WASHINGTON, GEORGE - America’s First President

               It was a small, new country ruled by a king who lived far across the ocean. Not many of the country’s people had ever gone to school. Few could even read or write. Most families lived in small, crowded houses in settlements called colonies.


               The world did not yet know how to use electricity, and telephones were far in the future. Messages usually were delivered by riders on horses. The narrow dirt roads ran through woods and were often muddy and deeply rutted. It took a long time to get from place to place. Today we fly around the world in less time than it then took to travel between most towns.

               The people worked hard, growing crops for food and cutting through thick forests to build roads and towns. They fought in a war to help their king . . . and in another war to win their freedom from him.

               The country was to become the United States. Most of its people had come from England and their king was George III.

               There were many men who helped lead this country to freedom – and one of the strongest leaders was George Washington.

               Washington grew up on a large farm, where corn, tobacco, vegetables, and other crops were grown. But he loved adventure, and as a young man he roamed far – exploring the wilderness and making maps for other people to follow.

               Washington helped the English fight the French for control of this vast wilderness . . . but when the people of the colonies chose to fight England to gain their freedom, Washington sided with them. They then chose this strong, wise man to be their leader – the general in charge of all the colonial armies.

               The colonial soldiers won and lost many battles. Often there was no food or clothing. It was cold and lonely. But Washington shared his men’s hardships. When the war ended and the people were freed from the king’s rule, George Washington was chosen to be the first president of the United States of America.