George Washington was the first president of the United States, and his Revolutionary War leadership is part of the history remembered during America250.
Washington served as commander in chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. His leadership helped hold the revolutionary forces together through difficult campaigns, including the winter at Valley Forge and the final campaign at Yorktown.
After the war, Washington became the presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The new Constitution created the office of president, and the Electoral College unanimously selected Washington for the first term. He took the oath of office in New York City in 1789.
Washington served two terms and voluntarily left office in 1797. His decision helped establish the tradition that a president could peacefully surrender power. The two-term tradition later became law through the Twenty-second Amendment, adopted after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four elections.