Published eight years after George Washington's death, David Ramsay's Life of George Washington achieved great popularity. A contemporary of Washington, historian Ramsay writes with the knowledge and insights one acquires only by being on the scene. George Washington was elected commander-in-chief of the Continental Army by the Second Continental Congress in May 1775. For the next six years, he led his poorly supplied and ill-trained troops in a grueling war with Great Britain. Washington took the oath of office as the first president of the United States on April 30, 1789. David Ramsay, the author, was an active player in the momentous events of America's unfolding drama. He was twice elected a delegate to the Continental Congress, serving as its chairman in a specially appointed post. His biography of Washington is essential reading for anyone interested in the founding events of the United States of America. Includes a foreword by Jay A. Parry, author of The Real George Washington.