Martha Washington Research Paper

Did you know that Martha Washington wasn’t married to George first? Her first marriage was to to Daniel Custis, before she became a widow. Martha was born on June 2, 1731 at Chestnut Grove Plantation, in Virginia. Then sadly she died on May 22, 1802. Martha Dandridge was born in the British colony of Virginia at her parents’ home called Chestnut Grove Plantation. Her father, John, was a successful farmer and local politician. When the Revolutionary War began Martha’s second husband George , was chosen to be the commander of the continental army. Growing up Martha was the oldest of eight children. When not helping with her younger siblings Martha was learning home making skills including cooking, planting vegetables, and sewing clothes.

Martha was celebrated by the Patriots and hated by the Loyalists. Martha is famous for her style and large social events, though she actually preferred privacy. Martha helped by visiting George’s army by coming into boost the morale of both her husband and the troops. She also aided the cause of the Patriots by raising money to help pay for things like uniforms and food for the soldiers. Martha gave over $20,000 of her own money to the war effort, which was a lot of money in the 1700’s. She spent the winter months working as George’s secretary and entertaining important guests. Martha’s trips to Valley Forge were a personal sacrifice. She could have stayed on her nice estate at Mount Vernon, but she chose to support the troops. Her presence helped to boost the spirits of those around her. One of her quotes were “The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our disposition.” Another quote that Martha Washington said was, “I live a very dull life here...indeed I think I am more like a state prisoner than anything else.” Martha chose to keep the spirits of George and the troops on the front line, rather than spending time with her