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By 1775, the Washingtons had spent 16 years building their home. GW was prominent in both local and colonial politics and they had formed a partnership reflected in the management of their estate. In 1775, George Washington left Mount Vernon to attend the 2nd Continental Congress. There he was offered command of the American Army. He accepted; and before he left for Massachusetts to join the army, he wrote to his wife on June 18, 1775 to relate the news of his appointment.

Sometime in the first half of October of 1775, despite the dangers of travel, Martha Washington traveled to Cambridge Massachusetts to spend time with her husband at the army's winter quarters. When she reached Massachusetts she experienced the horrors of war for the first time. Writing to a friend, she said:

"…some days we have a number of canon and shells from Boston and Bunkers Hill, but it does not seem to surprise any one but me; I confess I shudder every time I hear the sound of a gun - I have been to dinner with two of the Generals, [Charles] Lee and [Israel] Putnam and I just took a look at pore Boston & Charlestown - from prospect Hill Charlestown has only a few chimneys standing in it, thare seems to be a number of very fine Buildings in Boston but god knows how long they will stand; they are pulling up all the warfs for firewood - to me that never see any thing of war, the preparations, are very terable indeed, but I endever to keep my fears to myself as well as I can."

From that first winter in Cambridge, to subsequent winters in Morristown, Philadelphia, Valley Forge, and Newburg, Mrs. Washington was always there for her husband and for the troops. Not only did she undertake the perilous journeys each winter, but she braved a small pox inoculation to be with her husband. Years later, she would proudly relate that,

"she heard the first cannon on the opening, and the last at the close of the campaigns of the Revolutionary war."

While in camp with her husband, she entertained visiting diplomats and the wives of fellow officers, assisted with secretarial duties, and brightened her husband's existence. One of his generals made the comment to his own wife that,

"Mrs. Washington is excessively fond of the General and he of her. They are very happy in each other."

Her efforts to help the soldiers of her husband's army went public in 1780, when she became the public face in a campaign to raise money to supply the troops with badly needed supplies. In a smaller way, but like her husband, Martha Washington also became a symbol for her country: children were named after her, at least two ships bore her name, and an engraved portrait of her was produced for sale.

Much of the happiness of the military victory over the British at Yorktown in 1781, however, was drowned out by the loss of her only remaining child, Jacky, who died at Yorktown of camp fever at the age of 27. Now she had lost both of her children. Jacky, however, left her four grandchildren to focus her attention on.

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After the war the Washingtons were eagerly anticipating spending their time in peaceful retirement with family and friends. Although theoretically retired, George Washington was now internationally famous; and the Washingtons found themselves hosting hundreds of guests each year, who came from all over the country and the world to meet this great man. These guests ranged from visiting family members and friends, to individuals who arrived with a letter of introduction from a mutual friend, and finally to others who just wanted to be able to brag that they had met George Washington. Although, their presence dramatically increased Mrs. Washington's workload, she always greeted these guests with gracious hospitality.

The next six years were another happy period at Mount Vernon, when the Washingtons were raising Martha's two youngest grandchildren, Eleanor (Nelly) Parke Custis (1779-1852) and George Washington ("Washy") Parke Custis (1781 - 1857). Both Martha and George Washington loved having children in the house.