Introduction: Washington's Greenhouse -- Iron Roots: How the Washington Family's Fortunes Rose, Fell, and Rose Again -- The Education of an Entrepreneur: An Eighteenth-Century Boyhood -- A Dirty Job: The Origins of Washington's Career as a Surveyor and Land Speculator -- Washington's Social Network: The Key to Success in Business, Life, and Politics -- George and Martha: Partners in Life and Business -- Washington's Green Thumb: The Fields and Orchards of Mount Vernon -- Washington's Mount Vernon: The Making of an Industrial Village -- Success and Revolution -- Father of Invention: Washington's Support for Eighteenth-Century Innovators -- Never at Rest: Washington's Final Years -- Mount Vernon and Washington's Legacy

"A detailed business biography of George Washington, focusing on his many innovations and inventions. George Washington: general, statesman, businessman? Most Americans don't know that Washington was the country's first true entrepreneur, responsible for revolutionizing several industries. In George Washington, Entrepreneur, John Berlau gives us a tour of Mount Vernon, explaining how our founding father is at the heart of American innovation. Some of Washington's contributions to business and invention: -Every American mule can be traced to Mount Vernon; Washington was instrumental in breeding horses with donkeys to create a superior farm animal. -Unlike most Virginia farmers, Washington grew vast fields of wheat. His state-of-the-art mill exported flour throughout the US and Europe. By stamping his initials on each package, he created GW Flour, one of the very first branded food products. -On the advice of a Scottish worker, Washington built a distillery, grew all of the necessary crops, and became one of the largest American whiskey distributors of his time. Showing an unfamiliar side of our Founding Father, lovers of business and history will find this book informative and enchanting"--