to write a constitution for their new country, the United States of America. A constitution is the set of fundamental rules for running a country that outlines the powers of government and the rights of citizens. The American constitution established a federal republic, a system of government where power is divided between a central government (usually headed by a president) and various regions or states.
Washington was elected the fi rst president of the US in 1789 and was re-elected in 1792. He worked to set up the new American government and surrounded himself with the best men of his age to work with him, including Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and John Adams. He retired to Mount Vernon, where in 1799 he died from pneumonia. The capital of the US was named ‘Washington’ in honour of the man many Americans consider ‘the father of the nation’.
The Washington Monument CHECKPOINT!
1. How did Washington become one of the wealthiest men in Virginia? 2. Why was he selected to command the Continental Army? 3. What advantages and disadvantages did the Continental Army have at the start of the war? 4. What advantages and disadvantages did the British army have at the start of the war? 5. Why was the victory at Saratoga so important to the Americans? 6. What happened at Valley Forge? 7. Give three reasons why the Americans won the war. 8. What did Washington do after the war to serve America? 9. What is a constitution?
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I understand the role played by George Washington in American history.
TIME TO GO BACK I CAN MOVE FORWARD 175
12 Revolutions Option One: The American Revolution
