Few deaths in American history carry as much medical irony as George Washington’s. A common cold escalated into a fatal throat infection, and the very treatments meant to save him — aggressive bloodletting and purging — likely hastened his end within 21 hours.

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Date of death: December 14, 1799 · Age at death: 67 · Primary cause (modern diagnosis): Acute epiglottitis · Blood volume drained: ≈ 40% (approx. 80–124 ounces) · Last words: ‘Tis well

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
4What’s next

The table below summarizes the essential biographical and medical data.

Key facts about George Washington’s death
Fact Detail
Full name George Washington
Born February 22, 1732 (O.S. February 11)
Died December 14, 1799
Place of death Mount Vernon, Virginia
Presidency 1st President of the United States (1789–1797)
Age at death 67 years, 295 days
Primary cause of death (modern) Acute epiglottitis
Amount of blood drained Approximately 40% of total blood volume

The implication: the medical facts of Washington’s final day are well established, but the precise biological mechanism — and how much the doctors’ interventions mattered — continues to be debated.

What was the real cause of George Washington’s death?

The official record of his final illness

Washington’s physicians at the time diagnosed cynanche trachealis — a broad 18th-century term for severe throat inflammation, according to the National Constitution Center (nonprofit educational organization). The symptoms appeared rapidly: after riding in cold rain on December 12, 1799, he complained of a sore throat and hoarseness. By the next morning, his breathing had become labored and his voice nearly gone. Dr. James Craik, his personal physician, recorded a “violent inflammation of the throat” that progressed within hours. (PubMed (peer-reviewed medical journal))

Why this matters

Washington’s doctors were working without knowledge of bacteria, without antibiotics, and without any way to secure an airway — a combination that turned a survivable infection into a death sentence.

Modern medical consensus: acute epiglottitis

Most modern analyses agree that Washington likely suffered from acute epiglottitis, a fast-swelling infection of the flap of tissue that covers the windpipe. The Papers of George Washington (primary source archive) describes the condition as “a rapidly progressing infection that can be fatal because swollen tissues obstruct the airway.” A comprehensive PubMed-indexed analysis from 2005 confirms that Washington died during an influenza epidemic, with epiglottitis as the immediate cause. However, a more recent study in Clinical Infectious Diseases (peer-reviewed journal) notes that a staphylococcal retropharyngeal abscess is an equally viable candidate.

The implication: Washington’s death was caused by a throat infection that would be easily treatable with modern antibiotics and a simple breathing tube, but the precise bacterial identity may never be known.

Did George Washington die of quinsy?

What is quinsy (peritonsillar abscess)?

For decades, historians classified Washington’s illness as quinsy — a peritonsillar abscess where pus collects behind the tonsils. The National Constitution Center notes that retrospective diagnoses have included quinsy, croup, Ludwig’s angina, diphtheria, and pneumonia. Quinsy typically causes severe sore throat, fever, and muffled voice, but patients usually can still breathe.

Why the 1976 JAMA paper argued it was acute epiglottitis

A landmark JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) paper by Dr. White McKenzie Wallenborn concluded that Washington’s case was a textbook example of acute epiglottitis. The key difference: quinsy affects the tonsils, while epiglottitis swells the epiglottis, which sits directly over the airway. Washington’s rapid breathing difficulty and the way he sat upright struggling for air are classic epiglottitis signs. (National Constitution Center)

The pattern: the historical label “quinsy” has stuck for centuries, but modern evidence strongly favors epiglottitis — a subtle but critical distinction for understanding why Washington’s airway closed so fast.

Which president had his blood drained?

The role of bloodletting in 18th-century medicine

Bloodletting was standard practice in 1799, rooted in the ancient belief that illness resulted from an imbalance of humors. Washington’s doctors — James Craik, Gustavus Brown, and Elisha Dick — applied the treatment aggressively. According to The Baltimore Sun (regional newspaper), the three physicians each ordered additional bleedings, totaling four sessions over the course of the day.

How much blood was removed from Washington?

Estimates place the total volume at 80 to 124 ounces — roughly 40% of a typical adult’s total blood volume. The Papers of George Washington notes that such aggressive depletion would cause hypovolemic shock, dramatically weakening the heart’s ability to pump oxygen. The Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia) entry on Washington adds that bloodletting and purgatives likely worsened his condition by accelerating collapse.

The catch

The sheer volume of blood removed — more than a third of his total — almost certainly hastened death, even if the throat infection alone would have been fatal. Washington’s doctors were treating a symptom with a treatment that created its own lethal complication.

What were George Washington’s last words before he died?

The account of his final moments

Washington’s secretary Tobias Lear left the most detailed eyewitness account. According to the National Constitution Center, Washington asked Lear to “sit by me a little” and later told him, “I die hard, but I am not afraid to go.” His last recorded words were “‘Tis well” — spoken to Martha as she sat at the foot of the bed.

Variations in the record

Some secondary sources report slightly different phrasing, but multiple independent witnesses — including Lear and the attending physicians — agree on the core exchange. The Smithsonian Institution (federal educational institution) summarizes that Washington died peacefully, having given instructions for his burial and freed his slaves in his will.

The pattern: Washington’s last words reflect a man at peace with his mortality, despite the violent medical interventions of his final hours.

What time did George Washington die?

Timeline of December 14, 1799

The Clinical Infectious Diseases (peer-reviewed journal) places his death between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on December 14. The PubMed Central (U.S. National Institutes of Health archive) confirms the entire illness lasted about 21 hours, from the first serious symptoms on the morning of December 13.

  • December 12, morning: Washington rides in cold rain, returns wet.
  • December 13, morning: Sore throat worsens; difficulty speaking.
  • December 13, evening: Dr. Craik diagnoses a “cold,” prescribes mild remedy.
  • December 14, early morning: Breathing becomes labored; condition deteriorates rapidly.
  • December 14, morning: First bloodletting (12–14 oz); three more throughout the day.
  • December 14, afternoon: Drs. Brown and Dick arrive; disagree on further treatment.
  • December 14, 10–11 p.m.: Washington dies; Martha at bedside. (Clinical Infectious Diseases)

What this means: the exact minute may be uncertain, but the window is narrow — Washington died within a single evening hour, after a day of escalating medical intervention that did nothing to save him.

Timeline of Washington’s final 24 hours

The sequence below, compiled from Military.com (veteran-focused media), PubMed Central, and Clinical Infectious Diseases, shows the rapid progression from exposure to death.

  • December 12, 1799 (morning): Washington rides out in cold rain to inspect the farm; returns with wet clothes and a sore throat.
  • December 12, 1799 (afternoon): He complains of a slight hoarseness but does not change his clothes.
  • December 13, 1799 (morning): Sore throat worsens; he develops a cough and difficulty speaking.
  • December 13, 1799 (evening): Dr. James Craik is called; diagnoses a ‘cold’ and prescribes a mild remedy.
  • December 14, 1799 (early morning): Condition rapidly deteriorates; breathing becomes labored.
  • December 14, 1799 (morning): First bloodletting (approximately 12–14 ounces). Subsequent three more bleedings throughout the day.
  • December 14, 1799 (afternoon): Drs. Gustavus Brown and Elisha Dick arrive; they disagree on further treatment.
  • December 14, 1799 (evening, 10–11 p.m.): Washington dies peacefully with Martha at his bedside. Last words: ‘Tis well.

Confirmed facts

  • Date and time of death (December 14, 1799, between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.) (Clinical Infectious Diseases)
  • Last words: ‘Tis well (recorded by multiple witnesses) (National Constitution Center)
  • Bloodletting was performed by Dr. Craik, Dr. Brown, and Dr. Dick (The Baltimore Sun)
  • Washington had a severe throat infection (PubMed)

What’s unclear

  • Exact amount of blood drained (estimates vary 80–124 oz) (The Papers of George Washington)
  • Whether the infection was strictly acute epiglottitis or a peritonsillar abscess (quinsy) – modern consensus leans toward epiglottitis (National Constitution Center)
  • Whether bloodletting directly caused or only hastened his death (Wikipedia)
  • Whether a retropharyngeal abscess is a more accurate modern diagnosis (Clinical Infectious Diseases)

What the doctors and witnesses said

Three primary sources capture the medical and human dimensions of Washington’s final hours.

“He was very ill indeed, with a violent inflammation of the throat, which from the symptoms I judged to be what is called the croup.”

— Dr. James Craik, attending physician, as recorded in his notes after Washington’s death (PubMed)

“The case of General Washington is a classic textbook case of acute epiglottitis, not quinsy.”

— Dr. White McKenzie Wallenborn, JAMA (1976)

“He said, ‘I am just going. Have me decently buried, and do not let my body be put into the vault in less than three days after I am dead.’ He then asked, ‘Do you understand me?’ I replied, ‘Yes, sir.’ He then said, ”Tis well.'”

— Tobias Lear, Washington’s secretary, from his diary account (National Constitution Center)

Bottom line: George Washington died from a severe throat infection — most likely acute epiglottitis — that was compounded by aggressive bloodletting totaling roughly 40% of his blood volume. Modern readers should conclude that what began as a common cold became fatal because 18th-century medicine had no antibiotics, no airway support, and a treatment that did more harm than good. Historians continue to debate quinsy versus epiglottitis, but the evidence leans decisively toward the latter. The tragedy is that a man who survived war and politics could not survive a streptococcal infection.

Related reading: Who Wrote the Declaration of Independence? · Tallest Person in the World

Additional sources

jamanetwork.com

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Frequently asked questions

What was the real cause of George Washington’s death?

George Washington died from a severe throat infection, most likely acute epiglottitis, on December 14, 1799. His doctors also removed about 40% of his blood through multiple bleedings, which likely hastened his death. (The Papers of George Washington; National Constitution Center)

Did George Washington die of quinsy?

Washington’s physicians diagnosed a form of quinsy (peritonsillar abscess) at the time, but modern medical consensus, including a 1976 JAMA paper, argues that acute epiglottitis was the correct diagnosis. (National Constitution Center)

Which president had his blood drained?

George Washington was bled four times on December 14, 1799, by three doctors — Craik, Brown, and Dick — losing an estimated 80 to 124 ounces of blood (about 40% of his total volume). (The Baltimore Sun; The Papers of George Washington)

What were George Washington’s last words before he died?

Washington’s last recorded words were “‘Tis well,” spoken to his wife Martha as he lay dying. He also told his secretary Tobias Lear, “I am not afraid to go.” (National Constitution Center)

What time did George Washington die?

Washington died between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on December 14, 1799, at Mount Vernon. His final illness lasted about 21 hours. (Clinical Infectious Diseases; PubMed Central)

How did bloodletting contribute to George Washington’s death?

Bloodletting removed so much blood that it likely caused hypovolemic shock, dramatically weakening Washington’s heart and accelerating his death. Modern medical historians widely agree that the practice worsened his condition. (Wikipedia; The Papers of George Washington)

Was George Washington’s death preventable?

Yes — with modern antibiotics to treat the infection and a breathing tube to bypass the swollen epiglottis, Washington’s death would almost certainly have been prevented. The rapid airway obstruction and aggressive bloodletting were the fatal combination. (The Papers of George Washington; PubMed)

For medical historians and anyone examining the final hours of America’s first president, the lesson is clear: a treatable infection turned lethal because the best available care — bloodletting — actually made things worse. Washington’s death was not inevitable; it was the product of medical knowledge that would be considered malpractice today.

The tragedy is that a man who survived war and politics could not survive a throat infection made fatal by the treatments meant to cure it.