George Washington (1732 – 1799) was a military general, statesman, and American political leader. He led the Patriot forces to victory in the American War for Independence. He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where the U.S. Constitution was established, and he served as the first president of the United States from 1789 – 1797. This extensive collection of quotes made by George Washington during his life time, span from before, during and after the War of Independence as well as during his time as American President. Also included are the delightful 110 'Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour In Company and Conversation', which he copied when he was sixteen as a handwriting exercise. They were originally derived from a list of ideals compiled by French Jesuits in 1590, and translated into English in 1640 by Francis Hawkins.