Last Reviewed and Updated on June 13, 2022
George Washington is often called the “Father of His Country” because he led the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and helped shape the US’s formative constitution. He was also the first president.
There are many more interesting facts about George Washington, his life, quirks, and views that you just need to know.
1. George Washington was the first president of the US
This is one of the facts about George Washington that is most likely known by all. He is one of the founding fathers of the United States of America. He was the first president of the United States of America.
2. He is the only president with a state named after him
What we today know as the state of Washington, was once part of the Oregon territory. What led to the creation of the state of Washington was the fact that the territories, now known as Washington, were too far from the capital of Oregon territory, making them ill-represented.
The newly established territories were named Washington, honoring George Washington.
3. He had bad teeth, by the time he became president he only had 1 tooth
He had good dental hygiene, he took care of his teeth, brushing them and using tinctures and powders which were similar to today’s toothpaste.
Despite his care, he often had problems with toothaches and tooth decay. He lost his first tooth in his early twenties, with others soon following year by year.
At 57 years, when he became the president he only had 1 tooth left.
4. He wore dentures (not made from wood)
This is one of the more interesting facts about George Washington. It’s commonly believed he wore dentures made of wood and while it’s true he wore dentures, they were never made out of wood.
He wore numerous dentures throughout his life, from partial to full. They were made from a variety of materials, from teeth of animals, ivory, and metallic alloys to teeth from other humans.
5. He supported the abolition of slavery, although he was a slave owner
Washington had a complicated relationship with slavery and his attitude towards it changed over time.
He was born into a family of slave owners and owned slaves from the age of 11 and up to his death. Over the course of his life, he owned or rented hundreds of slaves.
Over time his views on slavery developed, and he was becoming uneasy with the idea of slavery. After the war, he supported the abolition of slavery, through a gradual legislative process.
Later on, he even had plans to free the enslaved people he controlled. But was not successful, due to various reasons both in his and outside his control.
He did free one slave in his will and requested other slaves to be bequeathed to his widow and freed after her death.
6. Washington didn’t have any biological children
It is possible he was infertile. He wanted to have children. His wife, Martha, was a widow and had 2 living children from her previous marriage.
George Washington was a caring and supportive stepfather.
7. He has the highest-ranking US military rank, only awarded twice in history
George Washington achieved the rank of lieutenant general. General of the Armies of the United States was a rank devised to elevate George Washington, but the rank wasn’t appointed at that time.
The rank was appointed posthumous, in 1976 and the only other person to be appointed this rank was John J. Pershing. Fascinating!
8. He was unanimously elected as president
Twice. He is the only president in the history of the United States that was unanimously elected.
9. He never surrendered in battle and had developed key strategies for winning the revolutionary war
He won many battles and lost many battles, but he would never surrender. Each defeat was carefully studied, learning from mistakes to avoid repeating them.
He was establishing spy networks, helping him gather intelligence against the adversary. To gain an advantage he also utilized spreading false information.
He was carefully choosing his battles, maximizing the odds of success.
Also read: Facts about the American Revolution
10. After the war, he wanted to retire
He didn’t have any ambitious plans after the war has ended, and the presidency certainly wasn’t on his mind. All he wanted to do was retire to his estate.
Washington resigned from his military commission after the war ended. This was a monumental moment, as he willingly gave back his power of the army to the government. He basically gave away his political power, surprising high officials in Europe and beyond.