A day at George Washington's Mount Vernon would be pretty neat for a colonial period study of the United States, don't you think? So that's exactly where we took our history lesson today - on the road.
Mom and I took the kids to Mount Vernon and had an incredibly fun day. At the beginning of our visit we were told about the 6 week old pigs that were a must see. And see we did . . . after walking all over the grounds searching for them. People weren't very good at giving directions when trails don't have exact names, ie. "trail that passes by the apple trees." It all turned out alright though. Because in the end we had seen all that there was to see at Mount Vernon. So for that ... thanks little pigs for leading us on a wild goose pig chase. :)
Here are a dozen things we learned while at Mount Vernon:
1. George Washington wanted his mansion to be handsome and impressive and look like white stone. But stone was very expensive, so Washington had the outside made of long wood boards that were chiseled into the shape of stones. Then the boards were whitewashed with paint containing course sand to make them appear and feel like limestone.
2. George Washington did have false teeth, but they were not made of wood. In fact, his false teeth were probably more uncomfortable than wood. In one set of false teeth, his dentist used a cow’s tooth, one of Washington’s own teeth, hippopotamus ivory, metal, and springs.
3. One of George Washington's favorite foods was fish caught in the Potomac River that ran in front of Mount Vernon. In the springtime when many fish swam upstream, slaves would catch the fish (mostly shad and herring) using large nets. They might catch as many as one million fish in a 6 week period!
4. Even though wigs were fashionable at the time, Washington kept his own hair, which he wore long and tied back in a queue, or ponytail. He did, however, powder his hair as was the custom of the time.
5. The last thing George Washington added to his Mount Vernon mansion was a cupola on top of the roof. Because hot air rises, he would open the cupola's windows in the summer to let the heat out.
6. In Washington's time everything had to be written by hand. George Washington wrote hundreds of letters and kept records on everything that happened on his farm. His hired clerk helped him with all of his writing. The clerk would copy things carefully, and Washington would sign the final letter. Because of the urgency of many documents the clerk's quarters on the estate were conveniently located near Washington's office so that he could quickly get to him.
7. George Washington inherited Mount Vernon upon the death of his older half-brother Lawrence. He lived at Mount Vernon from 1754 until his death in 1799. He enlarged the house and expanded the estate from 2100 acres to 8000 acres.
7. Before the Revolutionary War, Washington switched his cash crop from tobacco to wheat. He knew wheat didn't deplete the soil as quickly as tobacco and it had economic advantages as well. Because the British did not tax and regulate the sale of wheat as closely as tobacco Washington had a larger market in which to sell his wheat. A major advantage to growing wheat also was that if the market were bad, the crop could be used to feed the Washington family, slaves, and livestock.
8. George Washington also used a method to conserve his soil and improve long-term productivity with a seven-year crop rotation schedule. Washington and other farmers of his time believed that by rotating crops, their fields would not become "exhausted" or the soil depleted of nourishment.
9. George Washington had no biological children of his own, but he helped raise Martha's two children (John and Patsy) from her previous marriage and informally adopted her two grandchildren (Nelly and Wash) after their fathers' passing.
10. Washington had 300 slaves. In his will he granted them all freedom.
11. Martha Washington loved George dearly. She journeyed to be with him on the battlefield when he served in the Continental Army. She even spent the 1777-1778 winter with him at Valley Forge.
12. It appears that George Washington actually didn't chop down a cherry tree after all.
Mount Vernon taught us much about life in the 1700's on a large estate. Olivia's favorite part of the visit was the walking tour through the mansion and seeing the kitchen. Isaac's highlight was visiting the children's hands-on history room where he was able to play with George Washington (a doll) in a large replica of Mount Vernon and dress up like a colonist. Joshua was thrilled to be outside all day and seeing all of the farm animals. Mom and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the kids enjoy a history lesson through a field trip excursion. There are such rich history lessons like the one we had today to experience in life. And even if you go a wild goose pig chase, no part of the experience is ever wasted. :)
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Parts of information from www.mountvernon.org
