Some know George Washington as the father of our country and others may know him simply as the first president, but as a child he wasn't the type that was an obvious leader, he was just another child born into a typical family. George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, on Pope's Creek plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia to Augustine Washington and Mary Ball. "However, George Washington always preferred to celebrate his birthday on February 11th" ( Old, Page 15). During the time of George Washington's birth, the old Julian calendar was used and by the 1700s the Julian calendar didn't match the seasons, so the more accurate Gregorian calendar was adopted when George was nineteen. The new calendar shifted many dates by 11 days, so you can guess why he wanted to celebrate his birthday on the 11th.
Throughout the first six years of his childhood, George's father moved the family from one tobacco farm to another. The family, along with 20 of their slaves, finally settled on a a farm called the Ferry Farm, which was located across from the Rappahannock River from Fredericksburg, Virginia. When he was young he enjoyed many things that children of today like doing, such as: swimming, horseback riding, and sailing. "With a musket he stalked the woods that fringed the farm, hunting raccoon and deer" (Kent, Page 15). George Washington began to go to school short after the family moved to Ferry Farm. The question of whether he received any formal schooling isn't certain. "Probably a tutor taught him basic reading, writing and arithmetic" (Kent, Page 15). George's father planned on sending George to school in England, but because of Augustine's death, George's mother wouldn't allow George away from home for a long period of time. By the time he was fourteen, his school days were over. He began to keep simple business accounts, write clear letters, and do simple figuring.
As a young boy, George Washington was very quiet and dignified.
