There are many fascinating events and characters that make up American history. Some events changed the very way American values ​​were formed and many people accepted the challenges of their time to create a better country for every American citizen. George Washington was one of those people. He is widely known as one of America's founding fathers. George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was the eldest son of Augustine and Mary Washington. George Washington lived in and was part of many of the defining moments in the history of America's first couple. He served as a politician, army officer and became the first president of the United States. His time as an Army officer had its ups and downs, but Washington managed to rise above those days to become one of the biggest names in American history. George Washington, dating back to his childhood and sixty-seven years of life, was instrumental in defining many aspects of America's rich history, including service in the French and Indian War (1754-1758), service as a military Virginia politician (1759-1774), served in the American Revolution (1776-1781) and became America's first president (1789-1797). George Washington laid the foundations and transformed America into an independent democracy, and his hard work and dedication are still highly appreciated today. Much of George Washington's childhood is unknown. Early accounts of his life show that his father died when Washington was 11 years old. This saddened Washington and he moved and stayed with many different families for a couple of years before settling with his half-brother, Lawrence, in Mount Vernon. When Washington was 14 he tried... middle of paper..., CT, USA: Greenwood Press. EBSCOhost (accessed August 16, 2011). "George Washington | The White House." The White House. http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/georgewashington (accessed 16 August 2011). Lengel, Edward. 2005. General George Washington: A Military Life. Westminster, MD, USA: Random House, Incorporated. EBSCOhost (accessed August 6, 2011).Lossing, B.J. 2001. George Washington's Mount Vernon. Westminster, MD, United States: Random House Value Publishing, Incorporated. EBSCOhost (accessed August 16, 2011). "Timeline of the Revolutionary War." ushistory.org. http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/revwartimeline.htm (accessed 16 August 2011). "The Death of George Washington, 1799." Eyewitness to history: history through the eyes of those who lived it. http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/washington.htm (accessed August 16, 2011).