1775. George Washington was named the Commander in Chief of the Continental forces.

1781. The British general, Cornwallis, surrendered to Washington at Yorktown.

1783. George Washington resigned his commission and retired to Mount Vernon, returning home on Christmas Eve.

1787. George Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

By the early 1770's, George Washington and other colonists were becoming angry with England. Goods from England were expensive and poorly made. In addition, the colonists had to sell their crops to England for very low prices. Finally, England tried to force the colonists to pay higher taxes.

Colonel Washington went to Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress to discuss these problems. The British were told of the colonists' concerns, but did nothing. In 1775, Colonel Washington was elected to the Second Continental Congress. By the time it met, battles had been fought at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. The American Revolution had started. A military leader was needed. The Congress named George Washington Commander in Chief of the Continental Army.

The Revolutionary War was long and difficult. General Washington did not have enough soldiers, guns, food or equipment. He had learned from the French and Indian War to make the most of his supplies and to keep his men healthy. His men became good soldiers because Washington demanded hard work and discipline. General Washington decided not to attack the British directly. Instead he would move his troops quickly and then strike by surprise. The British could not capture him. The years of fighting finally ended in Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781, when the British General Cornwallis surrendered.

Although the war was won, it was also a sad time for the Washington family. Martha's son, Jacky, died of camp fever at Yorktown. Her daughter, Patsy, had died a few years earlier.

In 1783 a peace treaty with England was signed. Some of General Washington's officers wanted him to seize power and run the new nation, but he refused. Instead he resigned as Commander in Chief, disbanded the Army, and went home to Mount Vernon to live the rest of his life as a private citizen.

However, this was not to be. The 13 new states did not work well together. Soon each state sent delegates to a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia to solve the problem. General Washington went and was asked to preside over the Convention. After weeks of long debates and many votes, the delegates worked out their differences. They wrote a new constitution for the nation with a democratic government. When the time came to elect a leader for the new government, George Washington was the unanimous choice.

Click on the link below to explore a painting of the Constitutional Convention and learn about people and issues that were important at this event.

 Interactive "Signing the Constitution" by J.B. Stearns