George Washington's Childhood

George Washington's childhood helped in building him into the great national leader and fearless military commander that he would later become. Born in 1732 to his father Augustine Washington and mother Mary Ball Washington, George grew up on farms as a young boy. Augustine Washington owned several farms in Virginia, and his marriage to Mary Ball after the death of his first wife enlarged the size of his land holdings and farms. At the age of six, George moved with his parents and step-siblings from one of the family's farms on the Potomac River to a farm later known as Ferry Farm, located beside the Rappahannock River. Ferry Farm would become home for the young George Washington as he grew up in the Virginia countryside.

On December 24, 1740, a fire started in the Washington's home. Although this experience was undoubtedly traumatic for George, the fire was fortunately contained to a small corner of the house. The first true tragedy to strike Washington's boyhood was the untimely death of his father. Augustine Washington died in 1743, leaving George fatherless at the age of 11. In Augustine's will, he endowed Ferry Farm and ten slaves to young George. Although he would not legally become the owner of Ferry Farm until his twenty-first birthday, George still assisted his mother in running the farm as he matured. A bitter consequence of his father's early death was that George was not able to acquire a formal education in England. Nonetheless, George still attended the school of Rev. James Marye, the rector of St. George's Parish, where the young George Washington received a basic education in reading, writing, and mathematics. Most likely as a part of his schooling, George learned The Rules of Civility, a contemporary gentlemen's guide to formal etiquette and morality. George Washington not only used this book to supplement his lackluster education and enable him to later be able to correspond with the wealthy in colonial society, but also he stringently applied the handbook's moral code to his personal life. This early attention to morality led to George Washington's later emulation as an honest and upright man, the "father of his country."George Washington's childhood helped in building him into the great national leader and fearless military commander that he would later become. Born in 1732 to his father Augustine Washington and mother Mary Ball Washington, George grew up on farms as a young boy. Augustine Washington owned several farms in Virginia, and his marriage to Mary Ball after the death of his first wife enlarged the size of his land holdings and farms. At the age of six, George moved with his parents and step-siblings from one of the family's farms on the Potomac River to a farm later known as Ferry Farm, located beside the Rappahannock River. Ferry Farm would become home for the young George Washington as he grew up in the Virginia countryside. On December 24, 1740, a fire started in the Washington's home. Although this experience was undoubtedly traumatic for George, the fire was fortunately contained to a small corner of the house. The first true tragedy to strike Washington's boyhood was the untimely death of his father. Augustine Washington died in 1743, leaving George fatherless at the age of 11. In Augustine's will, he endowed Ferry Farm and ten slaves to young George. Although he would not legally become the owner of Ferry Farm until his twenty-first birthday, George still assisted his mother in running the farm as he matured. A bitter consequence of his father's early death was that George was not able to acquire a formal education in England. Nonetheless, George still attended the school of Rev. James Marye, the rector of St. George's Parish, where the young George Washington received a basic education in reading, writing, and mathematics. Most likely as a part of his schooling, George learned The Rules of Civility, a contemporary gentlemen's guide to formal etiquette and morality. George Washington not only used this book to supplement his lackluster education and enable him to later be able to correspond with the wealthy in colonial society, but also he stringently applied the handbook's moral code to his personal life. This early attention to morality led to George Washington's later emulation as an honest and upright man, the "father of his country."