George Washington and the Founding of the U.S. Government

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The Constitutional Convention, the ratification of the Constitution, and the first presidency are recognized as political milestones for George Washington and our nation’s founding. Explore the controversies, challenges, and opportunities of inventing a nation and the presidency in the context of the 18th century. Learn from diverse primary sources, including artwork, place, and documents, that highlight the complexities of a man who embraced his responsibilities as a citizen, and whose contemporaries looked to for leadership.  

Past Program Scholars and Speakers

Lead Scholar Dr. Scott Casper, Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and Professor of History at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Lead Scholar Dr. Lorri Glover, John Francis Bannon Endowed Chair in the Department of History at Saint Louis University

Teacher Facilitator Jackie Hall,  8th grade United States History teacher at Mill Creek Middle School

Dr. Denver Brunsman, Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the History Department at The George Washington University

For the Classroom

Teacher Resources

As the president of the constitutional convention and the United States’ first president, Washington felt the responsibility to ensure the democratic experiment survived. Discover primary and secondary sources, essential questions, and materials to bring directly into your classroom. 

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"One of the best things about the George Washington Teacher Institute was that our scholar, Scott, was with us all week. His sessions were so well presented but, what was great was that sometimes I thought of a question the following day and he was available to answer for me. I cannot express how important it was to have him present for the week. I feel very comfortable reaching out to him as I continue exploring this subject."

-2018 George Washington Teacher Institute Participant

"One other difference was having the staff of the Teacher Institute with us every day. Having you all in the back of the room to research questions as they came up was amazing and helped us a lot."

-2018 George Washington Teacher Institute Participant

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