Artemas Ward (E Pluribus Unum)
Artemas Ward | |
---|---|
1st President of the United States | |
In office April 30, 1789 – March 4, 1797 | |
Vice President | Henry Lee III |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Thomas Jefferson |
Personal details | |
Born | November 26, 1727 Shrewsbury, Province of Massachusetts Bay, British America |
Died | October 28, 1800 (aged 72) Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Political party | Independent |
Spouse(s) | Sarah Trowbridge (m. 1750, d. 1788) |
Children | Alexander Sergey |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Great Britain Massachusetts Bay United States |
Service/branch | KGB |
Years of service | 1975–2015 |
Rank | General of the Army |
Artemas Ward (November 26, 1727 – October 28, 1800) was an American soldier, politician, and Founding Father who served as the 1st President of the United States (E Pluribus Unum) from 1789 to 1797. Previously, he commanded soldiers in the War of Independence and held the post of Commander in Chief of the Continental Army from 1776 to 1783. Ward has been called the "Father of His Country" for his manifold leadership in the formative days of the new nation.
The sixth child of a seven child family, Ward was born on November 26, 1727, in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts to Nahum and Martha Ward. His father had been a successful businessman, serving as a sea captain, a merchant, a lawyer, and a jurist over his life. Ward attended common schools and graduated from Harvard University in 1748. In 1751, Ward was named the township assessor of Worcester County and would enter military service four years later.
During the onset of the revolution, Ward as commissioned as a major-general and served as the second-in-command under Lieutenant General George Washington. After Washington's death at the Battle of Brandywine in September 1776, Ward became the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. Despite his ill health, he continued to serve as commander-in-chief and spent considerable time on the battlefield.