Martha washington

In my time portraying the first, First Lady, I have met countless guests from all over the country and world who all know Martha Washington. But do you really know her? To continue our celebration of Women’s History Month, I have compiled the top five things you might not have known about this incredible woman. When her first husband passed away in the summer of 1757, he died intestate, leaving no executor in place to manage and divide the vast estate. His widow, Martha Dandridge Custis, was named his administratrix of the entire estate. This meant that Mrs. Custis was in charge of settling any debts, ensuring the inventorying and division of the estates, maintaining the management of the estates and making sure everything was running smoothly. Martha, in essence, was in charge. She seemed to waste no time with her new duties. Two weeks after her husband’s death, Mrs. Custis took up his pen and began making orders for the estate: fishing nets for the Pamunkey, starch, pins and a marble tombstone for her husband’s grave. The account books survive and show her tiny handwriting under her husband’s large scrawl. She was an extremely effective administratrix and during her time in charge, the estates profited. To gain an understanding of where everything stood following the death of Daniel Parke Custis, she wrote to the family attorney, John Mercer, seeking an updated account for their family. He seemed to delay in doing so and even went so far as to try and haggle with Mrs. Cu...

When traveling to meet her husband for each of the eight years of the war, Martha Washington had to overcome a number of obstacles, including fears for her own safety. Particularly during the summer and fall of 1775, there was concern that the wife of the commanding general of the During the Revolution, Martha Washington's social circle expanded dramatically, as she met influential members of society in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. Not all of her time at camp was spent with prominent figures; she also came to know many of her husband's rank-and-file soldiers. It was Martha Washington's concern for the plight of the common soldier that led to active involvement. In June of 1780, following a harsh and dispiriting winter for the Continental Army, Washington along with several other prominent women began a campaign to enlist the help of America's women to provide direct aid to soldiers in the Continental Army. The project was spearheaded by Esther DeBerdt Reed, the wife of Joseph Reed, a former military secretary to George Washington. Localized county boards of women chose a representative to act as a local treasurer, gather in funds, and keep a record of each donation. When the money was collected each county treasurer would send both the contributions and the registers to the first lady of her state who would then send the donations to Martha Washington. At that point, funds would be distributed to soldiers at General Washington's discretion. Beyond such material cont...

First Lady of the United States. Martha Washington was born on a plantation near Williamsburg, Virginia. Typical for a girl in that day and age, her education was negligible except in domestic and social skills. She was a wealthy widow and mother of two when she married Colonel George Washington who had fought in the Indian wars and was active in Virginia politics. She had four children from her previous marriage but only two survived into adulthood. Martha followed George from camp to camp during the Revolutionary war weathering harsh winters and danger. She spearheaded relief efforts for soldiers, giving them soup, medicine and clothes. When her husband assumed his new duties as President of the United States, she assumed the task of hostess at the President's Houses in the temporary capitals of New York and Philadelphia entertaining in a formal style striving for acceptance as an equal to the established governments of Europe. After two terms, George said farewell to public life and returned to Mount Vernon. After the death of her husband, Martha sealed their Mt Vernon bedroom, his death chamber, as well as his study, never to enter again. She moved to a small attic room where she could look on her husband's grave. Martha assured a final privacy by burning all the intimate letters written during their courtship and time spent apart during her husbands many absences while serving a new immerging nation. After becoming gravely ill and lingering for seventeen days, she see...

This plant stands out in the geranium family, thanks to its striking color pallet and foliage. You can add color to any garden with this bold plant. While these geraniums are named after the wife of the first president of the United States, they are native to North Africa with the first hybrids originating in Europe. These bushy plants are commonly grown as annuals and tend to bloom in the later winter or early spring around Mother’s Day. If you want more color during the winter, you should learn how to care for this regal plant. How Big Do Martha Washington Geraniums Get? The Martha Washington geranium can grow quite large. In fact, it can reach two feet in just one year. You can grow these regal geraniums outdoors but the plants are first and foremost an indoor plant. When grown outdoors these geraniums typically only flower once and produce fewer flowers. They prefer well-drained soil. When the plant is young, you should use sandy soil. However, a mature Martha Washington flower grows well in normal potting soil. These plants are recommended for USDA hardiness zones 5 – 10, but the blooms tend to last longer in cooler environments. If you decide to grow the regal geranium outdoors in a garden bed, space the plants at least 8” to 12” inches apart. When growing in a pot, the pot should be at least eight inches in diameter. Don’t forget about drainage. The pot needs to have drainage holes to keep the soil from remaining too moist. Flowering While the plant can still grow q...

Birth and Family Birth Date June 2, 1731 Birth Place New Kent County, Virginia Father John Dandridge (1700-1756) Mother Frances Jones (1710-1785) Brothers John Dandridge (1732-1749) William Dandridge (1734-1776) Bartholomew Dandridge (1737-1785) Sisters Anna Maria Dandridge Bassett (1739-1777) Frances Dandridge (1744-1758) Elizabeth Dandridge Henley (1749-ca1800) Mary Dandridge (1756-1763) Formal Education None Religion Anglican/Episcopalian • Martha Dandridge was born on June 2, 1731, at Chestnut Grove, a plantation in New Kent County Virginia. • Her father, John Dandridge (1700-1756), immigrated from England, the son of a craftsman. He rose to serve as count clerk and a militia officer. • Her mother, Frances Jones (1710-1785), was the daughter of a member of the Virginia House of Burgess. • Martha Dandridge was the eldest child of eight and had three brothers and four sisters. • While not formally educated, Martha Dandridge's education was typical for a girl of her class. She learned housekeeping, religion, music, • Religion played a very important role throughout Martha's life. As an adult, she spent an hour • According to descriptions by people who knew her, Martha was about five feet tall. Surviving portraits show that she had brown hair and either brown or hazel eyes. As she aged, Mrs. Washington’s hair turned from gray to white. • In her late teens, Martha Dandridge caught the eye of Daniel Parke Custis (1711-1757), who, though twenty years her senior, was one of th...

Martha Washington, née Martha Dandridge, also called (1749–59) Martha Custis, (born June 2, 1731, New Kent county, Daughter of farmers John and Frances Jones Dandridge, Martha grew up among the wealthy plantation families of the Tidewater region of eastern Virginia, and she received an education traditional for young women of her class and time, one in which domestic skills and the arts far outweighed science and mathematics. In 1749, at age 18, she married Daniel Parke Custis, who was 20 years her senior and an At Mount Vernon Martha became known for her graciousness and In 1789, shortly after her husband’s inauguration as president of the Following George’s death in 1799, Martha continued to reside at Mount Vernon. In 1800 Congress granted her a lifetime franking privilege, which it continued to grant to any president’s widow who applied for it. After Martha died in 1802, there was considerable discussion in Congress about burying the Washingtons in the capital city that bore their name, but instead she was buried beside George in a family tomb at Mount Vernon.