George Washington was born in 1732 in Virginia and became a surveyor at age 16, helping survey lands for Lord Fairfax. This brought him into contact with important political figures. When his brother died in 1752, Washington inherited his estate and became a planter at Mount Vernon. He fought in the French and Indian War, working his way up from militia adjutant to colonel by the end of the war. After the war, he retired to Mount Vernon with his wife Martha Custis.