American Patriarch summary

In the end, George Washington chose to apprentice as a land surveyor with his brother-in-law. Land surveying was a profession in great demand on the frontier; colonists were eager to survey and map new lands in order to claim them. They were in a race with the French as they expanded their positions along inland rivers like the Ohio.

The frontier was a challenging place for British colonists, where land disputes with the Native Americans and the French meant near constant, brutal attacks. Navigating both the landscape and this conflict, however, gave young Washington vital knowledge that would prove invaluable in future events.

As Washington made his way toward the French forces in Ohio, his years as surveyor profoundly influenced his observations. Trained to read the landscape, he determined the British had overlooked a perfect place to build a fort, one that could dominate two rivers at The Forks, where the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers met to become the Ohio.

Washington hoped to enlist the Seneca Chief, Tanacharison, known as the Half-King by Europeans, as a local guide. Tanacharison had been unsettled by French activity in the area. Washington arrived with a string of wampum – ceremonial beads signaling alliance – and a twist of tobacco. Tanacharison hesitated in accepting them. 

Washington had a new mission in Ohio to return with a force of Virginia militia and indigenous allies to build a fort at the ideal location he identified at The Forks. Once the fort was complete, the British would use it to launch an attack on Fort Le Boeuf itself. Over the previous winter, frontiersmen had arrived in the area and begun construction. Captain Trent of the Virginia Regiment was leading them, and he requested help from Dinwiddie fearing an imminent attack.

To build his force, Washington appealed directly to the Governors of Pennsylvania and Maryland to raise militia for the effort. He also appealed to the representatives of all the native allies to send forces to aid the fight against the French. At just 22 years of age, Washington was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and second in command of the Virginia Regiment under Joshua Fry. 

The events at the frontier sent shock waves through the colonies and the world.

Britain formally declared war on France in 1756. In what is now known internationally as the Seven Years War – in America, it's called the French and Indian War – American colonists had to compete with British colonies in India and the West Indies for troops and support.

In 1759 George Washington married. His wife, Martha, was slightly older than he was and she was a widow. When Martha’s first husband – who had been the richest man in Virginia – died, he left her a wealthy widow with two small children.

Washington resigned his commission in the Virginia militia before marrying, which astonished his officers. But having rallied the cause of the colonies for years, he longed to retire from public life and return to plantation life as a farmer. 

The faith in General George Washington as the first President of the newly independent nation was, interestingly enough, deeply rooted in his reluctance for the job. 

The process of drafting and ratifying the first constitution was complex – many former colonists weren’t in favor of a federal government. They thought a President was too much like a king, and could easily become an autocrat or oligarch. These citizens wanted a loose association of self-governed states. The Federalists, however, clearly saw the necessity for a federal government that could mediate inter-state disputes.