George Washington was born on his father’s plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on February 22, 1732. His father, Augustine Washington was not only the leading planter in the area, but he also served as a justice of the county court.

Austine already had two sons and a daughter from his previous marriage, which ended when his wife died. He married Mary Ball, and George was her first born. She later had five more children.

Not much is known about George Washington’s childhood. And little is known about the George Washington education.

Most children in Virginia were taught at home by private tutors, or in local private schools. Boys usually stated formal education at the age of seven. They would start with lessons in reading, writing, and basic arithmetic.

As they got older they were taught Greek and Latin. They also learned bookkeeping, surveying, and geometry. Wealthy planters would usually send their sons of to England to finish their education.

George might have gone to England to further his education like his two older half brothers did, but he wasn’t able to after his father died.

The George Washington education most likely started in a school located close to home for a few years. He may have gone to another school later. But what we know for sure was that was very good at mathematics and learned surveying.

Unlike other gentlemen’s sons in the area, George didn’t learn Latin or Greek. He didn’t go to college and he never learned a foreign language. The George Washington education ended approximately around the time he was 15 or 16.

The gentry class held social skills to be very important as part of a young man’s or woman’s education. After George’s father died, he started spending more and more time with his half brother Lawrence at his home, Mount Vernon.

Lawrence helped George out by tutoring and mentoring him in his studies. He always taught him social graces and introduced him into society.

The George Washington education was incomplete, and he saw it as defective. He did what he could to make up for what he didn’t learn in school by learning from the people he looked up and by reading books.

Through the years of his personal studying, he built up an enormous library. He also subscribed to many newspapers. He also wrote a lot.

It is thought that his lack of formal education made him put a value on education. He left money in his will for establishing a school in Alexandria, Virginia, in addition to a national university.