Mount Vernon Blog

Boiling, Baking, and Curling 18th-Century Wigs

Tuesday, October 09, 2018

by Sean Devlin, Curator of Archaeological Collections Excavated from the South Grove, these five objects offer an interesting chance to explore eighteenth century life and how archaeologists attempt to learn more about it through material evidence. In this discussion, I want to walk you through how archaeologists approach interpreting artifacts. Step…

"On December 15, 1795, the Senate administered a stinging blow to one of the nation's most distinguished "founding fathers." By a vote of 10 to 14, it rejected President George Washington's nomination of South Carolina's John Rutledge to be Chief Justice of the United States." From the United States Senate Click to read the full article

Why Make Wine in Virginia?

Thursday, October 04, 2018

For more than 20 years, Mount Vernon has hosted a wine festival to celebrate the rich tradition of Virginia wine. Since the first colonists arrived, viticulturists—or grape growers—struggled to grow wine grapes on Virginian soil. Even skilled agriculturalists George Washington and Thomas Jefferson tried and failed many times to grow wine grapes at their…

Mary Ball Washington's Battle with Breast Cancer

Monday, October 01, 2018

by Mary V. Thompson In the spring of 1787, as George Washington was preparing to leave Mount Vernon to attend the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, an express rider arrived, carrying an emergency summons to Fredericksburg, Virginia. In telling a friend about his change of plans, Washington noted that “not a moment is to be lost,” because his…

Why the Washington Library Matters

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

by Kevin Butterfield, Executive Director of the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington I am passionate about the story of the American Founding. I cannot imagine a fictional story with more drama and unpredictability, tragedy and triumph, complexity and openness to diverse interpretations, or with a more fascinating cast…

More than Reconstruction

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Throughout the summer, volunteer boat builders from the Alexandria Seaport Foundation have been constructing two punts at Mount Vernon’s Pioneer Farm. These small boats resemble a punt built by Sambo Anderson, an enslaved carpenter at Mount Vernon. As the team worked, they interacted with guests and taught them about the construction process, Anderson…

A Teacher’s Perspective: George Washington and the Principles of the Constitution

Monday, September 10, 2018

By Sean Brennan, American Government teacher, Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School in Broadview Heights, OH My involvement in the George Washington Teacher Institute Residential Program has had a dramatic impact on my teaching and my students’ achievement. Learning from top scholars at the home of the Father of our Country was truly inspiring…

5 Major Updates to Our Audio Tours

Friday, September 07, 2018

Mount Vernon’s audio tours received a much-needed update, and the new version launches September 7. Here are the highlights of the new version: 1. New stops, no order Visitors previously selected an audio tour that guided them on a prescribed path to a limited number of stops. The new version includes 29 stops, and visitors can select which stops…

Running and Fifing

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

On the grounds of Mount Vernon, the whistle of a fife signals Don Francisco is near. As Mount Vernon's Resident Fifer and a history interpreter, Don educates visitors about the role of fife and drum music in the American Revolution, as well as entertaining guests with musical renditions of pop tunes and fight songs. Once a year, he changes his pace…

Have you heard about our podcast?

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Scholars, authors, speakers, professors, and other top academics conduct research at the Washington Library on a daily basis. Two years ago, then-director of the Library Doug Bradburn started Conversations at the Washington Library to engage these visiting researchers and fellows, sharing their work with a wider audience. In recent episodes, the podcast…