George Washington's Major Contributions

C. Shoshany 11x

History December 11, 2007

George Washington’s Major Contributions

George Washington, the father of our country, is one of the most well known figures in American History. As a military general, and then later as the President of the United States, he possessed many qualities that made him such a great man. His leadership abilities can be seen in his many accomplishments and contributions.

He began his military career in 1752, when he joined the British army and served as a lieutenant in the French and Indian War. Two years later, George Washington built Fort Necessity to defend his forces from French soldiers. George was appointed to be the colonel of the Virginia regiment in 1755.

After being a lieutenant and colonel, George decided to change his life and become more political. In 1758, he was elected to the House of Burgesses in Virginia and ended up serving it for 17 years. In 1774 he was elected as Virginia Delegate to the First Continental Congress and then to the Second Continental Congress in 1775.

Once George Washington finished his first political stage in his life, he became leader of the Continental Army in 1775. During the year 1776, George and his troops had a successful victory over the British Army. George was very good strategist and using his skills, he outsmarted General Cornwallis at the battle of Princeton. Finally after six years, George Washington was able to end the American Revolution with his defeat of the British at Yorktown in 1778.

Besides being politically active and serving in the military, George had a great sense of leadership. He was dedicated to the people that he worked with, and as general, he fought alongside his men. In 1776, George promised his troops a cash bonus at the end of their army service and because of this, he was able to attract and recruit many other soldiers to join the army. George also created the “Purple Heart” which was a badge honoring military merit. George Washington possessed excellent skills, an outgoing personality and advanced leadership abilities which helped him to accomplish so many achievements in his lifetime.

Bibliography: www.history.com