George Washington was the first and most popular U.S. President. He was the only one elected by a unanimous vote. It is often said of him that he was “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” Washington led comparatively untrained and ill-equipped American soldiers to victory over the well-trained British in the Revolutionary War. As soon as the Constitution was ratified, he was chosen to be President.

Many of the generals who had fought under Washington did not believe that the 13 colonies could cooperate to form a single country without the strong leadership of a king. They approached him, saying that they would support him as King George I of the United States. Washington was dismayed at the idea, and asked the generals to promise never to mention it again. He served two terms as President and refused a third term, retiring to his farm in Virginia. When England’s King George heard that Washington had voluntarily given up the power of the presidency, he said, “If that is true, he is the greatest man in history.”

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