He rallied his rag tag colonial forces and paid their wages out of his own finances. By late December of 1776, the colonial forces were starting to turn the tide against the British. After more victories in 1777, the French offered their support. It took a few years to arrive, but Washington was eventually able to completely defeat the British. In 1781, the British surrendered much of the east coast. In 1783, a treaty was signed granting the colonies their independence.

On February 4, 1789, George Washington was elected the first President of the United States of America with John Adams as vice president. As the first president, he put in place many precedents and traditions including:

1.
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