George Washington (/?d???rd? ?w????t?n/; February 22, 1732 [O.S. February 11, 1731]^[b][c] – December 14, 1799) was an American politician and soldier who served as the first President of the United States from 1789 to 1797. During the American Revolutionary War, Washington served as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army; as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, he presided over the convention that drafted the United States Constitution and came to be known as the "father of his country" during his lifetime and to this day.^[2]

Washington was widely admired for his strong leadership qualities and was unanimously elected president by the Electoral College in the first two national elections. He oversaw the creation of a strong, well-financed national government that maintained neutrality in the French Revolutionary Wars, suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion, and won acceptance among Americans of all types.^[3] Washington's incumbency established many precedents still in use today, such as the cabinet system, the inaugural address, and the title Mr. President.^[4][5] His retirement from office after two terms established a tradition that lasted until 1940 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt won an unprecedented third term. The 22nd Amendment (1951) now limits the president to two elected terms.