Sample wines from Virginia wineries at the Spring Wine Festival, May 17–19. mountvernon.org/springwine
At the Spring Plant and Garden Sale, April 29–30, shop for heirloom vegetables, herbs, and annual flowers. mountvernon.org/springplantsale
CONSULTING EDITOR:
Norie Quintos
DESIGNER: Jerry Sealy
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Matt Briney
VISUAL RESOURCES: Dawn Bonner
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Julie Almacy
Dawn Bonner
Matt Briney
Margaret Loftus
Cheryl Marling
Kristen Otto
Breck Pappas
Mount Vernon magazine is published three times a year by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, the nonprofit organization that owns and manages George Washington’s estate. We envision an America where all know and value the singular story of the father of our country. Ever mindful of our past, we seek innovative and compelling ways to tell the story of George Washington, so that his timeless and relevant life lessons are accessible to the world.
This publication is produced solely for nonprofit, educational purposes, and every reasonable effort is made to provide accurate and appropriate attribution for all elements, including historical images in the public domain. All written material, unless otherwise stated, is the copyright of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. While vetted for accuracy, the feature articles included in this magazine reflect the research and interpretation of the contributing authors and historians.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon P.O. Box 110, Mount Vernon, Virginia 22121
All editorial, reprint, or circulation correspondence should be directed to magazine@mountvernon.org. mountvernon.org/magazine
The image is a composite of two well-known portraits of the first two presidents of the United States, George Washington and John Adams. Both were painted by Gilbert Stuart, considered one of the country’s foremost portraitists. Stuart produced portraits of about 1,000 people, including the first six U.S. presidents. Metropolitan Museum of Art (Washington), National Gallery of Art (Adams). Composite art by Jerry Sealy and James B. Hicks III
In his final act in office, a prescient George Washington set a precedent and laid the foundation for American democracy
By Lindsay M. ChervinskyInsights from the 2023 George Washington Symposium at Mount Vernon
Exclusive poll: While a majority of Americans support the nation’s core principles, they fear that democracy is in jeopardy
Reviving civic education is key to preserving American democracy
By Louise Dubé, Shawn Healy, and Julie Silverbrook
SPECIAL: DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA, PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
4 | News
Textile fragments recovered, new civics computer game, Washington Prize winner, and more
12 | Object Spotlight
A recently acquired glass tumbler toasts the values of a new republic
14 | Focus on Philanthropy
Jennifer London and her late husband endowed a prize to promote civic and history education
38 | Washington in the Classroom
Using Mount Vernon resources to teach about the rights and responsibilities of citizenhood
40 | Shows of Support
A pair of birthday celebrations at Mount Vernon, and other events
44 | Featured Photos
George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate is owned and maintained in trust for the people of the United States by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union, a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1853 by Ann Pamela Cunningham.
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One of my favorite letters by George Washington is his January 9, 1790, missive to the English historian Catherine McCauley. Written the night after his first State of the Union address, President Washington noted that only a deep sense of duty could have drawn him out of private life to take up the presidency. However, he doubted whether “Posterity” would believe that he did not want the power of the office. In this letter, he called the new American system established by the Constitution a “great experiment for promoting human happiness, by reasonable compact, in civil society.”
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon, we convened luminaries from diverse backgrounds— historians, political leaders, journalists, and academics—to deliberate on the state of American democracy. The 2023 George Washington Symposium served as a reflection point as we took the measure of our inheritance of free government on the eve of the 250th anniversary of American independence.
That symposium made clear that we all need to do a better job of protecting and nurturing our democracy. Too many have taken the system and its stability for granted. The institutions of government only work as long as we are willing to work together to make the system function. To recognize and nurture the country’s unity and celebrate its diversity—E pluribus unum—we must accept the good over the perfect and be willing to see that we are all traveling in the same boat, which cannot be overturned without drowning us all. The American system of self-government has been a “great experiment” since the framers of the Constitution offered their revolutionary design in 1787, and there is no guarantee that the freedoms we have inherited will last for future generations. That depends on us and on the public servants we choose to lead us together into the future. But perhaps most importantly, we must teach the rising generation to understand the history of the United States and value its institutions.
At the symposium, we revealed the results of a new poll commissioned by Mount Vernon. Only 19 percent of respondents expressed satisfaction with today’s political discourse, with a paltry 22 percent content with the level of cooperation and compromise among elected leaders. Notably, a glaring generational divide
emerges: 59 percent of Gen Z view democracy as their preferred form of governance, a stark contrast to the 84 percent of Baby Boomers.
However, amidst these differences, a unifying belief surfaces—88 percent affirm that dialogue and civility are imperative to enhance our government’s efficacy. And perhaps most crucially, 85 percent of Americans reaffirm a foundational truth: Despite myriad differences, we are, above all else, Americans. This common identity is the bedrock upon which we can build a stronger, more cohesive nation.
This call for unity echoes the arguments of Washington’s Farewell Address, which reminds us that liberty ultimately depends on the value we place in our Union. In this election year, Mount Vernon intends to continue to remind Americans of our shared values and the lessons we can still learn from George Washington.
My best regards,
Douglas Bradburn President and CEO
Three original Washington textiles return to Mount Vernon
Apiece of French lace worn by George Washington, as well as two fragments from dresses worn by Martha Washington have been acquired by Mount Vernon. Textile fragments such as these only occasionally come up for auction, but according to curator Amanda Isaac, “f ragments associated specifically with George Washington are even rarer.” Each piece holds historical significance and has a unique backstory, and taken together, these bits of cloth provide tactile insights into the lives of the nation’s first couple
This fragment (top left, backside shown), comes from the “petticoat of white silk interwoven with silver” Martha Washington wore on her wedding to George Washington on January 6, 1759, at her home in New Kent County, Virginia. Martha wore this rose-striped silk textile (top right) during her tenure as first lady, between 1789 and 1797. The piece joins six other fragments of the same dress in the Mount Vernon collection. The fabric’s quality and design underscore the prominence of the Washingtons in early American society and their access to high-quality goods.
This piece of Argentan lace (left) was part of a shirt ruffle originally worn by Washington while he was president. Later, the first lady gave it to artist Gilbert Stuart to encourage him to complete his portraits for Mount Vernon. The lace passed through Stuart’s daughters, who divided and distributed it to secure their own social standing and cement their father’s reputation as America’s preeminent portraitist. The fragment “is historically significant as a witness to Washington’s authentic appearance,” says Isaac. The French lace can be seen in the Stuart portrait (opposite). It rejoins additional lengths currently in the collection, evidence of how Washington enhanced his presidential image with luxury European materials. Mount Vernon’s Connoisseur Society acquired this lace in honor of its chair, Lucy S. Rhame.
Style icon: The coat Washington likely wore to his inauguration takes center stage at the Met.
Mount Vernon celebrates a successful first year participating in the Museums for All program, through which those receiving food assistance can gain reduced admission to museums around the country. In its first year, the program has allowed 1,235 visitors, including 262 children and youth, to explore George Washington’s estate. These numbers underscore the importance of making American history accessible to a broader audience and reaching diverse populations who may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience Mount Vernon.
Mount Vernon is committed to continuing its participation in this program. By bridging the gap between history and diverse communities, it ensures that the legacy of George Washington remains accessible and relevant to all. Museums for All is an initiative of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a U.S. federal agency. To learn more, visit museums4all.org.
Mount Vernon launches a new tool to engage students in civics and history
On September 17, Constitution Day, Mount Vernon launched Constitutional Compromise, a game created in partnership with iCivics, a nonprofit working to inspire lifelong civic engagement. Designed for middle school and high school students, Constitutional Compromise invites players to observe the events in Philadelphia in 1787. After listening to the delegates, students are tasked with drafting the nation’s governing charter.
This effort is part of a movement to engage future generations in history and civics through a fun and familiar form: computer games. Guided by George Washington himself, who presided over the Constitutional Convention, players navigate six key issues that shaped the Constitution: the scope of national government, representation of power, how population is determined, executive functions, the transatlantic slave trade, and whether the country should adopt a bill of rights.
“Now more than ever, it’s critical that Americans have a firm grounding in the important framework that the U.S. Constitution provides for our democracy,” said Douglas Bradburn, president of Mount Vernon.
A live event to launch the game was held at Mount Vernon, attended by students from Alice Deal Middle School, in Washington, D.C., while students across the country viewed a livestream. Constitutional scholar Linda Monk, along with re-enactors portraying George Washington and James Madison, engaged students in debates reflecting the topics covered in the game.
The game is available, for free, on icivics.org/games.
An original 18th-century structure in the Mansion cellar, revealed
f or the first time in a quarter century, Mount Vernon’s Historic Preservation team has seen and inspected an original 18th-century wall of local Aquia Creek sandstone in the Mansion cellar dating back to George Washington. The work of Mount Vernon’s Mansion Revitalization Project will remove modern equipment from the cellar, opening the space up for future interpretation. Learn more about the project at mountvernon.org/Mansion250.
George Washington in the American Home, 1795–1870
Anew exhibit at the George Washington Presidential Library showcases the influence of George Washington's legacy on American home décor through items from the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Curated by Adam Erby, Mount Vernon’s chief curator, and Georgiana Ohrstrom, Collections intern, the exhibit features 22 objects ranging from a gilt-bronze French clock, symbolizing the influence of European styles on American tastes, to silver chalices and an enameled copper portrait of Washington, reflecting the era’s artistic craftsmanship. Highlights of the collection are the decorative glass and creamware, which were popular household items.
More than a display of historical artifacts, this is an exploration of how George Washington's image and ideals were interwoven into the fabric of American society, influencing the aesthetic and cultural landscape of the nation.
1. Enamel on copper painting of George Washington , by Henry Bone, 1825, London, England, gift of Samuel P. Avery, 1889.
2. Creamware punch bowl, maker unknown, 1798–1810, Staffordshire or Liverpool, England, gift: Jess and Grace Pavey Fund, 2021.
3. Creamware mug , maker unknown, 1795–1800, Staffordshire or Liverpool, England, gift: Jess and Grace Pavey Fund, 2021.
4. Creamware plaque, made by Herculaneum Pottery, about 1800, Liverpool, England, gift from the estate of Mrs. Robert B. Noyes, 1943.
5. Basalt bust , made by Enoch Wood & Sons, 1818, Burslem, Staffordshire, England, purchased by the A. Alfred Taubman Acquisition Endowment Fund, 2023.
6. Pearlware plate, made by Enoch Wood & Sons, about 1833, Burslem, Staffordshire, England, purchased by the A. Alfred Taubman Acquisition Endowment Fund, 2020.
7. Glass mantel ornament , made by Bakewell, Page & Bakewell, about 1825, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, acquired through the generosity of the Frank L. and Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation, 2020.
8. Gilt-bronze mantel clock , made by Jacques Nicolas Pierre François Dubuc, 1815–1819, Paris, France, courtesy of Bruce and Sally Hansen.
Video series offers an intimate tour of Mount Vernon
Go back to the late 1700s and step into George Washington’s boots in a new series of videos on Mount Vernon’s YouTube channel. Actor and educator Dan Shippey brings the first president of the United States to life, offering viewers an insightful, sometimes funny, and at times even gossipy, tour of Washington’s world.
The three videos go beyond the standard guided tour. “George Washington” leads viewers through the Mansion’s hallowed halls, providing insights and anecdotes. The portrayal adds a new dimension to the Mansion’s history, making the experience more personal and vivid, as if you were exploring it with Washington himself.
The detailed exploration of Washington’s farming
practices will be of particular interest to Mount Vernon members. Agriculture was a passion of Washington’s, and these videos delve into his innovative methods and management skills, providing a deeper understanding of his commitment to the land and sustainable practices. You’ll also hear from character interpreter Timbila Kabre, who plays Priscilla, an enslaved farm worker, about a typical workday at Dogue Run Farm.
The third video is an exclusive look at the paintings Washington sat for, adding context and personal stories to these now-iconic artworks. Ranging between five and 10 minutes, the videos testify to Mount Vernon’s ongoing commitment to bringing its history to life. To watch the videos, visit mountvernon.org/charactertours.
The Ford Evening Book Talks, presented by the George Washington Presidential Library, hosts live conversations with leading historians and scholars of early America. Lectures are held at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public; books are available for purchase. See mountvernon.org/booktalks for information. Here’s a recent sampling:
Author: David Waldstreicher, PhD. Book: The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet’s Journey Through American Slavery and Independence.
Highlights: The fullest account to date of Wheatley’s life and works, correcting myths, reconstructing intimate friendships, and deepening understanding of her verse and the Revolutionary era.
Author: Michael A. Blaakman,
PhD. Book: Speculation Nation: Land Mania in the Revolutionary American Republic Highlights:
An investigation of the extraordinary wave of land speculation that swept the United States during its first quarter-century, stretching across millions of acres from Maine to the Mississippi.
Author: Cynthia A. Kierner, PhD.
Book: The Tory’s Wife: A Woman and Her Family in Revolutionary America
Highlights: The story of Jane Welborn Spurgin, a Patriot who welcomed General Nathanael Greene to her home and aided Continental forces while her Loyalist husband was fighting for the king as an officer in a Tory militia.
Weaving history and experience, Mount Vernon teaches visitors how linen is made
F lax played a significant role in 18th-century textile production. George Washington’s plantation used a meticulous, labor-intensive process performed by enslaved people to cultivate flax and transform it into linen, a highly valued fabric. Throughout the year, Mount Vernon’s Historic Trades Department offers demonstrations of this six-step process, with visitors often lending a hand.
Cultivation and Harvest
1 | Botanically known as Linum usitatissimum, flax requires a temperate climate and fertile, welldrained soil. At Mount Vernon, enslaved laborers typically sowed flax seeds in the spring. The plants, slender and about a yard tall, were ready for harvesting after about 100 days, when the stems turned yellow and the seeds brown in summer. Harvesting was a delicate process, usually done by hand to preserve the length of the fibers.
The plants were uprooted, not cut, to maximize the fiber length, essential for quality linen.
Soaking or Retting
2 | After harvesting, the flax was soaked in ponds or streams for several days to facilitate the decomposition of pectin, a gluelike substance binding the fibers in the stem. Sometimes, dew retting was practiced, when flax was left on the ground for dew to serve the same purpose.
Drying and Bundling
3 | The flax was then left to dry in the open air for several weeks. Careful drying was essential to prevent mold and ensure the fibers retained their strength and quality. Once dried, the flax was bundled into manageable sheaves.
Breaking and Scutching
4 | To remove any remaining impurities in the flax fibers, dried stems were broken using a specialized tool called a flax brake, which cracked the woody portions of the stalks, freeing the fibers. Scutching followed, during which workers scraped off the broken pieces and separated the outer straw from the fibers.
Hacking
5 | The fibers were drawn through a series of progressively finer hackles, or combs, which removed short fibers and aligned the longer ones in parallel. This important step determined the smoothness and strength of the final linen product.
Spinning
6 | The processed fibers were then spun into yarn using a spinning wheel. Skilled hands transformed the hackled fibers into a continuous thread, ready to be woven into durable, breathable linen fabric. The linen produced at Mount Vernon became clothing for the enslaved workers.
Can’t get to Mount Vernon?
View a video of the process at mountvernon.org/flax.
Kudos: Jeremy Ray, senior director of interpretation, was voted into the Virginia Association of Museums’ Governing Council, in recognition of his leadership in the field and his expertise in historic house interpretation. Social stars: Among the recent top performing posts on Facebook and Instagram were those on the subject of Martha’s shoes and George Washington’s natural hair color. Access to all: A recent article on the website Curb Free with Cory Lee lists Mount Vernon as among the best places in the region to visit by wheelchair. Workshop: Seventeen teachers from Virginia schools did a field trip to Mount Vernon focused on science, technology, engineering, and arts, with specialized tours, talks, and brainstorming.
Schoolteachers learn to make bricks on a field trip to Mount Vernon
BY THE NUMBERS
200
Pounds of peppers and eggplants grown on Mount Vernon’s farm and donated to the nonprofit Lorton Community Action Center.
1,300
Number of guests attending the summer picnic for the present-day residents of Washington’s original Five Farms and the Mount Vernon estate.
WASHINGTON PRIZE
AWARDED
Maurizio Valsania won the 2023 Washington Prize for First Among Men: George Washington and the Myth of American Masculinity. Valsania is a professor of American history at the University of Turin, Italy. Conferred by Mount Vernon, Washington College, and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the award was presented during a special event at the Union Club in New York City on September 21, 2023.
20,000
Number of ceramic fragments from the South Grove excavations of 2015 to 2019 sorted by staff and volunteers.
“Historians consider George Washington one of the hardest figures of the founding era to understand. He appears like an impenetrable marble statue,” said Patrick Spero, executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon. “Maurizio Valsania has changed that. He has humanized Washington in a way few before have done and, in the process, made him more accessible while also making his accomplishments all the more remarkable.”
One of the nation’s largest and most prestigious literary awards, the George Washington Prize recognizes the year’s best new books on the nation’s founding era. The prize includes a $50,000 award. LEARN
Newly acquired tumbler toasts a new republic
German glassmaker John Frederick Amelung arrived in the United States in 1784, inspired by the ringing ideals of the recent American Revolution. Employing nearly 300 artisans, he established one of the country’s earliest and most successful glass factories, located near Frederick, Maryland. In operation until 1795, the New Breman Glass Manufactory produced elaborate presentation pieces that are today prized examples of early American glass.
George Washington encouraged the development of domestic manufacturing. In February 1789, he wrote to Thomas Jefferson (then in France): “Several capitol [ sic ] artists, in different branches, have lately arrived in this Country. A factory of Glass is established, upon a large scale on Monocasy, near Frederick-Town in Maryl[an]d. I am informed it will this year produce Glass of various kinds, nearly to the amount of ten thousand pounds value.” Amelung visited Mount Vernon that spring, shortly after Washington’s election to the presidency. According to an Alexandria newspaper, the glassmaker presented “two capacious goblets of double flint glass, exhibiting the General’s coat of arms, &c.”
Although esteemed by the Washingtons, the goblets are presumed lost. Recently, however, Mount Vernon acquired a related but previously unrecorded Amelung production: a five-inch tall tumbler engraved with a laurel wreath encircling the name, “Washington.” Two similar Amelung tumblers survive, emblazoned with the words “Liberty” and “Federal.” (These are preserved at the Corning Museum of Glass in upstate New York and the Bayou Bend Collection in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, respectively).
Likely produced in celebration of the adoption of the Constitution in 1787, the three tumblers testify to a pivotal moment in the formation of the new nation.
This tumbler, along with two others emblazoned with the words “Liberty” and “Federal,” serve as reminders of the elements essential to the successful establishment of a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people”: Liberty, for the ideals proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence; Federal, for the structure of government laid out in the Constitution; and Washington , for the leadership and civic virtues necessary to chart a sound course.
Among their contributions, Jennifer London and her late husband endowed a prize to promote civic and history education
Heading to a Mount Vernon event one evening, Jennifer London, PhD, recalls suggesting to her husband, Jack, that they sneak out early. Their sons, triplets, were babies, and the new mother was exhausted. Once she met her dining companions, however, London got a second wind. “On my left was Togo West [former U.S. secretary of veterans affairs] and on the right was Justice Samuel Alito [of the U.S. Supreme Court],” says the business consultant with a doctoral degree in psychology, with a laugh. “My husband was across the table, and I tried to tell him, ‘I don’t think we’re leaving early.’”
Rubbing elbows with luminaries who share a reverence for foundingera history has been icing on the cake of the Washington, D.C., couple’s longtime support of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. “We got involved because we’re fans of George Washington; we feel it’s so important to maintain his legacy,” says London. What’s more, it’s
become a community. “Jim Rees [former Mount Vernon president] drew us in and made us feel a part of Mount Vernon. Being part of the community was very meaningful.”
Indeed, Jennifer and Jack, who passed away in 2021, have themselves contributed to that community. Since
2008, the Londons have assisted Mount Vernon through campaigns, such as the one to build the George Washington Presidential Library. And in 2014, London became a member of the Mount Vernon donor group the Life Guard Society—so named for the 150 elite officers
charged with Washington’s security during the Revolutionary War. “We identify and provide support to those projects that will really benefit Mount Vernon and, over the years, they’ve been fascinating—from the roof on the kitchen to the livestock facility. You see the whole scope of
what [the MVLA] is about, so it’s been such a pleasure and an honor.”
But perhaps most dear to London’s heart is a contest conceived and endowed by her husband in 2020 to honor her dedication to education. The Mount Vernon Prize for Excellence in Civics and History
in Honor of Dr. Jennifer London recognizes outstanding student work that demonstrates an understanding and application of Washington’s life, leadership, and legacy. The endowment provides a prize for middle and high school winners, as well as their teachers. “It’s our effort to get the story out there about our history and Washington, and I hope that it gets a lot more traction and visibility,” she says. Most recently, London has made a gift to name a gallery for her family in the forthcoming revitalized Education Center.
London’s passion for foundingera history goes well beyond the boundaries of Mount Vernon. She and Jack co-wrote the recently released Profiles in Character: Sixteen Americans and the Traits That Defined Them (Fortis 2023), in which they highlight prominent figures from U.S. history through the lens of one character attribute. Including Washington in that distinguished group was a given, and although the founding father had many admirable traits, his sense of duty won out. In particular, she cites his refusal to remain in office for life, an idea floated by more than one adviser.
“He had a different image of what a leader is, and it wasn’t a self-serving one,” London points out. “It was one that served others, and that’s a good role model for today.”
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STUDENT CONTEST, VISIT MOUNTVERNON.ORG/ STUDENTOFTHEYEAR.
American democracy, that grand experiment in self-governance, represents the collective voice of the people shaping their destiny. George Washington and his fellow founders articulated these ideals and hammered out a first iteration during the nation’s infancy. As we approach the nation’s semiquincentennial, is the system working as intended? Or, as Washington warned in his Farewell Address, have “internal and external enemies ... covertly and insidiously” weakened the nation’s institutions? In this special section, we take stock of American democracy—past and present—in order to ensure a future in which the great American experiment continues to serve the people and inspire the world.
In his final act in office, a prescient George Washington set a precedent and laid the foundation for American democracy
On September 19, 1796, Claypoole’s Daily Advertiser published a farewell address from George Washington. In the now-famous missive, the president announced his intention to retire and urged the American people to remain united with their fellow citizens. This ending was the beginning of a transition of power such that the world had rarely seen.
Washington’s Farewell Address is usually celebrated for two reasons. First, it marks the official moment Washington relinquished power for the second time. He had already done so once, when he returned his commission at the end of the Revolutionary War. To do so again, when he could have been a king in all but name, was nothing short of flabbergasting to his fellow Americans, as well as observers around the globe. His decision also established the two-term precedent of the U.S. presidency, which was given constitutional weight after the states ratified the 22nd Amendment in 1951.
Second, it contained Washington’s prescient warnings about the dangers to the republic, including the perils of partisanship, sectional divisions, foreign interference, and long-term entangling alliances. These threats have since emerged, again and again, plaguing succeeding generations of Americans. The document is taught in American classrooms for good reason.
What came after the Farewell Address, however, is usually forgotten. But it is even more important. Washington had many personal reasons to turn down a third term. He was aging and did not want to spend his final days in office. The men in the Washington family generally died young, and he feared any day would be his last. He had spent decades in public service and was eager to spend time at Mount Vernon. Thin-skinned,
Washington never appreciated criticism and had grown weary of mounting political attacks.
Steep learning curve
Washington also had loftier motivations driving his decision. He knew the first real election would be a tense moment for the American people. His two elections had been unanimous and had required little planning and involved little suspense. Now, there would be competition among nascent political parties and their respective candidates. The new nation had yet to establish norms, a trusted process of campaigning and elections, and a practice of peaceful transfer of power.
Washington understood he needed to be alive for that process. If he were to die in office, the succession would be murky, and the following election would take place in his shadow. Washington feared the new republic could not withstand such a disruption. Again, he was prescient.
Fast-forward to April 4, 1841, when William Henry Harrison died, just 31 days after his inauguration, the first U.S. president to do so while in office. At the time, the Constitution stated that “the Powers and Duties” of the presidency “shall devolve on the Vice President,” in the event of the president’s removal or “Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge” the duties of office. However, it was not clear if the vice president would assume the office and become the next president or just temporarily serve in an acting capacity until Congress determined the next steps. Vice President John Tyler took the oath of office two days following Harrison’s death, but only months of congressional wrangling effectively settled the issue. By 1841, the federal government and the nation were established enough to withstand the turbulence posed by constitutional vagueness. The country could not rely on the same firm foundation in 1796.
With Washington stepping away from the presidency, the first competitive election and transfer of power could be planned and deliberate. Emerging political norms and customs would take time and repetition over many decades to become cherished and enshrined cornerstones of the republic. Until these precedents were established, Washington knew his presence would be needed.
Accordingly, Washington took several steps to ensure the 1796 election and transition of power were legitimate, peaceful, and orderly. First, he announced his decision publicly. He could have remained silent and then refused a nomination or turned down the position at the last moment, which would have provoked a mad scramble to elect a replacement. Instead, early in the year, Washington shared his intentions with private advisers, such as
Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, and made the official announcement that September to commence the election season. Rather than sending a message to Congress, which would have been forwarded to state legislatures and the people in a top-down fashion, he chose a newspaper address as the most egalitarian method of distributing the news. The newspaper address simultaneously reached the maximum number of citizens and did so as quickly as possible.
Washington also remained in office through the end of his term, in March of 1797. He could have gone home to Mount Vernon or left John Adams, the vice president, to assume the office after his announcement. This lengthier transition marked a notable contrast to the British cabinet system, where prime ministers resigned and were replaced almost immediately. Washington remained in Philadelphia in the interim, keeping a steady hand on the wheel.
Finally, Washington attempted to remain nonpartisan during the election and transition. By 1796, Washington was an avowed Federalist and continued to appoint Federalists to government positions. But he also took
several steps to remove himself from the political process. He selected Claypoole’s Daily Advertiser as the outlet for his Farewell Address, rather than a more Federalist-leaning paper. Claypoole’s held contracts with the federal government and remained relatively neutral in its coverage of the partisan battles. By publishing his address there, Washington hoped the message would reach a wider audience and be seen as apolitical.
Washington also refused to participate in the election. Today, we expect presidents and former presidents to campaign for their party’s candidate, but that was not the case in 1796. Washington made no endorsement. His silence was not the product of apathy about the result. By this point, he had split with Thomas Jefferson, the Democratic-Republican candidate, and believed John Adams to be the more sensible choice. The only hint of his preference came in early 1797, after rumors of the results had spread. One Friday afternoon, Adams attended a “drawing room,” the Friday afternoon gatherings hosted by Martha Washington at the presidential mansion in Philadelphia. Martha confided in Adams that “it gave them great Pleasure to find that the Votes had turn’d in my favour.”
After Congress certified the Electoral College results and declared Adams the president-elect, Washington deployed his unparalleled personal stature to bestow legitimacy on the new administration. On March 4, 1797, when Adams arrived at Congress Hall for his inauguration, he was pleasantly surprised to spot Washington among the attendees. “A Solemn Scene it was indeed,” he wrote to his wife, Abigail, “and it was made more affecting to me, by the Presence of the General.”
Washington’s presence was neither expected nor required. There was no precedent of the outgoing president attending the ceremony, and governors rarely attended the inaugurations of their successors at the state level. Several observers noted Washington in the crowd and spoke of the “novelty” of seeing the setting of one sun and the rising of another.
After the ceremony, the new president led the processional out of the building, followed by Vice President Thomas Jefferson, and Washington. It was probably the first time in many decades that Washington
had walked behind another man. Later that afternoon, Washington called on the new president to congratulate him and share his wishes that the “Administration might be happy Successful and honourable.”
Attendees at the inauguration were fully aware they were witnessing history. They gushed over the unprecedented nature of the transition and recalled tears streaming down the faces of the audience. Most Americans had watched with horror as the French Revolution devolved into anarchy and violence. For many observers, the most recent transition they remembered was characterized by guillotines and cobblestone streets stained with blood. While no one expected violence on March 4, 1797, they refused to take peace for granted. Theodore Sedgwick, a senator from Massachusetts, said it was “the most august & Sublime” scene he had ever seen.
Over time, the election of 1800 has eclipsed the one four years earlier in American memory, for somewhat
understandable reasons. The election itself was calamitous: Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson tied, throwing the election to the House of Representatives. After 36 ballots, threats of violence, rumors of extraconstitutional schemes, and a frightful blizzard, the House finally selected Jefferson as the next president. It was also the first transfer of power from one party to another and, ultimately, was completed peacefully. This moment was essential for the foundation of American democracy, but it built on the bedrock established by Washington and Adams in 1796. Free and fair elections, and the peaceful transfer of power are foundational elements of the republic—and they started with George Washington.
Lindsay M. Chervinsky, PhD, is a presidential historian and author of The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution. Her new book, Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic, will be published in August and tell more of this important story.
This is a hyper-contingency moment. And to me, what that means is on the one hand, it’s possible that things will get very dark and dire, and we need to be aware of that. On the other hand, it’s a moment when change is possible in a positive way, if we are alert to what’s going on, and really work towards making things better. I hate when people only talk about the fact that we might be sinking. It’s important to embrace the fact that we can make positive change.
The Constitution is an 18th-century document and it served us well until 1861, and then it fell apart. Afterwards, we had ways to fix it with the amendments. I ask my students all the time about a constitutional convention. Is it time to have a document that suits our particular moment rather than using judges to interpret what people would’ve thought in 1787 to 1789? Jefferson thought there should be a new constitution every 19 years. The basic point was that every generation should get together and decide how they want to be governed and keep the things that are good and do away with the things that don’t fit the circumstances.
I teach an introductory course in American history, and I tell my students, “If you don’t like the world that exists now, it's not your fault; it’s mine. Blame me and my generation.” Then, this is sort of sending them off into the world, I say, “One day you’ll be as old as I am. And when that day comes, if you don’t like the world then, blame yourself, because every generation has a chance to improve on the world that is bequeathed. We’re handing you what we’ve been able to do with the world that we inherited. We succeeded in some areas; we haven’t in other areas. But now it’s up to you.”
Annette Gordon-Reed, PhD PROFESSOR, HARVARD UNIVERSITY Great E xp eriment
The fundamental purpose of the military is summed up in the oath to support and defend the Constitution and obey the orders of the president of the United States. Basically, we’re here to protect this great big experiment that we call democracy. That can take us to the seven seas and the different continents— whatever it takes to keep this great big experiment alive. We take the oath seriously, and we put it all on the line. The person who was indispensable in setting that trajectory was General George Washington. His words, his example—they guide us to this day.
The George Washington Symposium, held at Mount Vernon November 2–4, 2023, featured a lineup of notable historians, authors, journalists, and thought leaders in conversations about the constitutional democracy of the United States and the challenges of safeguarding democratic government for future generations. Included here are lightly edited excerpts. To learn more, view speaker bios, or watch the entire symposium, visit mountvernon.org/democracy.
Retired generals James N. Mattis (left) and John Kelly (right) speak to members of the audience following their panel session.People will ask, “What’s the greatest thing that George Washington did, in your opinion?” He went home. He did it twice. All the other stuff that he did, unbelievable stuff that he did, took us to victory in the Revolutionary War and then began to establish how to be a president when there was no guidebook for him to do it. All of that remarkable stuff. But he went home twice. And that lesson is a lesson that, certainly, people in the military understand, and I think has set the standard for politicians and military men and women since then. He went home.
The challenge to holding people to account is that politicians now do so much to avoid even having a conversation with journalists. We need to have more engagement with politicians to answer questions. Too many won't have news conferences, won’t engage with reporters in the hallways. Candidates want to go to reporters they like, or they want to go to partisan outlets, or they don’t want to do anything except issue a press release. And that give and take is really eroding by the day on Capitol Hill and on the campaign trail.
The great experiment writ large was that notion of moving sovereignty from the king to the people, and [the founders’] understanding was that those experiments failed, they collapsed, people became corrupt; [the founders] had complicated theories of which groups of people were going to become corrupt…. But I think that’s the amazing thing about it—that somehow, after many experiments, over centuries, somehow they got some balance right long enough to not only succeed, but after that, the American Revolution does represent a gradual global shift away from a type of sovereign monarchy.
BOSTON COLLEGEAlexander Hamilton and James Madison persuaded George Washington to go to a convention in Philadelphia. It was really supposed to amend the Articles of Confederation, but it actually produced a constitution. He was clearly the only person who could preside and make people really listen to him. When they were drafting the Constitution, they had him in mind as being the president. So many of the provisions there, like making the president commander in chief, were really tailored for him. It was generally the view that without him, we wouldn’t have had a constitution, and without him, we wouldn’t have had it ratified.
I would really try to understand how to end gerrymandering. The issue with gerrymandering is we continually encourage extremists in both parties when we make a district solid red or solid blue. Now, it becomes a competition amongst extremists, often in our primaries. That results in people in Washington who really shouldn’t be in Washington.
We are on the wrong track. We’ve got a Congress that does not work. We have people in Congress who are attacking each other. That’s not the first time it’s happened in the country, but it’s disheartening that it’s happening now when we have so many issues that need to be resolved. And we have people whom we have elected who have the ability to correct these problems, but they’re not willing to do it because their loyalty is not to the nation. It’s to party or to individual. And when we get to that point, the country itself suffers. It’s not just one group of people. We all suffer as a consequence of that.
I’m reminded of what Winston Churchill supposedly said about Americans: They’ll do the right thing, but only after they’ve tried everything else. I do think this is an inflection point in our democracy…. I fundamentally believe we’ll get there. I have concerns about the damage that might be done before we actually turn this thing around. But again, without understating it, I also have a degree of confidence in the American people and in our process. The challenge is exacerbated by the information age, but I think we’ll get there.
Right now, sadly, universities are in a position where we’re doing a lot of remedial work, given the very significant deficits that students bring. For me, this has been a slow but really terrifying epiphany to understand how incredibly undereducated our students are in even simple, rudimentary ideas, institutions, and values that are necessary to drive this democratic experiment. And this isn’t inherited through the gene pool. If you don’t educate for it, it doesn’t happen.
A trip to Mount Vernon is good for the soul and good for the head and the heart because it offers us perspective on our problems and also the opportunities and obligations of being an American citizen. In a self-governing republic, you need to take responsibility as a citizen…. What history offers us is the ability to impose perspective on our times, a north star to steer towards and look at the good, the bad, and the ugly. But also don’t undercount the virtues of the individuals and the structures that have been put in place and the lessons we can learn and apply to our own times.
A new poll finds that while a majority of Americans support the nation’s core principles, they fear that democracy is in jeopardy
The Great EXPERIMENT
More than two-thirds of Americans (67 percent) say democracy in the U.S. is on the wrong track, and 77 percent think democracy is in jeopardy. These are the results of a new national survey sponsored by the George Washington Presidential Library in publicity partnership with the University of Virginia Center for Politics. The survey measured Americans’ views on the future of democracy. “George Washington warned of threats to the nation’s fledgling democracy, such as regionalism, partisanship, and foreign entanglements,” said Patrick Spero, executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library. “Our poll finds that America is deeply divided on many issues, but Americans, on the whole, are united across party lines when it comes to support for the core principles of our democracy. The challenge going forward is to do the hard work to repair what is fraying the nation and understanding that America’s history plays a critical role in protecting U.S. democracy for the next 250 years.”
Political Discourse Nineteen percent of Americans are satisfied with current political discourse, and only 22 percent are happy with elected leaders’ level of cooperation and compromise.
Strength of Institutions Only 36 percent of Americans are confident in the ability of America’s political institutions to successfully address the challenges facing the country.
Gen Z vs. Boomers The younger the generation, the less confidence there is in democratic governance, with just 59 percent of Gen Z citing democracy as the preferred form of government, while Baby Boomers rank highest at 84 percent.
Electoral Process Only about half of Americans (51 percent) trust the U.S. electoral process. Yet, 90 percent agree that the right to vote is a core democratic value that should be easily available to all legally qualified to vote in the U.S.
Justice for All Ninety percent of Americans agree that the rule of law, where all citizens are subject to the same laws, and no one is “above the law,” is essential for American democracy to function effectively.
Healing Divisions Eighty-eight percent agree that dialogue and civility are necessary to improve the government’s work.
E Pluribus Unum Eighty-five percent of Americans say that despite our differences, we should all see ourselves as Americans first.
Peaceful Transfer of Power Across party lines, Americans agree that the peaceful handover of power from one president to the next is fundamental to American democracy (92 percent for Democrats and 83 percent for Republicans).
Peaceful demonstrations (this image) and transfers of power (oppposite) are hallmarks of a healthy democracy.
Reviving civic education is key to preserving American democracy
BY LOUISE DUBÉ, SHAWN HEALY, AND JULIE SILVERBROOK
Mount Vernon tells not only the story of a man and a place in early American history, but also of the people and the social fabric that animated the founding of the nation. Today’s U.S. constitutional democracy flows from these.
In his first inaugural address, President George Washington said, “The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of Government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”
At its core, representative democracy is a set of legal structures and institutions—as Washington made clear in his Farewell Address in 1796—but it can only be sustained with a civil society that seeks the ideals the structures were designed to attain.
For example, the balance of power reflected in the three branches of government is central because it assumes that disagreement is the organizing principle behind self-government. It bakes in the understanding that Americans—as a people—will need to overcome inevitable disagreements and need structures to move them toward resolution.
Here and abroad, the bonds of civic friendship— the willingness and ability to compromise and solve
common problems—have frayed. In many places, they have ruptured.
But what is frayed can be mended. The actions of ordinary people, as well as leaders, can change the path of a nation—as they did in 1776 and 1787, and many times since. The civil society reboot needed to mend a torn civic fabric starts with teaching young people about the U.S.
Martha at a young woman, Daniel Parke C
Constitution, the nation’s institutions, and the necessary norms to sustain and strengthen a healthy democracy. The United States will not sustain its constitutional democracy without reinvigorating civic education. As the country nears the 250th anniversary of its founding, now is the time to make civic education a priority.
Democracy requires the consent and participation
of the people. Consent is built from confidence in institutions and the norms that uphold them. This doesn’t happen magically. It must be nurtured and sustained. According to the late Sandra Day O’Connor, former Supreme Court justice and the founder of iCivics, “The better educated our citizens are, the better equipped they will be to preserve the system
of government we have. And we have to start with the education of our nation’s young people. Knowledge about our government is not handed down through the gene pool. Every generation has to learn it, and we have some work to do.”
Today, U.S. classrooms spend very little time on civics (the study of the rights and duties of citizenship) and history. At the federal level, 50 dollars per student is spent on STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, math). On civics? Just 50 cents. The most reliable assessment of what students know, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, makes clear how the United States is faring in educating the next generation in history and civics. Only 13 percent of students assessed are proficient in U.S. history, the lowest performance in any discipline, and 22 percent are proficient in civics. These scores are the predictable result of a lack of investment. They are an urgent call to act.
American institutions of learning—including K-12 schools, museums, and institutions of higher education—
have an essential role to play in preparing the set of knowledge, skills, and dispositions of a revived civil society. The founders understood that self-government requires a citizenry informed on how a constitutional democracy should work and how they should take part in the functioning of that democracy. That is in part why American public schools were created. K-12 schools have the scale needed to affect change. No other institutions serve such a vast majority of children in the United States, and no other institutions are in almost every community.
A wealth of data shows that a lack of civic knowledge persists well into adulthood; unfortunately, there are few opportunities after schooling to meaningfully redress a lack of civic education. George Washington understood the danger of this, calling for public education and warning that people cannot be expected to self-govern according to ideals of which the nation fails to enlighten them. Without an enlightened citizenry, the constitutional democracy that Washington and his contemporaries fought to create would be at risk.
In recent times, a lack of consensus about what and how to teach history and civics has proved challenging for educators across the country, resulting in a citizenry and electorate poorly prepared to understand, appreciate, and utilize a representative democracy.
An important nonpartisan initiative, Educating for American Democracy (EAD), has created a new framework for the teaching of civics and U.S. history. More than 300 experts in civics, pedagogy, and political science worked through differences to reach consensus. The result: an inquiry-based roadmap for educators that weaves history and civics together and inspires students to learn by asking difficult questions, and then seeking answers in the classroom through facts and discussion.
The roadmap challenges students and educators to acknowledge that constitutional democracy has never been, and never will be, perfect. It can become more perfect, however, if citizens understand the nation’s nuanced past not just from their own perspectives but also from the perspectives of others—and learn the skills and processes needed to work toward solutions together. Neither a curriculum nor a set of standards, the roadmap is designed so that any state, district, school, classroom, or informal learning space can use its framework to meet the needs of any given community.
In 2021, iCivics, along with Harvard, Tufts, and Arizona State University, released the EAD Roadmap to the public. The EAD initiative was first funded under the Trump administration and has continued under the Biden administration. Curriculum based on the framework is now being piloted in districts around the country, with the goal of reaching 60 million students by the year 2030.
Repairing the civic fabric of this country, however, requires a larger movement. Over the past five years, more than 300 organizations of varying viewpoints have come together to form the CivXNow Coalition, a project of iCivics. Its members—including Mount Vernon—are supporting bipartisan policies that expand and improve civic education vital to a functioning democracy. The coalition is working to offset the federal funding imbalance of history and civics through support of the Civics Secures Democracy Act, a bipartisan bill that would infuse one billion dollars annually into civic education.
CivXNow also created a template to help states craft policies that support universal, equitable access to high-
quality civic learning opportunities, including requiring stand-alone civics courses in middle and high school, and dedicated instructional time for civics in grades K-5. Since 2021, seven states have adopted new course or instructional mandates: four in high school (Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, and Rhode Island) and three in middle school (Indiana, New Hampshire, and New Jersey).
The founders understood that negotiating solutions to disagreements is a critical feature of the nation’s institutions, and that is even more true today as the country has grown and become more diverse. Against the threat to democratic norms and social order, civic education is the thread Americans can use to mend the nation’s civic fabric. As Washington said in his first annual message to Congress—what would become known as the State of the Union address: “Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness.”
The authors work for iCivics, the country’s leading civic education nonprofit. Louise Dubé is the CEO, Shawn Healy is the senior director of policy and advocacy, and Julie Silverbrook was the senior director of partnerships and constitutional scholar in residence.
A teacher uses Mount Vernon’s resources to educate the next generation on the rights and responsibilities of citizenhood
Kate Van Haren, a 2023 Mount Vernon teacher fellow, teaches social studies to fourth and fifth graders at Pittsville Elementary School in Pittsville, Wisconsin, and is working on a PhD in curriculum and instruction at Penn State. She serves as the vice president of the Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies, and was a member of her local library board and community theater. “I want to be an example for my students by engaging in civic action myself,” she says.
How do you bring George Washington and the Revolutionary War era into your social studies curriculum? The Revolutionary War is taught in my U.S. history class. This is one of my students’ favorite units and one of my favorites to teach each year. I use this unit to teach about individuals who are often left out of the common narrative, especially in materials developed for elementary students. The stories and contributions of men like George Washington are very important
to the founding of the U.S., but there are countless other stories of people in the background who helped these more well-known individuals achieve their goals.
How has Mount Vernon helped fill in the gaps of the narrative? With the help of the amazing resources at Mount Vernon, my students investigate the lives of the enslaved individuals at the estate. By using artifacts and primary sources, students research how essential these individuals were to the functioning of Mount Vernon and how much the Washingtons relied on their skills and knowledge. Students come to realize that while Washington was an incredible individual, he would not have been able to be a successful general, president, and leader of the country were it not for the enslaved people at Mount Vernon. Through this exploration, students also learn the importance of recovering and discovering the stories of people left out of the written records. Students engage in a project about telling their own story, so historians don’t have to rely on the stories told by others to try and piece together their stories someday.
How did you integrate your experiences as a Mount
Kate Van Haren (above and opposite) teaches that democracy depends on civic participation.
Vernon Teacher Fellow into the classroom? Another teacher and I created infographics about the women of the 18th century, how they communicated, and how they were still able to engage in civic action despite not having any political power. I think infographics are an amazing tool for educators. They are an engaging, visual way for students to consider a lot of information at once. Allowing students to create infographics is also an excellent method for assessing student knowledge and comprehension of complex topics. My experiences at Mount Vernon not only enhanced my content knowledge of George Washington and the founding era,
they also gave me skills I can apply to other classes and subject areas, not just U.S. history.
What do you hope students take away from your classes? I hope my students leave my classes with an appreciation that American democracy requires an understanding of history and civic engagement by all citizens. Although the individuals who have contributed to its continuance are far from perfect, they can teach current students lessons to make life more equitable for all in the future. I want my students to understand that although the contributions of men like George Washington
are important, a functioning democracy requires all people to be empathetic toward others, even if they have different viewpoints. The most admirable people and the finest moments in history were when people saw a problem and worked hard to find a solution that moved our democracy closer to guaranteeing equity for all.
Birthnight Ball and Birthday Dinner mark Washington’s 292nd
On Sunday, February 18, more than 200 guests attended the 77th annual Birthnight Supper and Ball. This special tradition is Mount Vernon’s longest-running fundraiser. Organized by the Neighborhood Friends of Mount Vernon, this soldout event raised more than $350,000 to support the restoration and preservation of the Mansion, making it the most successful Birthnight Ball to date. Event co-chairs Victoria Grady and David McCallum greeted guests, who enjoyed cocktails, an elegant three-course dinner, a live auction, a paddle raise, live music, and dancing. A highlight of the evening included a birthday toast delivered to General Washington.
On Saturday, February 24, Mount Vernon’s most generous supporters gathered for a dinner celebration of
George Washington’s 292nd birthday. Guests enjoyed a conversation between philanthropist David Rubenstein and Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent and former anchor and managing editor of PBS NewsHour. The Titan Singers from Dominion High School, in Sterling, Virginia, sang, and Karen McCabe Kirby, Vice Regent for New Jersey, concluded the evening with a rousing huzzah.
On November 2, 2023, the George Washington Symposium: The Great Experiment: Democracy from the Founding to the Future began with a memorable black-tie reception and dinner at the Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the U.S. State Department, located in the Harry S. Truman Building, in Washington, D.C. These magnificent spaces have hosted some of the country’s most significant diplomatic achievements and house some of the finest furnishings, paintings, and decorative objects from its founding, including a pair of Rembrandt Peale portraits of George and Martha Washington, as well as the mahogany writing table used to sign the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the American Revolution. Natasha Bertrand, CNN’s Pentagon reporter,
moderated a post-dinner conversation with Richard Verma, deputy U.S. secretary of state, and Richard Haass, president emeritus of the Council of Foreign Affairs. They discussed the influence of American democracy on the world. Virginia Hart, curator of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms, provided valuable support. The event, attended by some 200 guests, was sponsored by the Ford Motor Company and Lee and Toni Verstandig. The annual George Washington Symposium is supported by a generous endowment established by the Barra Foundation.
Andrea Sahin, Regent
Sarah
Mary
In January, Douglas Bradburn, Mount Vernon’s president and CEO, participated in a panel at Christie’s titled “Iconic Portraits of George Washington.” During a week of major auction house sales, Mount Vernon acquired a sketch for George Washington, Colossal Profile after Houdon , by Rembrandt Peale, and a painting of Mount Vernon as viewed from the Potomac River in 1869.
In addition, the Connoisseur Society held its annual gathering with activities that included sunset cocktails at the home of members Marta and David Black, a luncheon and business meeting at the Links Club hosted by Vice Regent for New York Ann Pyne and John Pyne, and a lecture by Philippe Halbert. Twenty-eight members of the Connoisseur Society, including the Regent and five Vice Regents, were in attendance.
In the last five years, Mount Vernon has brought home more original Washington items than at any point in the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association’s 160-year history. The Connoisseur Society has been instrumental in securing two recent landmark acquisitions: the Peter Family Collection and the Peter Presidential Collection. Members of the group contributed a majority of the funds needed and have supported many critical collections-related projects over the years.
Washington’s legacy offers a model for leaders of other nations
Located 13 miles south of the nation’s capital, Mount Vernon is often included on the itineraries of visiting foreign heads of state. Dignitaries receive an escorted tour of the estate and Mansion, sign the guest book, and pay their respects at Washington’s Tomb by either laying a wreath or, on special occasions, planting a tree nearby.
The first democratic leader to visit Mount Vernon was Rafael Yglesias, president of Costa Rica, in 1898. Most notably, from 1939 to 1945, a number of foreign dignitaries visited Mount Vernon to show solidarity with the United States before and during World War II. Winston Churchill, prime minister of
the United Kingdom, visited on January 1, 1942, just weeks after the U.S. officially entered the conflict. French commander Charles de Gaulle’s trip occurred between his visits with numerous Allied generals and strategic meetings with U.S. president Franklin Roosevelt just a month before Paris was liberated. De Gaulle chaired the provisional government from 1944 to 1946 that restored democratic government in France.
Bridging the past to the present, international leaders continue to visit Mount Vernon to be inspired by the first U.S. president and the indispensable role he played in the formation of American democracy. MVLA
Visiting heads of state: (clockwise from top) Angela Merkel, former chancellor of Germany, 2022; Jawaharlal Nehru, prime minister of India, 1949; Mohammad Ayub Khan, president of Pakistan, 1961; Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France, 2007; Winston Churchill, British prime minister, 1942; Vladimir Zelensky, president of Ukraine, 2021; William V. S. Tubman, president of Liberia, 1954; Gen. Charles de Gaulle of France, 1945.
“No People can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the Affairs of men more than the People of the United States. Every step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token
of providential agency.”
George Washington, First Inaugural Address, April 30, 1789