George Washington - Authentic Signed Initials
Item History & Price
Reference Number: Avaluer:4323895 |
Offered here are the initials “GW” written by the hand of general and first president George Washington. The initials, clipped from a larger document or letter, have been matted along with a reproduction portrait image of Washington, and framed. The mat containing the portrait and initials may be purchased without the frame, to save on shipping cost.
George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was an Ame...rican political leader, military general, statesman, and Founding Father, who also served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Washington commanded Patriot forces in the new nation's vital American Revolutionary War, and led them to victory over the British. Washington also presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which established the new federal government. For his manifold leadership during the American Revolution, he has been called the "Father of His Country". Washington succeeded a prosperous family of slave-holding planters in colonial Virginia. He had educational opportunities and launched a favorable career as a surveyor. He then became a leader of the Virginia militia in the French and Indian War. During the Revolutionary War he was a delegate to the Continental Congress, was unanimously appointed commander-in-chief of the Army, and with help from France, led an allied campaign which ended victoriously at the Siege of Yorktown. Once victory was in hand in 1783, he resigned as commander-in-chief. Washington was unanimously elected president by the Electoral College in the first two national elections. He promoted and oversaw implementation of a strong, well-financed national government, but remained impartial in the fierce rivalry between subordinates Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. In the French Revolution, Washington proclaimed a policy of neutrality while sanctioning the Jay Treaty. He set enduring precedents for the office of president, including the title "President of the United States". Washington's Farewell Address was widely regarded as one of the most influential statements on republicanism and has been read in the Senate every year on his birthday since 1862 as part of one of the Senate's most enduring traditions. Washington owned, worked, and traded African slaves, but became troubled with the institution, and freed them by his 1799 will. He was a member of the Anglican Church and the Freemasons, and urged tolerance for all religions in his roles as general and president. Upon his death, he was eulogized as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." Washington has been memorialized by monuments, art, various locales, stamps, and currency. Many scholars and polls rank Washington in among the top U.S. presidents.