In result, the French commander was killed and most of his men were captured. Washington pulled his force back into Fort Necessity where the French overwhelmed him. Surrounded by the enemy with food supply cut off and dampened ammunitions useless, Washington capitulated. Under the terms of the surrender signed that day, he was permitted to march his troop back to Williamsburg. In the fall of 1758, the French were defeated and the war ended (Flexner).
Following his work in the war, Washington married Martha Dandridge Curtis, a wealthy young widow. Washington matured into a solid member of Virginia society. From 1759 to 1774 he served in the House of Burgesses (Flexner). By 1774 Washington had become a key supporter of the colonial cause. That same year he was elected to the First Continental Congress. In 1775, the Second Continental Congress elected Washington commander in chief of its army. In July, Washington arrived in Massachusetts, where the battles at Lexington and Concord had been fought. The British pulled back most of their troops to winter in New York City, leaving scattered garrisons of German mercenaries in New Jersey. On December 25, Washington led his small army across the ice-clogged Delaware, successfully attacked a garrison at Trenton, and re-crossed the Delaware without interference. In January 1777 near Princeton, he defeated three British regiments marching to reinforce General Charles Cornwallis. The British eventually surrendered. After the victory, Washington rejected a plan, which had the support of the army, of establishing a monarchy with himself as king. In 1789, members of the first Electoral College unanimously voted George Washington as President of the United States (Callahan).
With no model on which to base himself, Washington was unsure of his abilities as he took office. He had the help of only a few officials. Additionally, he and Vice-President John Adams were the only heads of the executive branch.
