George Washington was popular among the Founding Fathers not only because he was a popular fellow, but also because he was a popular fellow among the people. The Founding Fathers picked Washington because they hoped a popular first President would help get their great experiment in democracy off the ground.

So where did Washington's late-career popularity come from? It was driven by several major factors: his network, his social and leadership skills, and his military record.

First, his network. These seeds were planted long before the American Revolution, so I hope it's alright if we look at Washington's early career. As a young surveyor in his late teens and early 20s, Washington spent a good amount of time in the Shenandoah Valley and the "frontier" areas inland from Virginia's more established coastal settlements. His job as a traveling surveyor meant that young George met and interacted with a wide circle of landowners. This allowed him to start making connections early... So from a relatively young age, Washington was known to colonial elites who controlled portions of the mid-Atlantic's wealth and means of production. This network of rich and/or influential associates was just as important in the 1700s as it would be today. Side note: his insider knowledge of Virginia's frontier topography informed his purchases of prime parcels of land later on!

Second, his social and leadership skills. In building the aforementioned network, Washington learned to operate both in power circles and among the common frontier folk. The George Washington's Office Museum in Winchester, VA has a neat exhibit on this, which posits that Washington did not hold the proletariat farmers in high regard. Nonetheless, he learned to marshall them into effective working and soldiering groups during the French & Indian War, and was the highest ranking ex-British combat officer at the outset of the rebellion. The Frenchman Cromot du Bourg, a member of Rochambeau's staff during the Revolution, described the discipline of Washington's men as follows: "I cannot insist too strongly how I was surprised by the American army. It is truly incredible that troops almost naked, poorly paid, and composed of old men and children and Negroes should behave so well on the march and under fire."

Washington's leadership abilities were certainly augmented by his presence. Du Bourg, the Rochambeau aide quoted above, mentioned Washington's composure under fire in a letter that said, basically, 'I don't even need to mention his sang-froid because everybody already knows.' His charisma is also well-documented, as is his height: Washington was tall for his time (at least 6'0 and perhaps a couple of inches more, depending on which source you're looking at) and there is ample research suggesting that tall people have an advantage in career and leadership situations.

...Which leads us to his military record (other posts by /u/partymoses, /u/TRB1783, and /u/uncovered-history deal with this rather eloquently, so I'll be brief). Tactical missteps notwithstanding, George Washington was the public face of an underdog victory. Britain enjoyed global hegemony at the time; Washington's (1-0) record was pretty darn good and everybody knew it.

In brief, the Founding Fathers wanted to bet on the right horse. It's thus unsurprising that they chose Washington, a strapping, charismatic leader who was cool under fire, lit up a room, had earned the respect of his subordinates, peers, and allies, and proved his mettle against the superpower of the era.

​

Sources:

Fleming, Thomas. Beat the Last Drum: The Siege of Yorktown

Weintraub, Stanley. Iron Tears: America's Battle for Freedom, Britain's Quagmire: 1775-1783

The George Washington Office Museum. Winchester - Fredrick County Historical Society