Extend The Experience: George Washington

Did you know George Washington was originally a redcoat? After his older brother Lawrence died, George inherited Lawrence’s military officer position, a rank of Major, in the Virginia militia. George won his first major battle against the French that instigated the French and Indian War, but later was forced to surrender at Fort Necessity. His experience fighting in the rough wilderness became a key component to his success in the Revolutionary War. Follow his early military career in this stunning graphic novel.  

George married a young, attractive, and wealthy widow named Martha Dandridge on January 7, 1759. She brought along with her four children, which George treated as his own. George and Martha never had children of their own, but they were devoted to each other. Martha spent most of the Revolutionary War at George’s side on the front, including the terrible winter at Valley Forge. She did this all while managing Mount Vernon and George’s businesses. As the first First Lady, Martha set the precedent for how a First Lady should act. She held open weekly dinners where foreign dignitaries, Congressmen, and members of the local community could come and rub elbows together. Learn more about the amazing Martha Washington in this video!

Although George is primarily known as a politician and military figurehead, he was also a farmer and businessman. During his lifetime, George expanded Mount Vernon from 2,000 acres to 8,000 acres. He experimented with different plants and refined the most sustainable practices, which led him to stop growing tobacco and start growing wheat. He added a commercial fishing enterprise, a flour grist mill, and a distillery to his holdings. At its peak, George Washington’s distillery produced over 11,000 gallons of rye whiskey in a year, making it one of the largest distilleries in America at the time. 

George took up the position as General of the Continental Army in June 1775 and traveled to the Longfellow House, where he spent nine months training the new Continental Army. Although he had a military background, he had no practical experience with large formations, artillery, or maintaining supply lines. But he learned on the job. One of his more daring strategies was to attack the garrison in Trenton on Christmas night in 1776. This victory marked a turning point in the war. It’s been immortalized by the painting Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze which now hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Although beautiful, Leutze’s painting is not all that accurate. Check out how the night raid really went down in this video. 

After the Revolutionary War, George retired back to Mount Vernon. He hoped to live his life peacefully, but as the new republic floundered, he left retirement in 1785 to lead the Constitutional Convention and worked to ratify the Constitution. When the first presidential election was held, George received every vote. He is the only president unanimously elected by the voice of the people. He wrote, “In our progress toward political happiness my station is new…there is scarcely any action that may not be subject to a double interpretation.” George served two terms as president and was regarded upon his death as one of the greatest men of the age. You can see more of George’s thoughts and fears by exploring his writing via the Founder’s Papers in the National Archives.