George Washington: America's First President

You may know of a story about George Washington when he was a child. In the story, his father gave him a hatchet. A hatchet is a small ax used to chop wood. One day, George chopped down a cherry tree with his hatchet. George's father saw the cherry tree on the ground. Shocked, he asked his son, "What did you do?"

What is a hatchet?

• a small animal

• a small ax

• a small dessert

• a small house

In 1732, Washington was born in Virginia. He lived with his family on a farm. In 1743, Washington went to live with family at Mount Vernon.

What year was Washington born?

• 1735

• 1743

• 1732

• 1745

Soon after moving to Mount Vernon, he worked as a surveyor. As a surveyor, he measured and charted land.

As a surveyor, he learned a lot about -

• the government

• sailing

• people

• the land

Washington joined the military in 1754, shortly before a war called the French and Indian War began. He became a skilled military leader. In 1775, he was asked to lead soldiers from the American colonies to fight the British. This war was called the American __________________.

• War

• Revolution

• Party

Early in the war, it looked as if the Americans would lose to the British. However, Washington made a __________ plan. He decided to surprise the British forces who were camping near the Delaware River in New Jersey. The Americans captured about 900 British soldiers!

• brave

• silly

• bad

One winter during the war, the American soldiers camped at a place called Valley Forge in Pennsylvania. Their supplies were low. There was little food, and most soldiers did not have warm clothes. Some soldiers went home. Many others stayed to support their leader, George Washington.

Valley Forge is in -

• Virginia

• New York

• Georgia

• Pennsylvania

The American Revolution ended in 1783. The American colonies won and were now free from Great Britain. The colonies became the -

• United States of France

• United States of Great Britain

• United States of America

After the war, Washington planned to go home to Mount Vernon. However, he had become a well-known leader and had more work to do. In 1787, Washington traveled to a large meeting in Philadelphia called the Constitutional -

• Convention

• Party

• Meeting