George Washington was dead in 1775.
George Washington ( [ ˈdʒɔɹdʒ_ˈwɒʃɪŋtən ] -- , 1799 ) was an American politician and soldier who served as the first President of the United States from 1789 to 1797 and was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States . Following his election as president in 1789 , he worked to unify rival factions in the fledgling nation . In avoiding war with Great Britain , he guaranteed a decade of peace and profitable trade by securing the Jay Treaty in 1795 , despite intense opposition from the Jeffersonians . He retired from the presidency in 1797 , returning to his home and plantation at Mount Vernon .