George Washington was born at Bridges’ Creek in Virginia in 1732.
He was the oldest of five children of Augustine and Mary Ball Washington. He had a younger sister and three younger brothers. Augustine had been married previously, so George also had two older half brothers. When George was six, the family moved to Ferry Farm near Fredericksburg, Virginia. On the family farm, George learned to ride horseback and to fish and go boating on the nearby Rappahanock River. He often went across the river to explore the docks and wharves of Fredericksburg. When George was 11, his father died. After his father’s death, George became closer to his older half brother Lawrence. He went often to visit Lawrence on his farm called Mount Vernon. When George was 16, he went to live with Lawrence. At Mount Vernon, a new and different kind of life opened up for George.
