The central idea in this excerpt is that Washington was a farmer who disagreed with British rules. The passage mentions that he managed his lands around Mount Vernon, was married to a widow, and devoted himself to a busy and happy life, but it also notes that he felt exploited by British merchants and hampered by British regulations, and that he voiced his resistance to these restrictions as the conflict with the mother country grew acute. These details all support the idea that Washington was a farmer who had concerns with British rules and regulations.