George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was a Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. Born in the Colony of Virginia, he became the commander of the Virginia Regiment during the French and Indian War (1754–1763). He was later elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses and opposed the perceived oppression of the American colonists by the British Crown.