George Washington was born into a wealthy Virginian family on February 11, 1731. His father owned several tobacco plantations in the state and George was born at one of their homes in Westmoreland, Virginia. He then moved to Ferry Farm in Stafford County near Frederickburg, where he lived with his mother after his father’s death.

Although Washington was known to have slept in hundreds of homes across the Eastern side of America, the most famous home is known as Mount Vernon in Virginia. George’s Dad died when he was 11 and had left him Ferry Farm and his brother Mount Vernon. His brother died in 1752 and George then inherited Mount Vernon. With an early occupation as a land surveyor, George knew the value of vacant land and began buying large tracts contiguous to his already vast properties. He had increased the acreage of Mount Vernon from 3,000 acres to 9200 acres during his life. He owned over 69,000 acres of land spread over several states.

George married Martha Custis, whowas a widow and wealthy landowner from her first marriage. Martha was smart and knew how to run a plantation and purchase land. She and George were able to purchase thousands of acres contiguous to her already large stronghold, making him one of the largest landowners in Virginia. (Only men could own land and only land owners could vote and get involved in politics.)

George was a wealthy man by virtue of his landownership, but was also deeply in debt. His main crop was tobacco which had an unpredictable market. He and many other croppers, including Thomas Jefferson, neared financial ruins, until he began to diversify his crops. Washington grew wheat which could be sold locally and also got involved in livestock among other ventures.

George had acquired additional land as a bounty for his service in the war, became involved in politics as only a landowner could in those days, and was considered a socialite in Virginia.

After his involvement in the American Revolution and his multiple battle successes, George retired to Mount Vernon. In 1789, he was released from early retirement to become the first president of the United States. After a successful presidency, he went back again to Mount Vernon, where he farmed his land and tended his crops. He also dabbled in running a distillery. His early money came from slave ownership and land acquisition, but Washington was never truly successful as a farmer. He had a greater appearance of wealth than true monetary wealth, even in those days. George Washington always considered himself a farmer, although he was American first president and one of the greatest leaders in our history.