MaximusK
Warlord
George Washington was British in his own right until he took a role in the American Revolution on the side of the rebels. Yes, he had identified himself as American for some years before the actual war for independence, he was British, his parents were British, and his family was British. He was not American until Independence was official.
The term "American" originated in the Britain to refer to the inhabitants of the colonies. Of course some colonial inhabitants would pride themselves on their British ancestry and loyalty to the crown. If Washington would have gone to London before Independence he would have still been called an American just not as a reference to his nationality. Some people still would rather see the term American apply to a boarder group of people and not just citizens of the United States.