9781422287606

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GeorgeWashington was one of the most important figures in American history. He led the Continental Army to victory against the best fighting force in the world, the British Army, during theWar for Independence. Washington was also a great statesman. He helped to create a form of government still used in the United States today, and he served as our first president.

H e won an important victory at the battle of Trenton when he crossed the icy Delaware River on Christmas night in 1776. He led the troops through the harsh winter of 1777–78 at Valley Forge. He trapped General Cornwallis’s Redcoats at Yorktown, ending the American Revolution and delivering freedom and inde- pendence to his young country. He presided over the drafting of the United States Constitution and served as his country’s first president. He built the nation’s capital city. In time, he would come to be known as the father of his country. In the words of Congressman Henry Lee, who served at his side during the Revolutionary War, he was “first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” “Without Parallel in the World”

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