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Mount Vernon (plantation)

Mount Vernon (plantation)

:For other locations with this name, see Mount Vernon Mount Vernon was the home of George Washington. Built of wood in neoclassical Georgian style, the estate is located near Mount Vernon, Virginia in Fairfax County, on the banks of the Potomac River. Potomac River Potomac River Potomac River In 1674 John Washington and Nicholas Spencer came into possession of the land from which Mount Vernon plantation would be carved. When John died in 1677, his son Lawrence, George Washington's grandfather, inherited a bit less than half of the original tract. In 1743 George Washington's half-brother Lawrence Washington rebuilt the home their father Augustine had earlier built on the property. Initially named Epsewasson after a facing creek, the plantation was later renamed in honor of Admiral Edward Vernon, under whom Lawrence had served in the British campaigns against the Spanish in the West Indies. George was responsible for a great number of additions and improvements to the structures. On two occasions he practically rebuilt the main house, doubling its size each time. The great majority of the work was performed by slaves and artisans. In 1754, following Lawrence's 1752 death, George leased the estate from his sister-in-law, Anne. Upon Anne's death in 1761 he inherited the property. From 1759 until the American Revolutionary War, Washington, who at the time aspired to become a prominent agriculturist, operated the estate as five separate farms. Washington took a scientific approach to farming and kept extensive and meticulous records of both labor and results. Following his service in the war, Washington returned to Mount Vernon and in 1785-1786 spent a great deal of effort in improving the landscaping of the estate. It is estimated that during his terms as US President (1789-1797) Washington spent 434 days in residence at Mount Vernon. After his presidency, Washington tended to repairs to the buildings, socializing, and further gardening. The remains of George and Martha Washington, as well as other family members, are entombed on the grounds. Martha Washington] After Washington's death in 1799, plantation ownership passed through a series of descendants who lacked either the will or the means to maintain the property. After trying unsuccessfully for five years to restore the estate, John Augustine Washington offered it for sale in 1848. The Virginia and United States governments declined to buy the home and estate. In 1860, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union, under the leadership of Ann Pamela Cunningham, acquired the mansion and a portion of the land for US$200,000, rescuing it from a state of disrepair and neglect. The estate served as neutral ground for both sides during the Civil War, although fighting raged across the nearby countryside. The mansion has been restored by the Association (without accepting any state or Federal funds), complete with period furniture and fixings, and today serves as a popular tourist attraction. The estate is also well known for its exceptional landscaping and ancillary buildings.

References


- George Washington's Mount Vernon; at home in revolutionary America by Robert F. Dalzell, Jr. and Lee Baldwin Dalzell. New York, Oxford University Press, 1998. 300 p.
- Mount Vernon; Washington's home and the nation's shrine by Paul Wilstach. Indianapolis, The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1918, 1930.
- Virginia: A guide to the Old Dominion. New York, Oxford University Press, 1940. pp. 338-342.

External links


- [http://www.mountvernon.org Official website of Mount Vernon] Category:Houses in the United States Category:Alexandria, Virginia Category:Virginia landmarks Category:George Washington

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon is the name of several places around the world.
- In Australia
  - Mount Vernon, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia
- In Singapore
  - Mount Vernon, Singapore
- In the United Kingdom
  - The Dr. Edward Bach Centre
  - Mount Vernon, Glasgow
  - Mount Vernon, Thurso, Caithness
- In the United States - where many are named after the home of George Washington, the country's first president
  - Mount Vernon, Alabama
  - Mount Vernon, Arkansas
  - Mount Vernon, Georgia
  - Mount Vernon, Illinois
  - Mount Vernon, Indiana
  - Mount Vernon, Iowa
  - Mount Vernon, Kentucky
  - Mount Vernon, Maine
  - Mount Vernon, Maryland, also the neighborhood in Baltimore named Mount Vernon, Baltimore.
  - Mount Vernon, Missouri
  - Mont Vernon, New Hampshire (note slight spelling difference{

George Washington

George Washington (February 22 1732 – December 14 1799) was the successful Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and later became the first President of the United States, an office to which he was elected twice (1789-1797). Washington first gained prominence as an officer during the French and Indian War, a war which he inadvertently helped to start. After leading the American victory in the Revolutionary War, he refused to lead a military regime, returning to civilian life at Mount Vernon. In 1787 he presided over the Constitutional Convention that drafted the current U.S. Constitution, and in 1789 was the unanimous choice to become the first President of the United States. His two-term Washington Administration set many policies and traditions that survive today. After his second term expired, Washington again voluntarily relinquished power, thereby establishing an important precedent that was to serve as an example for other future republics. Because of his central role in the founding of the United States, and his enduring legacy, Washington is often called the "Father of his Country". Scholars rank him with Abraham Lincoln among the greatest of presidents.

Early life

According to the Julian calendar, Washington was born on February 11 1731; according to the Gregorian calendar, which was adopted during Washington's life and is used today, he was born on February 22 1732 (Washington's Birthday is celebrated on the Gregorian date). At the time of his birth, the English year began March 25 (Annunciation Day, or Lady Day), hence the difference in his birth year. His birthplace was Pope's Creek Plantation, south of Colonial Beach in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Washington was part of the economic and cultural elite of the slave-owning planters of Virginia. His parents Augustine Washington (1693–April 12 1743) and Mary Ball (1708–August 25 1789) were of English descent. He spent much of his boyhood at Ferry Farm in Stafford County, near Fredericksburg and visited his Washington cousins at Chotank in King George County. He was home schooled and was also trained as a surveyor (obtaining his certificate from the College of William and Mary). He surveyed the Shenandoah Valley for Lord Fairfax, a distant relative, in western Virginia and retained a lifelong interest in western lands. His only foreign trip was a short visit to Barbados in 1751. He survived an attack of smallpox, although his face was scarred by the disease. He was initiated as a Freemason in Fredericksburg on February 4 1752. On brother Lawrence's death in July 1752, he rented and eventually inherited the estate, Mount Vernon in Fairfax County, Virginia (near Alexandria).

French and Indian War and afterwards

Alexandria At twenty-two years of age, George Washington fired some of the first shots of what would become a world war. The trouble began in 1753, when France began building a series of forts in the Ohio Country, a region also claimed by Virginia. Robert Dinwiddie, the governor of Virginia, had young Major Washington deliver a letter to the French commander, asking them to leave. The French refused, and so in 1754 Dinwiddie sent Washington, now promoted to lieutenant colonel in the First Virginia Regiment, on another mission to the Ohio Country. There, Washington and his troops ambushed a French Canadian scouting party. After a short skirmish, Washington's American Indian ally Tanacharison killed the wounded French commander Ensign Jumonville. Washington then built Fort Necessity, which soon proved inadequate, as he was compelled to surrender to a larger French and American Indian force. The surrender terms that Washington signed included an admission that he had "assassinated" Jumonville. (The document was written in French, which Washington could not read.) The "Jumonville affair" became an international incident and helped to ignite the French and Indian War, a part of the worldwide Seven Years' War. Washington was released by the French with the promise not to return to the Ohio Country for one year. Washington was always eager to serve in the British Army, which had a low regard for colonials. His opportunity came in 1755, when he accompanied the Braddock Expedition, a major effort by the British to retake the Ohio Country. The expedition ended in disaster at the Battle of the Monongahela. Washington distinguished himself in the debacle—he had two horses shot out from under him, and four bullets pierced his coat—yet he sustained no injuries and showed coolness under fire in organizing the retreat. In Virginia, Washington was acclaimed as a hero, and he commanded the First Virginia Regiment for several more years, although the focus of the war had shifted elsewhere. In 1758 he accompanied the Forbes Expedition, which successfully drove the French away from Fort Duquesne. Washington's goal at the outset of his military career had been to secure a commission as a regular British officer—rather than staying a mere colonial officer. The promotion did not come, and so in 1759 Washington resigned his commission and married Martha Dandridge Custis, a wealthy widow with two children. Washington adopted her two children, but never fathered any of his own. The newlywed couple moved to Mount Vernon where he took up the life of a genteel farmer and slave owner. He held local office and was elected to the provincial legislature, the House of Burgesses. By 1774 Washington had become one of the colonies' wealthiest men. In that year, he was chosen as a delegate from Virginia to the First Continental Congress. Although the American Revolution had not yet devolved into open warfare, tensions between the colonies and Great Britain continued to rise, and Washington attended the Second Continental Congress (1775) in military uniform—the only delegate to do so. He strongly supported independence.

American Revolution

American Revolution, 1851, Metropolitan Museum]] The Continental Congress needed to select as commander in chief of its newly formed Continental Army a natural leader with a commitment to the cause, suitable military experience, a commanding personality, and a base in a major colony. Washington was the unanimous selection, and was selected on June 15 1775. The Massachusetts delegate John Adams suggested his appointment, citing his "skill as an officer... great talents and universal character." He assumed command on July 3. During his first great military triumph Washington drove the British forces out of Boston on March 17, 1776, by stationing artillery on Dorchester Heights. The British army, led by General William Howe, retreated to Halifax, Canada. Washington moved his army to New York City in anticipation of a British offensive there. In August the British invaded in overwhelming numbers and Washington led a clumsy retreat that almost failed. He lost the Battle of Long Island on August 22 but managed to move most of his forces to the mainland. However, several other defeats sent Washington scrambling across New Jersey, leaving the future of the Revolution in doubt. On the night of December 25 1776, Washington staged a brilliant comeback. He led the American forces across the Delaware River to smash the Hessian forces in Trenton, New Jersey. Washington followed up the assault with a surprise attack on General Charles Cornwallis' forces at Princeton on the eve of January 2, 1777, eventually retaking the state of New Jersey. The successful attacks built morale among the pro-independence colonists. In summer 1777 the British launched a two-pronged attack, with Burgoyne marching south from Canada while Howe attacked the national capital of Philadelphia. Washington moved south but was badly defeated at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11. An attempt to dislodge the British, the Battle of Germantown, failed as a result of fog and confusion, and Washington was forced to retire to winter quarters at the miserably inadequate Valley Forge. In the face of high rates of disease Washington insisted on vaccinations to protect the soldiers from smallpox, which probably stem impact of that deadly disease over the harsh winter. Washington stood steadfast, demanding supplies from Congress. His men recovered their morale despite the harsh winter conditions. A new system of drill and training was established by Baron Friedrich von Steuben, who had served on the Prussian general staff. Von Steuben improving the army’s fighting capabilities so that it could match the British in the field. Washington attacked the British army moving from Philadelphia to New York at the Battle of Monmouth on June 28 1778, a drawn contest, but the British effort to disrupt the national government had failed. Burgoyne’s invading army, meanwhile, was captured at Saratoga in October, giving the British a crushing defeat. It now seemed likely that the British would never reconquer the new nation, and France signed a formal alliance with the U.S. After 1778 the British made one last effort to split apart the new nation, this time focused on the southern states. Rather than attack them there, Washington's forces moved to West Point New York. In 1779 Washington ordered a fifth of the army to carry out the Sullivan Expedition, an offensive against four of the six nations of the Iroquois Confederacy which had allied with the British and attacked American settlements along the frontier. There were no battles but at least forty Iroquois villages were destroyed and the hostile Indians moved permanently to Canada. In October, 1781 American and French forces and a French fleet trapped General Cornwallis at Yorktown in Virginia. Washington quick-marched south, taking command of the American and French forces September 14, and pressed the siege until Cornwallis surrendered. It was the end of significant fighting, though British forces remained in New York City and a few other places until the final peace was ratified in 1783. In March 1783, Washington learned about a conspiracy that was being planned by some of his officers who were upset about back pay in the Continental Army's winter camp at Newburgh, New York. He was able to defuse this plot. Later in 1783, by means of the Treaty of Paris, the British recognized American independence. Washington disbanded his army and on November 2 at Rockingham House in Rocky Hill, New Jersey and gave an eloquent [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mgw3&fileName=mgw3b/gwpage016.db&recNum=347 farewell address] to his soldiers. A few days later the British evacuated New York City, and Washington and the governor took possession of the city; at Fraunces Tavern in the city on December 4, he formally bid his officers farewell.

Activities between Revolution and Presidency

Fraunces Tavern On December 23 1783 General George Washington resigned his commission as Commander in Chief of the Army to the Congress, which was then meeting at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. This action was of great significance for the young nation, establishing the precedent that civilian elected officials, rather than military officers, possessed ultimate authority. Washington was a firm republican, believing that the people are sovereign and that no one should ever come to power in America because of military force, or because of birth in a noble family. At the time of Washington's departure from military service, he was listed on the rolls of the Continental Army as "General and Commander in Chief." (See Retirement, death, and honors section below for more on this topic.) Although the world was at peace in the late 1780s, Washington worried that the fledling nation had such a weak central government that it could not survive a future war. He therefore endorsed plans to create a new constitution. His support guaranteed it would happen and he presided over the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. For the most part he did not participate in the debates involved, but his prestige was great enough to maintain collegiality and to keep the delegates at their labors. He adamantly enforced the secrecy adopted by the Convention during the summer. Many believe that the Framers created the Presidency with Washington in mind. After the Convention, his support convinced many, including the Virginia legislature, to support the Constitution. Washington farmed roughly 8,000 acres (32 km²). Like many Virginia planters at the time, he was frequently in debt and never had much cash on hand. In fact, he had to borrow $600 to relocate to New York, then the center of the American government, to take office as president. In 1788–1789, George Washington was elected the first President of the United States. The First U.S. Congress voted to pay Washington a salary of $25,000 a year—a significant sum in 1789. Washington, the wealthiest individual in the nation at the time and whose wealth (all of it in land that could eventually be sold) by some estimates exceeded $500 million in current dollars (as of 2005), refused to accept his salary.

Presidency

Main article: Washington Administration Washington Administration]] George Washington was elected unanimously by the Electoral College in 1789, and remains the only person ever to be elected president unanimously (a feat which he duplicated in 1792). As runner-up with 34 votes, John Adams became Vice President-elect. In 1791 Congress imposed an excise tax on distilled spirits, leading to protests. By 1794, after Washington ordered the protesters to appear in U.S. district court, the protests turning into full-scale riots, and outright rebellion. Washington raised an army, and marched at its head into the rebellious districts. There was no fighting, but Washington's forceful action proved the new government could protect itself. After two terms, Washington issued his "Farewell Adress" (actually a letter), and refused to run for a third term in office. This precedent of two terms was only to be broken successfully by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1940 and 1944.

Cabinet


Supreme Court appointments

As the first President, Washington appointed the entire Supreme Court, a feat almost repeated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt during his four terms in office (1933–45). Washington appointed the following Justices to the Supreme Court of the United States:
- John Jay - Chief Justice - 1789
- James Wilson - 1789
- John Rutledge - 1790
- William Cushing - 1790
- John Blair - 1790
- James Iredell - 1790
- Thomas Johnson - 1792
- William Paterson - 1793
- John Rutledge - Chief Justice, 1795 (an associate justice since 1790)
- Samuel Chase - 1796
- Oliver Ellsworth - Chief Justice - 1796

Major Presidential Acts


- Signed Judiciary Act of 1789
- Signed Indian Intercourse Acts, starting in 1790
- Signed Residence Act of 1790
- Signed Bank Act of 1791
- Signed Coinage Act of 1792 or Mint Act
- Signed Fugitive Slave Act of 1793
- Signed Naval Act of 1794

States admitted to the Union


- North Carolina (1789)
- Rhode Island (1790)
- Vermont (1791)
- Kentucky (1792)
- Tennessee (1796)

Retirement, death, and honors

Tennessee The Apotheosis of Washington is found in the rotunda of the United States Capitol]] After retiring from the presidency in March 1797, Washington returned to Mount Vernon with a profound sense of relief. He established a distillery there and became probably the largest distiller of whiskey in the nation at the time. In 1798 his distillery produced 11,000 gallons of whiskey and a profit of $7,500. During that year, Washington was appointed Lieutenant General in the United States Army (then the highest possible rank) by President John Adams. Washington's appointment was to serve as a warning to France, with which war seemed imminent. Washington never saw active service, however, and upon his death one year later the U.S. Army rolls listed him as a retired Lieutenant General, which was then considered the equivalent to his rank as General and Commander in Chief during the Revolutionary War. Within a year of this 1798 appointment, Washington fell ill from a bad cold with a fever and a sore throat that turned into acute laryngitis and pneumonia and died on December 14 1799, at his home. Modern doctors believe that Washington died from either a streptococcal infection of the throat or, since he was bled as part of the treatment, a combination of shock from the loss of blood, asphyxia, and dehydration. One of the physicians who administered bloodletting to him was Dr. James Craik, one of Washington's closest friends, who had been with Washington at Fort Necessity, the Braddock expedition, and throughout the Revolutionary War. Washington's remains were buried in a family graveyard at Mount Vernon. Congressman Henry Light Horse Harry Lee, a Revolutionary War comrade, famously eulogized Washington as "a citizen, first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." With the exception of Dwight Eisenhower, who held a lifetime commission as General of the Army (five star), George Washington is the only President with military service to reenter the military after leaving the office of President. Even though he had been the highest-ranking officer of the Revolutionary War, having in 1798 been appointed a Lieutenant General (now three stars), it seemed, somewhat incongruously, that all later full (that is, four star) generals in U.S. history (starting with General Ulysses S. Grant), and also all five-star generals of the Army, were considered to outrank Washington. General John J. Pershing had attained an even higher rank of six-star general, General of the Armies (above five star—though the most stars Pershing actually ever wore were four). This issue was resolved in 1976 when Washington was, by Act of Congress, posthumously promoted to the rank of General of the Armies, outranking any past, present, and future general, and declared to permanently be the top-ranked military officer of the United States. [https://www.perscom.army.mil/tagd/tioh/rank/goa.htm]

Summary of Military Career


- 1753: Commissioned Lieutenant Colonel of the Virginia Militia
- 1754: Led abortive expedition to Fort Duquesne, later served as aide to General Edward Braddock
- 1755: Promoted to Colonel and named Commander of all Virginia Forces. Commissioned a Brigadier General later that year
- 1758–75: Retired from active military service
- June 1775: Commissioned General and Commander in Chief of the Continental Army
- 1775–81: Commands the Continental Army in over seven major battles with the British
- December 1783: Resigns commission as Commander in Chief of the Army
- July 1798: Appointed Lieutenant General and Commander of the Provisional Army to be raised in the event of a war with France
- 14 December 1799: Dies and is listed as a Lieutenant General (r) on the U.S. Army rolls
- 19 January 1976: Approved by the United States Congress for promotion to General of the Armies
- 11 October 1976: Declared the senior most U.S. military officer for all time by Presidential Order of Gerald Ford
- 13 March 1978: Promoted by Army Order 31-3 to General of the Armies with effective date of rank July 4, 1776

Personal information

Gerald Ford Admirers of Washington circulated an apocryphal story about his honesty as a child. In the story, he wanted to try out a new axe, so he chopped down his father's cherry tree; when questioned by his father, he gave the famous non-quotation: "I cannot tell a lie. It was I who chopped down the cherry tree.". The story first appeared after Washington's death in a naïve "inspirational" children's book by Parson Mason Weems, who had been rector of the Mount Vernon parish (See also George Washington's axe for an elaboration of this story). Parson Weems also fabricated a famous story about Washington praying for help in a lonely spot in the woods near Valley Forge. Nevertheless, Washington was a man of great personal integrity, with a deeply held sense of duty, honor and patriotism. He was courageous and farsighted, holding the Continental Army together through eight hard years of war and numerous privations, sometimes by sheer force of will. Because of Washington's involvement in Freemasonry, some publicly visible collections of Washington memorabilia are maintained by Masonic lodges, most notably the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. The museum at Fraunces Tavern Museum in New York City includes specimens of Washington's false teeth. Washington was notable for his modesty and carefully controlled ambition. He never accepted pay during his military service, and was genuinely reluctant to assume any of the offices thrust upon him. When John Adams recommended him to the Continental Congress for the position of general and commander in chief of the Continental Army, Washington left the room to allow any dissenters to freely voice their objections. In later accepting the post, Washington told the Congress that he was unworthy of the honor. However, it should be reminded that Washington was always an ambitious man. He ensured that during the Continental Congress he arrived and was always present wearing his old colonial uniform so as to make it clear to all that he was deeply interested in commanding the continental troops. Congress actually made him the commander of the continental army before they authorized an army for him to command. In reality, no one else could have ensured that the southern colonies would assist the northern ones unless Washington was part of the equation; aside from a few other, less endearing leaders, Washington was likely, overall, the only choice that would achieve this. It is often said that one of Washington's greatest achievements was refraining from taking more power than was due. He was conscientious of maintaining a good reputation by avoiding political intrigue. He had no interest in nepotism or cronyism, rejecting, for example, a military promotion during the war for his deserving cousin William Washington lest it be regarded as favoritism. Thomas Jefferson wrote, "The moderation and virtue of a single character probably prevented this Revolution from being closed, as most others have been, by a subversion of that liberty it was intended to establish." Washington had to be talked into a second term of office as President, and very reluctantly agreed to it. However, he refused to serve a third term, setting a precedent that held until the Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. At John Adams's inauguration, Washington is said to have approached Adams afterwards and stated "Well, I am fairly out and you are fairly in. Now we shall see who enjoys it the most!" Washington also declined to leave the room before Adams and the new Vice President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, establishing the principle that even a former president is only, in the end, a private citizen.

Trivia


- A popular belief is that Washington wore a wig, as was the fashion among some at the time. He did not. He did, however, powder his hair, as represented in several portraits, including the well-known unfinished Gilbert Stuart [http://www.npg.si.edu/cexh/stuart/athen1.htm depiction].
- A number of younger men were essentially surrogate sons to the childless Washington, including Alexander Hamilton, Lafayette, Nathanael Greene, and George W. P. Custis, Washington's step-grandson. George Custis' daughter Mary would eventually become the wife of General Robert E. Lee.
- Washington was a cricket enthusiast and was known to have played the sport, which was popular at that time in the British colonies.
- Through his father's family, Washington was a direct descendant of King Edward III and William the Conqueror of England.
- One story about Washington has him throwing a silver dollar across the Potomac River. He may have thrown an object across the Rappahannock River, the river on which his childhood home, Ferry Farm, stood. However, the Potomac is over a mile wide at Mount Vernon. Also silver dollars did not exist then.
- Grew hemp, a common crop at the time used for fiber production, specifically to make rope. [http://www.stanford.edu/~johnbrks/theCafe/substance/marijuana.html]

Washington and slavery

Washington owned many slaves throughout his life, as did most of his peers in the Virginia plantation aristocracy. He was noteworthy, however, for the humane treatment of his slaves and for his growing unease with the "peculiar institution". Historian Roger Bruns has written, "As he grew older, he became increasingly aware that it was immoral and unjust. Long before the Revolution, Washington had taken the unusual position of refusing to sell any of his slaves or to allow slave families to be separated." After the Revolution, Washington told an English friend, "I clearly foresee that nothing but the rooting out of slavery can perpetuate the existence of our [Federal] union by consolidating it on a common bond of principle." He wrote to his friend John Francis Mercer in 1786, "I never mean... to possess another slave by purchase; it being among my first wishes to see some plan adopted, by which slavery in this country may be abolished by slow, sure, and imperceptible degrees." Ten years later, he wrote to Robert Morris, "There is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see some plan adopted for the gradual abolition [of slavery]." abolition As President, Washington was mindful of the risk of splitting apart the young republic over the question of slavery. He did not advocate the abolition of slavery while in office, but did sign legislation enforcing the prohibition of slavery in the Northwest Territory, writing to his good friend the Marquis de la Fayette that he considered it a wise measure. Lafayette urged him to free his slaves as an example to others— Washington was held in such high regard after the revolution that there was reason to hope that if he freed his slaves, others would follow his example. Lafayette purchased an estate in French Guiana and settled his own slaves there, and he offered a place for Washington's slaves, writing "I would never have drawn my sword in the cause of America if I could have conceived thereby that I was founding a land of slavery." Nevertheless, Washington did not free his own slaves in his lifetime. Washington included provisions in his will which freed his slaves upon his death. His widow Martha freed those she owned shortly before she died. As cited in Henry Wiencek's Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America, one of his slaves, Oney Judge Staines, escaped the Executive Mansion in Philadelphia in 1796 and lived the rest of her life free in New Hampshire.

Religious beliefs

Washington's religious views are a matter of some controversy. There is considerable evidence that he (like a number of Founding Fathers of the United States) was a Deist—believing in God but not believing in revelation or miracles. Before the Revolution, when the Episcopal Church was still the state religion in Virginia, he served as a vestryman (lay officer) for his local church. He spoke often of the value of prayer, righteousness, and seeking and offering thanks for the "blessings of Heaven". He sometimes accompanied his wife to Christian church services; however there is no record of his ever becoming a communicant in any Christian church, and he would regularly leave services before communion—with the other non-communicants. When Rev. Dr. James Abercrombie, rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, mentioned in a weekly sermon that those in elevated stations set an unhappy example by leaving at communion, Washington ceased attending at all on communion Sundays. Long after Washington died, asked about Washington's beliefs, Abercrombie replied: "Sir, Washington was a Deist!" His adopted daughter, Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis, and several others have said, however, that he was, indeed, a Christian. Various prayers said to have been composed by him in his later life are highly edited. He did not ask for any clergy on his deathbed, though one was available. His funeral services were those of the Freemasons at the request of his wife, Martha. Washington was an early supporter of religious pluralism. In 1775 he ordered that his troops not burn the pope in effigy on Guy Fawkes Night. In 1790 he wrote to Jewish leaders that he envisioned a country "which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.... May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid."

Legacy

Abraham, site of Washington's first inauguration as President]] Washington peacefully relinquished the presidency to John Adams after serving two terms in office. This is seen as one of Washington's most important legacies. Referring to this act, George III, the King of England defeated during the Revolution, called him "the greatest character of the age" and Napoleon complained "They wanted me to be another Washington". All presidents since Washington followed the custom of limiting their service in office to two terms, until Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was elected four times (1932, 1936, 1940, 1944). The Constitution was subsequently amended by the Twenty-second Amendment to set an express two-term limit upon future presidents. Washington set many other precedents that established tranquility in the presidential office in the years to come and is generally regarded by historians as one of the greatest presidents. He was also lauded posthumously as the "Father of His Country" and is often considered to be the most important of the United States' "Founding Fathers". He has gained fame around the world as a quintessential example of a benevolent national founder. Americans often refer to men in other nations considered the Father of their Country as "the George Washington of his nation" (for example, Mahatma Gandhi's role in India). Washington was ranked #26 in Michael H. Hart's list of the most influential figures in history.

Monuments and memorials

Today Washington's face and image are often used as national symbols of the United States, along with the icons such as the flag and great seal. Perhaps the most pervasive commemoration of his legacy is the use of his image on the one dollar bill and the quarter-dollar coin. The image used on the dollar bill is derived from a famous portrait of him painted by Gilbert Stuart, itself one of the most notable works of early American art. The capital city of the United States, Washington, D.C., is named for him. The District of Columbia was created by an Act of Congress in 1790, and Washington was deeply involved in its creation, including the siting of the White House. The Washington Monument, one of the most well-known landmarks in the city, was built in his honor. The George Washington University, also in D.C., was named after him, and it was founded in part with shares Washington bequeathed to an endowment to create a national university in Washington. The only state named for a president is the state of Washington in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Washington selected West Point, New York, as the site for the United States Military Academy. The United States Navy has named three ships after Washington. Other examples include the George Washington Bridge, which extends between New York City and New Jersey, and the palm tree genus Washingtonia is also named after him. See also: List of places named for George Washington List of places named for George Washington

Scholarly Secondary Sources

The literature on George Washington is immense. The Library of Congress has a comprehensive bibliography [http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwbib.html online]. Notable recent works include:
- Anderson, Fred 2000. [http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/a/anderson-war.html?oref=login Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766].
- Comora, Madeleine & Deborah Chandra. George Washington's Teeth. Illustrated by Brock Cole. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003; ISBN 0374325340. A lighthearted chronicle of his dental struggles, aimed at children and adults.
- Ellis, Joseph J. His Excellency: George Washington. New York: Knopf, 2004. ISBN 1400040310. Powerful interpretation of Washington's career.
- Elkins, Stanley M. and Eric McKitrick, The Age of Federalism. (1994), the leading scholarly history of the 1790s.
- Ferling, John E. The First of Men: A Life of George Washington (1989), solid and scholarly.
- Fisher, David Hackett. Washington's Crossing. (2004), prize-winning military history focused on 1775-1776.
- Flexner, James Thomas. Washington: The Indispensable Man. Boston: Little, Brown, 1974. ISBN 0316286168 (1994 reissue). Single-volume condensation of Flexner's popular four-volume biography.
- Freeman, Douglas. S. Washington: An abridgement in one volume by Richard Harwell of the seven-volume George Washington by Douglas Southall Freeman (1968), the standard scholarly biography.
- Grizzard, Frank E., Jr. George! A Guide to All Things Washington. Buena Vista and Charlottesville, VA: Mariner Publishing. 2005. ISBN 0-9768238-0-2. Grizzard is a leading scholar of Washington.
- Grizzard, Frank E., Jr. The Ways of Providence: Religion and George Washington. Buena Vista and Charlottesville, VA: Mariner Publishing. 2005. ISBN 0-9768238-1-0.
- Lengel, Edward G. General George Washington: A Military Life. New York: Random House, 2005. ISBN 1400060818.
- [Lodge, Henry Cabot]. George Washington (vol 2, 1899 covers 1783-99) [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/12653 online at Project Gutenberg] old but generally accurate. Freeman and Flexner are much better.
- McDonald, Forrest . The Presidency of George Washington. (1988), Intellectual history showing Washington as exemplar of republicanism.
- Wiencek, Henry. An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003. ISBN 0374175268.
- Nash, Gary B. The Unknown American Revolution: The Unruly Birth of Democracy and the Struggle to Create America. Viking, 2005. ISBN 0670034207. A left-wing interpretation of the era, with little on Washington.

See also


- George Washington's presidency
- U.S. presidential election, 1789
- U.S. presidential election, 1792
- Famous military commanders
- George Washington's farewell address
- List of U.S. Presidential religious affiliations
- Newburgh conspiracy In recent years, a number of anti-Semitic groups have attributed false quotations to George Washington and other Founding Fathers, with the intention of inciting anti-Semitism. This subject is discussed in Neo-Nazi Theory (American founding fathers).

Notes

#The earliest known image in which Washington is identified as such is on the cover of the circa 1778 Pennsylvania German almanac (Lancaster: Gedruckt bey Francis Bailey). This identifies Washington as "Landes Vater" or Father of the Land.

External links


- [http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/] Full version of the on-line Papers of George Washington and other information from the University of Virginia
- [http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/presiden/washpap.htm The Papers of George Washington] from the Avalon Project (includes Inaugural Addresses, State of the Union Messages, and other materials)
- [http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/commission.html Library of Congress: Washington's Commission as Commander in Chief]
- [http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/49.htm Farewell Address]
- [http://www.libraryreference.org/washington.html Biography of George Washington]
- [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jamesdow/s004/f647706.htm A pedigree of George Washington]
- [http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-2/washington.htm Teaching about George Washington]
- [http://www.thirty-thousand.org/pages/section_IB5.htm The First Presidential Veto] Analysis of the first veto by a U.S. President
- [https://www.perscom.army.mil/tagd/tioh/rank/goa.htm General Washington's military rank]
- [http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/gw1.html White House Biography]
- [http://www.chicago-scots.org/clubs/History/Names-U-Z.htm]
-
- [http://www.archontology.org/nations/us/us2/washington.php George Washington: Archontology.org, chronology, dates, terms, election results]

Further Reading


- Barbara Bennett Peterson, "George Washington: America's Moral Exemplar", (2005). Washington, George Washington, George Washington, George Washington, George Washington, George Washington, George Washington, George Washington, George Washington, George Washington Washington, George Washington, George Washington, George Washington, George Washington, George Washington, George ko:조지 워싱턴 ja:ジョージ・ワシントン simple:George Washington th:จอร์จ วอชิงตัน

Mount Vernon, Virginia

Mount Vernon is a census-designated place located in Fairfax County, Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 28,582. It is near the Mount Vernon plantation, the home of George Washington.

Geography

George Washington Mount Vernon is located at 38°43'31" North, 77°6'26" West (38.725214, -77.107349). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 21.8 km² (8.4 mi²). 19.7 km² (7.6 mi²) of it is land and 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 9.51% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 28,582 people, 10,575 households, and 7,487 families residing in the CDP. The population density is 1,450.1/km² (3,755.8/mi²). There are 10,926 housing units at an average density of 554.3/km² (1,435.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP is 54.42% White, 27.65% African American, 0.33% Native American, 6.33% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 6.87% from other races, and 4.26% from two or more races. 14.50% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 10,575 households out of which 34.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% are married couples living together, 15.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% are non-families. 22.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.70 and the average family size is 3.16. In the CDP the population is spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.8 males. The median income for a household in the CDP is $61,119, and the median income for a family is $67,892. Males have a median income of $42,049 versus $33,543 for females. The per capita income for the CDP is $29,299. 7.0% of the population and 5.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.7% of those under the age of 18 and 2.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

External links

Category:Fairfax County, Virginia Category:Unincorporated communities in Virginia Category:Census-designated places in Virginia Category:Washington, D.C. suburbs

Potomac River

The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). The river is approximately 413 statute miles (665 km) long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles (38,000 km²). In terms of area, this makes the Potomac River the fourth largest river along the Atlantic coast of the USA and the 21st largest in the USA. Over 5 million people live within the Potomac watershed, where precipitation provides the equivalent of over 8 m³ (more than 2100 US gallons) of water per person per year.

Geography

The river forms part of the borders between Maryland and Washington, D.C. (the District of Columbia) on the left bank and West Virginia and Virginia on the river's right bank. The entire lower Potomac River is considered part of Maryland, with the exception of a small tidal portion within the District of Columbia. The North Branch Potomac River is considered part of Maryland to the low water mark on the opposite bank. The South Branch Potomac River lies completely within the state of West Virginia except for its headwaters which lie in Virginia. headwaters The Potomac River runs 383 miles (616 km) from the Fairfax Stone in West Virginia to Point Lookout, Maryland and drains 14,679 sq. miles (38,018 sq. km.). The average flow is 4.86 million US gallons per minute (306.6 thousand liters per second). The largest flow ever recorded on the Potomac at Washington, D.C. was in March 1936 when it reached 275 billion US gallons per day (12 million L/s). The lowest flow ever recorded at the same location was 388 million gallons per day (17 thousand L/s) in September 1966. The river has two sources. The source of the North Branch is at the Fairfax Stone located at the junction of Garrett County, Maryland and Tucker and Preston Counties in West Virginia. The source of the South Branch is located near Hightown in northern Highland County, Virginia. The river's two branches converge just east of Green Spring in Hampshire County, West Virginia to form the Potomac. Once the Potomac drops from the Piedmont to the Coastal Plain, tides further influence the river as it passes through Washington, D.C. and beyond. Salinity in the Potomac River Estuary increases thereafter with distance downstream. The estuary also widens, reaching 11 statute miles (17 km) wide at its mouth, between Point Lookout, Maryland and Smith Point, Virginia before flowing into the Chesapeake Bay.

History

Smith Point]] The name Potomac is a European spelling of an Algonquin name which supposedly means "river of swans." Other accounts say the name means "place where people trade" or "the place to which tribute is brought" and that the name translated as "river of swans" was another word, Cohongorooton. The spelling of the name has been simplified over the years from Patawomeke to Patowmack in the 18th century and now Potomac. The river's name was officially decided upon as Potomac by the Board on Geographic Names in 1931. Being situated in an area rich in American history and American heritage has led to the Potomac being nicknamed "the Nation's River." George Washington, the first President of the United States, was born in, surveyed, and spent most of his life within the Potomac basin. All of Washington, D.C., the nation's capital city, also lies within the watershed. The 1859 siege of Harper's Ferry at the river's confluence with the Shenandoah was a precursor to numerous epic battles of the American Civil War in and around the Potomac and its tributaries. General Robert E. Lee crossed the river, thereby invading the North and threatening Washington, D.C. twice in campaigns climaxing in the battles of Antietam and Gettysburg. The Patowmack Canal was intended by George Washington to connect the Tidewater near Georgetown with Cumberland, Maryland. Started in 1785, it was not completed until 1802. Financial troubles closed the canal in 1830. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal operated along the banks of the Potomac in Maryland from 1850 to 1924 and also connected Cumberland to Washington, D.C. This allowed freight to be transported around the rapids known as the Great Falls of the Potomac River, as well as many other, smaller rapids. With increasing mining and agriculture upstream and urban sewage and runoff downstream, the water quality of the Potomac River deteriorated. This created conditions of severe eutrophication. It is said that President Abraham Lincoln used to escape to the highlands on summer nights to escape the river's stench. In the 1960s, with dense green algal blooms covering the river's surface, President Lyndon Johnson declared the river "a national disgrace" and set in motion a long-term effort to reduce sewage pollution and restore the beauty and ecology of this historic river. By the end of the 20th century, there was notable success, as massive algal blooms vanished and recreational fishing and boating rebounded. Still, the aquatic habitat of the Potomac River and its tributaries remain vulnerable to eutrophication, heavy metals, pesticides and other toxic chemicals, over-fishing, alien species, and pathogens associated with Fecal coliform bacteria and shellfish diseases.

North Branch Potomac River

The source of the North Branch Potomac River is at the Fairfax Stone located at the junction of Garrett County in Maryland and Tucker and Preston Counties in West Virginia.

North Branch tributaries

Tributaries are listed in order from the source of the North Branch Potomac River to its mouth.
- Stony River (West Virginia)
- Savage River (Maryland)
- Georges Creek (Maryland)
- New Creek (West Virginia)
- Wills Creek (Maryland)
- Pattersons Creek (West Virginia)

North Branch dams

North Branch bridges

North Branch islands

Longs Island is nearly one mile long and contains the Long family farm, and is known for the corn it produces from the rich river silt laden soil. The island lies in Allegany County, Maryland but can only be accessed from Keyser in Mineral County, West Virginia.

South Branch Potomac River

Mineral County The South Branch Potomac River has its headwaters in northwestern Highland County, Virginia near Hightown along the eastern edge of the Allegheny Front. The mouth of the South Branch lies east of Green Spring in Hampshire County, West Virginia where it meets the North Branch Potomac River to form the Potomac. A topographic map of the confluence of the North and South Branches can be viewed [http://mapserver.maptech.com/homepage/index.cfm?lat=39.52833&lon=-78.58778&scale=25000&type=1&zoom=100&bpid=MAP0060030900%2C1%2C1%2C0&latlontype=DMS&searchscope=dom&CFID=10736808&CFTOKEN=19084588 here].

South Branch nomenclature

Early pioneer sources claim that the indigenous Native Americans of the region referred to the South Branch Potomac River as the Wappatomaka. Other variants of this name throughout the river's history were South Branch of Potowmac River, South Branch of the Potowmac River, South Fork Potomac River, Wapacomo River, Wapocomo River, Wappacoma River, Wappatomaka River, and Wappatomica River. Places settled in the South Branch valley bearing variants of "Wappatomaka" include Wappacoma plantation built in 1773 and the unincorporated hamlet of Wappocomo (sometimes spelled Wapocomo) at Hanging Rocks, both north of Romney on WV 28.

South Branch headwaters and course

The exact location of the South Branch's source is northwest of Hightown along Parkersburg Pike (US 250) on the eastern side of Lantz Mountain (3,934 feet) in Highland County. From Hightown, the South Branch is a small meandering stream that flows northeast along Crab Bottom Road through the communities of New Hampden and Crab Bottom. At Forks of Waters, the South Branch joins with Strait Creek and flows north across the Virginia/West Virginia border into Pendleton County. The river then travels on a northeastern course along the western side of Jack Mountain (4,045 feet), followed by Sandy Ridge (2,297 feet) along US 220. North of the confluence of the South Branch with Smith Creek, the river flows along Town Mountain (2,848 feet) around Franklin at the junction of US 220 and US 33. After Franklin, the South Branch continues north through the Monongahela National Forest to Upper Tract where it joins with three sizeable streams: Reeds Creek, Mill Run, and Deer Run. Between Big Mountain (2,582 feet) and Cave Mountain (2,821 feet), the South Branch bends around the Eagle Rock (1,483 feet) outcrop and continues its flow northward into Grant County. Into Grant, the South Branch follows the western side of Cave Mountain until its confluence with the North Fork at Corners, where it flows east to Petersburg. At Petersburg, the South Branch is joined with the South Branch Valley Railroad, which it parallels until its mouth at Green Spring. In its eastern course from Petersburg into Hardy County, the South Branch becomes more navigable allowing for canoes and smaller river vessels. The river splits and forms a series of large islands while it heads northeast to Moorefield. At Moorefield, the South Branch is joined by the South Fork South Branch Potomac River and runs north to Old Fields where it is fed by Anderson Run and Stony Run. At McNeill, the South Branch flows into the Trough where it is bound to its west by Mill Creek Mountain (2,119 feet) and to its east by Sawmill Ridge (1,644 feet). This area is the habitat to endangered bald eagles. The Trough passes into Hampshire County and ends at its confluence with Sawmill Run south of Glebe and Sector. The South Branch continues north parallel to South Branch River Road (County Route 8) toward Romney with a number of historic plantation farms adjoining it. En route to Romney, the river is fed by Buffalo Run, Mill Run, McDowell Run, and Mill Creek at Vanderlip. The South Branch is traversed by the Northwestern Turnpike (US 50) and joined by Sulphur Spring Run where it forms another island to the west of town. Flowing north of Romney, the river still follows the eastern side of Mill Creek Mountain until it creates a horseshoe bend at Wappocomo's Hanging Rocks around the George W. Washington plantation, Ridgedale. To the west of Three Churches on the western side of South Branch Mountain (3,028 feet), the South Branch creates a series of bends and flows to the northeast by Springfield through Blue's Ford. After another horseshoe bend, the South Branch flows under the old Baltimore and Ohio Railroad mainline between Green Spring and South Branch Depot, and joins the North Branch to form the Potomac.

South Branch tributaries


- Lunice Creek (West Virginia)
- Mill Creek (West Virginia)
- Mill Run (West Virginia)
- North Fork South Branch Potomac River (West Virginia/Virginia)
- South Fork South Branch Potomac River (West Virginia/Virginia)

South Branch bridges

South Branch floattrips

All locations listed below are designated public access sites by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources at their [http://www.wvdnr.gov/Fishing/public_access.asp website]. Access sites are listed from south to north.

North Fork South Branch Potomac River

The North Fork South Branch Potomac River forms just north of the Virginia/West Virginia border in Pendleton County at the confluence of the Laurel Fork and Straight Fork along Big Mountain (3,881 feet). From Circleville, the North Fork flows northeast through Pendleton County between the Fore Knobs (2,949 feet) to its west and the River Knobs (2,490 feet) to its east. At Mouth of Seneca, the North Fork is met by Seneca Creek. From Mouth of Seneca, the North Fork continues to flow northeast along the western edge of North Fork Mountain (3,389 feet) into Grant County. Flowing east through North Fork Gap, the North Fork joins the South Branch Potomac at the town of Corners, west of Petersburg.

North Fork bridges

South Fork South Branch Potomac River

The South Fork South Branch Potomac River forms just south of US 250 in Highland County, Virginia near Liberty and empties into the South Branch Potomac River at Moorefield in Hardy County, West Virginia.

Upper Potomac River

This stretch encompasses the stretch of the Potomac River from the confluence of the North and South Branches to the Great Falls of the Potomac River at Great Falls, Virginia.

Upper Potomac tributaries

Great Falls
- Above the fall-line
  - North Branch Potomac River (Maryland/West Virginia)
  - South Branch Potomac River (West Virginia/Virginia)
  - Little Cacapon River (West Virginia)
    - North Fork Little Cacapon River (West Virginia)
    - South Fork Little Cacapon River (West Virginia)
  - Cacapon River (West Virginia)
    - Capon Springs Run (West Virginia)
    - Dillons Run (West Virginia)
    - Edwards Run (West Virginia)
    - Lost River (West Virginia)
    - North River (West Virginia)
      - Tearcoat Creek (West Virginia)
  - Sleepy Creek (West Virginia/Virginia)
  - Cherry Run (West Virginia)
  - Back Creek (West Virginia/Virginia)
  - Opequon Creek (West Virginia/Virginia)
    - Mill Creek (West Virginia/Virginia)
  - Antietam Creek (Pennsylvania/Maryland)
  - Shenandoah River (West Virginia/Virginia)
    - North Fork Shenandoah River (Virginia)
    - South Fork Shenandoah River (Virginia)
  - Catoctin Creek (Virginia)
  - Catoctin Creek (Maryland)
  - Monocacy River (Maryland)
  - Seneca Creek (Maryland)

Upper Potomac bridges

Tidal Potomac River

The Tidal or Lower Potomac River lies below the Fall Line. This stretch encompasses the Potomac from the Great Falls of the Potomac River to the Chesapeake Bay

Tidal Potomac tributaries


- Rock Creek (DC/Maryland)
- Anacostia River (DC/Maryland)
  - Northwest Branch Anacostia River (Maryland)
    - Sligo Creek (Maryland)
  - Northeast Branch Anacostia River (Maryland)
- Four Mile Run (Virginia)
- Piscataway Creek (Maryland)
- Occoquan River (Virginia)
  - Bull Run (Virginia)
  - Broad Run (Virginia)
  - Cedar Run (Virginia)
- Neabsco Creek (Virginia)
- Mattawoman Creek (Maryland)
- Quantico Creek (Virginia)
- Aquia Creek (Virginia)
- Nanjemoy Creek (Maryland)
- Port Tobacco River (Maryland)
- Wicomico River (Maryland)
- St. Marys River (Maryland)
- Yeocomico River (Virginia)
- Hull Creek (Virginia)

Tidal Potomac bridges

Hull Creek, completed in 1961]]

Cities along the Potomac

For a full listing, see List of cities and towns along the Potomac River.

See also


- List of Maryland rivers
- List of Virginia rivers
- List of West Virginia rivers
- Arakawa River, the Potomac's sister river

External links


- [http://www.potomacriver.org Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB)]
- [http://www.potomac.org Potomac Conservancy]
- [http://www.nps.gov/pohe/ Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail]
- [http://www.potomacriverkeeper.org/ Potomac Riverkeeper]
- [http://www.potomacwatershed.net/ Potomac Watershed Partnership]
- [http://www.potomacroundtable.org/ Potomac Watershed Roundtable]
- [http://www.pwconserve.org Prince William Conservation Alliance]
- [http://www.potomacstewards.org/ Stewards of the Potomac Highlands]
- [http://www.wvdnr.gov/Fishing/Fishing.shtm West Virginia Division of Natural Resources] Category:Chesapeake Bay Watershed Category:Potomac River Watershed Category:Geography of West Virginia Category:Geography of the District of Columbia Category:Geography of Maryland Category:Geography of Virginia Category:Rivers of the District of Columbia Category:Rivers of Maryland Category:Rivers of Virginia Category:Rivers of West Virginia ja:ポトマック川

1674

Events


- February 19 - England and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Westminster. A provision of the agreement transfers the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam to England, which renamed it New York
- May 21 - John Sobieski is elected by the nobility to be the King of Poland.
- June 6 - Shivaji is crowned King of the Maratha lands.
- August 11 - The French army under Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé defeated the Dutch-Spanish-Austrian army under William III of Orange at Seneffe.
- November 10 - Anglo-Dutch War: As provided in the Treaty of Westminster of Feb 19, Netherlands cedes New Netherlands to England.
- December 4 - Father Jacques Marquette founds a mission on the shores of Lake Michigan to minister to the Illinois Indians (the mission would later grow into the city of Chicago, Illinois).

Births


- January 15 - Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon, French writer (d. 1762)
- January 24 - Thomas Tanner, English bishop and antiquarian (d. 1735)
- July 12 - Abigail Williams, American accuser in the Salem witch trials (d. 1765)
- July 17 - Isaac Watts, English hymnist (d. 1748)
- August 2 - Philip II, Duke of Orléans, regent of France (d. 1723)
- August 9 - František Maxmilián Kaňka, Czech architect (d. 1766)
- December 25 - Thomas Halyburton, Scottish theologian (d. 1712)

Deaths


- January 12 - Giacomo Carissimi Italian composer (b. 1605)
- February 22 - Jean Chapelain, French writer (b. 1595)
- February 24 - Matthias Weckmann, German composer (b. 1616)
- March 8 - Charles Sorel, sieur de Souvigny, French writer (b. 1597)
- June 14 - Marin le Roy de Gomberville, French writer (b. 1600)
- July 2 - Eberhard III, Duke of Württemberg (b. 1614)
- August 12 - Philippe de Champaigne, French painter (b. 1602)
- October - Robert Herrick, English poet (b. 1591)
- October 10 - Thomas Traherne, English poet
- October 22 - Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, Dutch painter (b. 1621)
- October 27 - Hallgrímur Pétursson, Icelandic poet (b. 1614)
- November 8 - John Milton, English poet (b. 1608)
- December 9 - Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, English statesman and historian (b. 1609) Category:1674 ko:1674년

1743

Events


- February 14 - Henry Pelham becomes British Prime Minister
- February 21 - - The premiere in London of George Frideric Handel's oratorio, Samson.
- September 13 - Treaty of Worms (1743) - a treaty between Great Britain, Austria and Sardinia
- Battle of Dettingen

Ongoing events


- War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748)

Births


- January 25 - Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi, German philosopher (d. 1819)
- February 13 - Sir Joseph Banks, British naturalist and botanist (d. 1820)
- February 19 - Luigi Boccherini, Italian composer (d. 1805)
- February 23 - Mayer Amschel Rothschild, German-born banker (d. 1812)
- March 4 - Johann David Wyss, Swiss author (d. 1818)
- April 13 - Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States (d. 1826)
- May 17 - Seth Warner American revolutionary hero (d. 1784)
- August 26 - Antoine Lavoisier, French chemist (d. 1794)
- September 11 - Nikolaj Abraham Abildgaard, Danish painter (d. 1809)
- September 17 - Marquis de Condorcet, French mathematician, philosopher, and political scientist (d. 1794)
- José Fernando de Abascal, Spanish viceroy of Peru

Deaths


- January 29 - Cardinal André-Hercule de Fleury, Bishop of Fréjus, chief minister of France under Louis XV (b. 1653)
- January 29 - Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint-Pierre, French writer (b. 1658)
- February 18 - Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, last of the Medicis (b. 1667)
- April 4 - Daniel Neal, English historian (b. 1678)
- July 2 - Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington, English statesman
- August 5 - John Hervey, Lord Hervey, English statesman and writer (b. 1696)
- September 14 - Nicolas Lancret, French painter (b. 1690)
- September 21 - Jai Singh II, King of Amber-Juiper, India (b. 1688)
- October 4 - John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, Scottish soldier (b. 1678)
- December 27 - Hyacinthe Rigaud, French painter (b. 1659) Category:1743 ko:1743년

Lawrence Washington

Major Lawrence Washington (1659-1698) was the grandfather of George Washington. Another Lawrence Washington (1718-1752) was George Washington's half-brother and mentor. On Lawrence's death, George inherited his estate at Mount Vernon, which Lawrence had named in honour British admiral Edward Vernon, with whom Lawrence had served. Washington, Lawrence Washington, Lawrence Washington, Lawrence

Edward Vernon

Edward Vernon ("Old Grog") (1684–1757) was a English naval officer. In the War of the Spanish Succession he served at the Battle of Malaga in 1704 and at the Battle of Barcelona in 1705. In the War of Jenkin's Ear in 1739 he commanded a fleet that captured the Spanish colonial possession of Porto Bello (now in Panama), and unsuccessfully attacked Cartagena de Indias in Neuva Granada (now Colombia). His enduring claim to fame was his 1740 order that his sailors' rum should be diluted with water. The rest of the Royal Navy rapidly followed his lead, calling the new drink "grog" after Vernon's nickname. (second version, to merge) Admiral Edward Vernon (1684-1757), Port Royal Commodore and Admiral of the White, became a hero in England on his capture of Porto Bello in Panama at the start of the War of Jenkin's Ear against the Spanish in November 1739. Vernon was the commodore of Port Royal in Jamaica in 1720 and Naval Commander in Chief of all His Majesty's ships in the West Indies from 1739 to 1742. The Portobello areas in both London and Dublin are named for Vernon's victory, and "Rule Britannia" was composed by Thomas Arne during the celebratory frenzy of 1740. However Vernon's reputation was later damaged by the repulsion of his invasion force of 23 600 men and 186 ships by the Spanish colonial defenders of Cartagena de Indias of just 3000 men and 6 ships in 1741. George Washington's half-brother, Lawrence Washington, had served on Vernon's flagship as a Captain of the Marines in 1741 and named his estate Mount Vernon in honour of his impressive commander but, despite his heroic status, Vernon's fiery and difficult temper lead to fractious relationships with various governors of Jamaica, and with his navy superiors, and he was ultimately dismissed from the Royal Navy in 1746. His nickname was 'Old Grog'. Vernon, Edward Vernon, Edward Vernon, Edward

West Indies

The Caribbean, (Spanish: Caribe) or the West Indies, is a group of islands and countries which are in or border the Caribbean Sea which lies on the Caribbean Plate. The countries and islands of the Caribbean are located to the south and east of Mexico and to the north and west of Venezuela, South America. There are at least 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cayes in the region. They are organized into 25 territories including sovereign states, overseas departments, and dependencies. The name "West Indies" originates from Christopher Columbus' idea that he had landed in the Indies (then meaning all of south and east Asia) when he had in fact reached the Americas. The name "Caribbean" is named after the Caribs, one of the dominant Amerindian groups in the region at the time of European contact. The Caribbean consists of the Greater and Lesser Antilles, and is often considered part of North America. At one time, there was a short-lived country called the Federation of the West Indies composed of the English-speaking Caribbean islands of the region. The Caribbean area is also famous for its sea pirates. See the article piracy in the Caribbean. The region known as "Caribbean" is usually restricted to the islands of the Caribbean Sea, although sometimes the continental American coastline is included.

Historical groupings

Main article: History of the Caribbean Most islands at some point were, or still are, colonies of European nations:
- British West Indies / Anglophone_Caribbean - Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands
- Danish West Indies - present-day