martha washington, revolutionary women, and mt. vernon · martha washington, revolutionary women,...
TRANSCRIPT
Martha Washington, R evolutionary Wom en,
and M t. V ernon
J as on Chohonis , M .A . H is toryCutler B ay S enior H igh S chool
M DCS S Conference 11/8/16
Mt. Vernon http://www.m ountvernon.org/
Mission:Through our work, moreeducators and students will usethe life, leadership and legacyof George Washington tostrengthen their knowledge ofthe past, their civicresponsibilities, and historicalthinking skills
Mount Vernon, 1860
Martha Washington
J une 2, 1731-M ay 22, 1802
Early Li fe● B orn M artha Dandridge (Pats y) J une 2, 1731 in New
K ent County, V irginia○ Oldes t of 8 chi ldren born to wealthy planter
fam ily○ Gentry , but not eli te.
● M arried at age of 18 to Daniel Park e Cus tis (M ay 15, 1750)○ V ery wealthy. ○ 20 years M artha’s s enior○ F ather oppos ed m arriage.
Martha’s short l ived fi rst m arriage
● A fter m arriage, m oves into Cus tis ’ hom e “White H ous e”
● M is tres s of H ous ehold s laves● M otherhood and M ortali ty
○ Daniel (1750) and F rances (1753)- both die before the age of 5.
○ J ohn Park e Cus tis (1754), M artha Park e Cus tis (1756)
● Death of H us band (1757)
Martha and Colonial Widowhood
● H us band dies without a wi ll○ M artha= E x ecutor ○ B etter off legally than when m arried.
■ Coverture
Martha’s new beau● Martha Dandridge Custis
○ 5 feet tall (average female height-5’2
○ Owned nearly 300 slaves and 17,500 acres of land
○ 2 living children○ Born in 1731 (8 months older than
George
● George Washington○ 6 foot 2 inches tall, 190 lbs○ Inherited 10 slaves when his father
died at age 10○ Inherited Mt. Vernon plantation after
death of brother Lawrence.○ Childless (possibly sterile due to
previous illness)
George to Martha, 1775
Martha’s Wedding Att i re- H igh F as hion
Martha’s Haute Couture Wedding Shoes (1759) S ilk, linen, leather, metallic lace and sequins, and wood.
"Simple 100" patent leather pumps by Christian Louboutin. (
http://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/colonial-life-today/shoe-shopping-with-martha-washington#-
George Washington, Invoice of Sundry Goods to be Ship'd by Robt. Cary, Esq., and Company for the use of George Washington, May 1759. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.
Garnet- all the rage in the 1750s -1760s
Martha and George’s H om e- M t. V ernon
● M arried at M artha’s hom e in New K ent County, V irginia on J anuary 6th, 1759
● R enovations to M t. V ernon ○ A ddition of a s econd floor○ George back and forth to F rench and Indian War/William s burg○ T he S pectre of S ally F airfax ○ M artha and Cus tis chi ldren m ove in.
Martha and Slavery
● S laves○ Dower
■ 1/3 of es tate belongs to M artha unti l her death (s o can’t be s old)- R oughly 80 ens laved pers ons
■ E ldes t M ale s on would inherit 2/3 of s laves when an adult
The Washingtons and the Penns ylvania A bolition
L aw● 1790- Was hington is Pres ident,
Capital is in Phi ladelphia● A bolition L aw pas s ed- A ny
s lave l iving in the s tate for longer than 6 m onths is em ancipated○ R otation of s laves back to
V irginia
The Oney Judge Incident● Ona/Oney J udge
○ E ns laved gir l of 15-16 years old at tim e of M artha’s m arriage to George
○ M artha’s pers onal attendant
Engraving of a Virginia cotton plantation 1725
● May, 1796○ Martha/George to return to Mt. Vernon○ Oney Judge escapes○ Martha devastated
The Pennsylvania Gazette, M ay 24, 1796
R unaway s lave advertis em ent
“A s there was no s us picion of her going off, nor provocation to do s o”
“T en dollars wi ll be paid to any pers on who will bring her hom e, i f tak en within the city .... and a reas onable additional s um if apprehended at....a greater dis tance”
“Martha’s attitude toward slavery reflected the attitude of other women of her social class in Virginia at the time. She had an unquestioned belief in white superiority. Although utterly dependent on slave labor for her daily existence, she suspected her slaves’ honesty and work ethic. Although she had close personal relationships with certain individual slaves, she considered slaves as a group to be like children, or lazy, ungovernable wretches. Unlike her husband, Martha never came to doubt the morality or justice of the institution which made her life as a plantation mistress possible.”
MountVernon.Com "Martha Washington & Slavery." George Washington's Mount Vernon.
Martha-far from an abolitionis t
Martha during the Revolution● In 1775, with war break ing out, M artha had never left V irginia before
○ “M y great concern upon this occas ion is , the thought of leaving your m other under the uneas ines s which i fear this affair wi ll throw her into”- George Was hington to J ohn Park e Cus tis (J ack y)
● George Was hington leaves to war, and wi ll not return to M t. V ernon for 6 years . Wi ll be away at war at winter encam pm ents from 1775-1783○ H ow m any winters did M artha s tay with George?
■ 8. E very s ingle winter. ■ S o es s ential to George that even though he did not tak e a s alary for
pos ition, did as k for reim burs al for M artha traveling to front
Martha and women at camp
Every winter Martha would make the journey to camp
Seen as a good sign by soldiers, done with fighting for year
Confidant, secretary, representative, comfort to sick, moral boost to entire camp
Hostess to visiting dignitaries, leaders, congressmen
Other women
Officer’s wives
Kitty Greene, Lucky Knox
Camp followers
Depiction of camp with women Needle and pin cas e made at Valley Forge
George Was hington’s Headquarters at Valley Forge; Home to Martha Was hington and others
Deborah Sampson
Born to poor family
Dressed as a man, tried to enlist twice
Shot in left thigh, discovered?
Married after war, husband Benjamin receives spouses pension
1751-1800
Camp follower, husband is in army
Joins husband in battle dressed as a man and fires cannon.
Wounded, lost use of left arm, left breast injured
Received 1/2 of male
“Molly Pitcher”
Somewhat legendary, only one real source was discovered in 1950
Followed husband to war as camp follower, resided at Valley Forge
Margarett Corbin Mary Ludwig
Atypical Women of the Revolution
The Fi rst Fi rst L ady
Conclusion of War- Death of her last son Jacky at Yorktown
Left behind 4 children and widow
2 Children, Eleanor Parke Custis (Nelly) and George Washington Parke Custis live with Martha at Mt. Vernon
Return home!?!? Peace?!?
Not so fast my friend
Washington elected President
Back to being a public figure Presidential home of the Washingtons,
Philadelphia
As Martha stepped into the role of the “Firs t Lady”, s he was creating a template for how a Firs t Lady s hould behave.
What is the role of the Firs t Lady today?
Does that change if we have a woman pres ident?
Return to Mt. Vernon (finally)
● M arch, 1797- George done, refus es third term , to M artha’s relief○ R eturn to M t. V ernon○ M any years with George?
■ Nope!
Chines e porcelain cup and s aucer given to M artha Was hington in 1790s . Initials read M .W.
Second WidowhoodMartha now 68 years old
Receives thousands of letters of condolence, hundreds of visitors after husband’s death
Surrounded by family
Freeing of slaves
George’s slaves probably aware that they were to be freed after Martha’s death
At urging of her nephew, frees them 1 year after George’s death
Preparing for death (I know, kind of macabre)
A visitor remarks in 1801 “She looks upon death as a pleasant journey”
Devoted herself to her bible
Di M 22 1802 ft h lth d li i kl Washington family Bible
Augusta HeraldJune 9, 1802
The Tomb of the WashingtonsMartha’s grave reads “Martha,
Consort of Washington”
Legacy?
Citations
@ M ountV ernon. "M artha Was hington." George Was hington's M ount V ernon. 2016. A cces s ed Novem ber 03, 2016. http://www.m ountvernon.org/george-was hington/m artha-was hington/
"M artha Was hington." Om ek a R S S . A cces s ed Novem ber 03, 2016. http://m arthawas hington.us /.
B rady, Patric ia. Martha Washington: An American Li fe. New York: Vik ing, 2005.
The Grounds of Mt. V ernon
http://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/map-of-the-estate-gardens/#http://www.mountvernon.org/site/virtual-tour/http://www.mountvernon.org/education/
Mt. Vernon.org T eacher R es ources &
Opportunities
A rchives , L es s on P lans , T ravel S em inars , R es earch F ellows hips
Mt. Vernon Online collections
Searchable collection of furniture, clothing, jewelry, books , manus cripts , weapons
Good for primary s ource exploration
What is this object?
What is it made of?
What does it tell us about the lives of people living in the Revolutionary period?
What is this object? What does it tell us about George and Martha Washington?
Simple Assignment: Use Archives with Document Analys is
-Allows s tudents freedom to find object that is clos e to their own interes t
-Primary Source Works heet available from U.S . Archives
goo.gl/WXzJ Sm
Exhibi t ionsSlavery Exhibit- “Lives Bound Together”
-Descriptions of those who actually built Mt. Vernon
Related great resource: Slate.com Animated History of the Slave Trade in two minutes
Lesson Plans
Variety of lessons with printable materials
Can be used alongside resource materials such as Washington Encyclopedia
Sample Lesson Plans
Residential Programs for T eachers
Left: My view in J une, 2013
Right: My view in J une, 2016
Left: Lectures on how to create/use historical dres s in clas s room.
Right: Recreation of farming area
View of the Potomac from Mount Vernon. Even better looking at night.
Evaluation and Newsletter Signup
Evaluation: www.bit.ly/PDEvalGWTI
Sign up for news letter here: www.mountvernon.org/EduSignUp
Copy of Powerpoint- https ://goo.gl/hIqHCj
http:/ /www.mountvernon.org/george-was hington/martha-was hington/
http://www.mountvernon.org/george-was hington/martha-was hington/george-marthas -courts hip/
http://marthawas hington.us /exhibits /s how/martha-was hington--a-life/the-cus tis -years /page-3
https ://www.nwhm.org/education-res ources /biography/biographies /margaret-cochran-corbin/
http://www.us his tory.org/valleyforge/youas ked/070.htm
https ://www.nwhm.org/education-res ources /biography/biographies /deborah-s amps on/