George Washington is the most consequential American in our history. He was the original Founding Father and is often referred to as the “Father of America” – a title that was extremely well-earned. His leadership during the Revolutionary War where he served as the first Commander in Chief of the Continental Army led the colonies to victory against the British and gave birth to a new nation.  

Following the Revolutionary War, George Washington returned to Mount Vernon to continue life on his farm and with his family. However, after his successes as a general in the war, he was asked to join the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia to assist in drafting the country’s Constitution. It was here that the convention delegates decided this war hero and proven leader should be our fledgling country’s President. In 1789, he was unanimously elected as our first President. 

During his time in office, President Washington led the expansion of our growing country, adding North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Kentucky, and Tennessee to the union and ratified the Bill of Rights – the first ten amendments to the Constitution – to protect American citizens from abuses of power. Despite calls for him to serve a third, George Washington served only two terms as President. After our country gave thousands of American lives to free ourselves of the British monarchy, Washington set the precedent of stepping down to give someone else a chance to lead. In his farewell speech, he famously cautioned against partisan divides and emphasized the dangers of sectionalism – words that remain evergreen today. He was a principled leader who understood that in order to become stronger as a nation, integrity, unity, and patriotism would be paramount. 

While Presidents Day has evolved into a national holiday to celebrate all Presidents who have governed this country, it was originally established in 1885 to celebrate George Washington’s birthday, February 22. It was actually the first federal holiday to recognize a birthday ever, and George Washington – the Father of America – is certainly a worthy recipient of such an honor. His contributions helped shape this country into the nation it is today. The politics and power change hands – as they were designed to – but the fabric of our nation is tried and true, and that is largely thanks to George Washington’s determination, strength, and leadership.