George Washington was not “formally educated” in England like his brother, but fared well.  His great-grandfather first crossed the ocean from England and settled in Virginia in 1656, and began acquiring land.   George was one of six children born to his father, a justice of the peace, and grew up along the Potomac River on various family properties.  When his father passed in 1743 (George was a teenager), he inherited a family farm, but his brother inherited “Little Hunting Creek,” which later was renamed Mount Vernon.  It was not until after the death of his brother and widowed wife that he owned Mount Vernon.

George married his wife Martha Custis, a widower of a wealthy plantation owner, at 26.  Through the merger of their lands, acquiring more, and inheritances from his brother, he became one of Virginia’s wealthiest men.  He followed in his brother’s military footsteps and is still highly regarded for leading the Continental Army for 8.5 years during the Revolutionary War. During that time, he was only able to return to Mount Vernon for a total of 10 days.

George Washington became a statesman representing Virginia in the House of Burgess. He was later encouraged to represent the Virginia delegation at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, where Benjamin Franklin nominated him to preside over the Convention.  Governor Randolph then introduced James Madison’s Virginia Plan, which called for an entirely new constitution and national government.  The plan was not favored by all, and led to much debate, ongoing divisiveness and unrest among the colonies. However, many believed not passing it would eventually lead to anarchy.  It had been only four years since the end of the American Revolution.  Upon passing, George Washington and James Madison returned to Mount Vernon and spent four days outlining the colonies’ transition to a new government.