George Washington (February 22,1732 – December 14, 1799) was an American statesman, general and political leader best known as the commander of the military that won independence from England and as first president of the United States. Born into a family of wealthy Virginia landowners, he lacked formal education but learned mathematics, trigonometry and land surveying and displayed a talent for drafting and mapmaking.  He was appointed surveyor of Culpepper County in 1748, where he become familiar with the frontier. He joined the Virginia militia in 1752 as the British and French were competing to control the Ohio Valley, resigning his commission in 1758. In 1759 he married Martha Dandridge Custis, widow of a wealthy landowner, and settled into life as a planter and one of the wealthiest men in Virginia. He became active in politics as the British relationship with the colonies soured. When war came, Washington was the natural choice to lead the Continental Army due to his military experience and status as a prominent Virginian. After the war he returned to private life until he was persuaded to attend the Constitutional Convention of 1787 held to revise the Articles of Confederation. Once there he was unanimously elected to preside over the proceedings, which produced the U. S. Constitution. As president, he established a strong, well-financed national government and set many enduring precedents.  His Farewell Address is regarded as a model of republicanism, and his eulogy recognized his by describing him as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen".