Open 365 days a year, Mount Vernon is located just 15 miles south of Washington DC.
From the mansion to lush gardens and grounds, intriguing museum galleries, immersive programs, and the distillery and gristmill. Spend the day with us!
Discover what made Washington "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen".
The Mount Vernon Ladies Association has been maintaining the Mount Vernon Estate since they acquired it from the Washington family in 1858.
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The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only.
This DBQ style lesson asks students to use multiple primary and secondary sources from the 18th-21st centuries to evaluate the statement: Americans feel that those in positions of authority tend to be tyrannical and unjust. This lesson was created by 2016-2017 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Michael Ellis.
View Lesson PlanThe primary documents in this activity depict the apotheosis of Washington through visual and text-based primary sources. Students have an opportunity to analyze and compare different types of primary sources to better understand the ways in which Washington was characterized after his death. Reflective practice on a historical figure’s legacy provides context and periodization for historical practice.
View Lesson PlanThis lesson was created to be used with Mount Vernon's Be Washington interactive experience. Students will analyze advice given to President George Washington during the Genet Affair crisis in 1794 through the use of primary and secondary sources.
View Lesson PlanThis lesson was created to be used with Mount Vernon's Be Washington interactive experience. Students will analyze advice given to General George Washington during the Newburgh Conspiracy crisis in 1783 through the use of primary and secondary sources.
View Lesson PlanThis lesson was created to be used with Mount Vernon's Be Washington interactive experience. Students will analyze advice given to President George Washington during the Battle of Second Trenton in 1777 through the use of primary and secondary sources.
View Lesson PlanThis lesson was created to be used with Mount Vernon's Be Washington interactive experience. Students will analyze advice given to President George Washington during the Whiskey Rebellion crisis in 1794 through the use of primary and secondary sources.
View Lesson PlanThis lesson draws a connection between George Washington’s establishment of the two-term precedent for the presidency and Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s breaking of that precedent nearly 150 years later. In this lesson, students will analyze multiple primary and secondary sources, both collaboratively and independently. Discussion and debate is a large focus of this lesson. Students will make interdisciplinary connections between history and government/civics. This resource was created by 2013-2014 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Hannah Markwardt.
View Lesson PlanIn this lesson, students are asked to use Article 1 and Article 2 of the Constitution and George Washington's notes on his personal copy of the document to create a job description for the President of the United States in 1787.
View Lesson PlanA lesson plan that encourages students to analyze and use evidence from diverse sources to act as curators and create an interpretation plan for the Greenhouse Slave Quarters at Mount Vernon.
View Lesson PlanA primary source worksheet for students focused on close reading skills. Students are asked to read and analyze an obituary for Martha Washington printed in the Augusta Herald on June 9, 1802. This resource was created by 2015-2016 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Marcia Motter.
View Lesson PlanA lesson plan that draws a connection between the threat of smallpox during the Revolutionary War and the influenza pandemic during World War I. In this lesson, students will utilize educational technology to consult primary, secondary, and tertiary sources in the completion of a webquest. Writing across the curriculum is a large focus of this lesson. Students will make interdisciplinary connections between history and science (specifically biology). This resource was created by 2013-2014 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Hannah Markwardt.
View Lesson PlanA lesson plan that facilitates discussion amongst students about the challenges George Washington faced as the first President of the United States.
View Lesson PlanThis lesson examines George Washington's advice in his Farewell Address in order to understand the context and rationale for it. Students are asked to create their own farewell address that offers advice to students in next year's class, specifically referencing a growth mindset. This lesson was created by 2016-2017 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Joanne Howard.
View Lesson PlanThis DBQ style lesson asks students to use multiple primary and secondary sources to evaluate if the Southern secession movement in the 19th century was an extension of the ideals of the American Revolution. This lesson was created by 2016-2017 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Michael Ellis.
View Lesson PlanA lesson focused on George Washington’s character and civic virtues. Students examine the connection between these virtues and fostering a democratic and free society in the United States.
View Lesson PlanA lesson asking students to investigate and analyze the historical context of the Revolutionary War song, Yankee Doodle. As a culminating activity, students are asked to create their own additional verses about George Washington to the tune of the song.
View Lesson PlanIn this psychology lesson, students look at short primary and secondary source excerpts in order to determine how different psychologists (Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Albert Bandura, and any trait theorist) might discuss the personality of George Washington. This resource was created by 2015-2016 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Kelsey Snyder.
View Lesson PlanThis classroom resource directly supports the video A More Perfect Union: George Washington and the Making of the Constitution. Use this reference sheet to draw attention to evidence on the state of the government under the Articles of Confederation using George Washington's own words.
View Lesson PlanA lesson that uses George Washington’s list of enslaved people from 1799 to reveal him as a meticulous businessman and slave owner. Students will explore information related to the institution of slavery in the 18th century.
View Lesson PlanA lesson that asks students to connect George Washington’s Farewell Address to later presidential foreign policy messages. As a group, the class will discuss the influence Washington’s message had on the nation and posterity. Working in groups, students investigate excerpts from later presidential foreign policy messages and compare and contrast these with Washington’s Farewell Address. A Socratic Seminar analyzing past U.S. foreign policy also asks students to chart a course for future U.S. foreign policy.
View Lesson PlanA primary source worksheet for students focused on close reading skills. Students are asked to use historical thinking skills to source an excerpt from George Washington's 1789 letter to Henry Knox about accepting the presidency. This resource was created by 2015-2016 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Marcia Motter.
View Lesson PlanA lesson that asks students to examine document-based evidence related to George Washington and slavery. Students are asked to use evidence to write an essay that answers the essential question: What were George Washington’s views on slavery?
View Lesson PlanAn inquiry-based module that provides primary and secondary sources to help students answer the question: Why was ice cream an exclusive treat at Mount Vernon long ago? Using a familiar sweet treat as an entry point, students research and analyze the lives of enslaved individuals, as well as the specialized skills and objects that went into serving a single dish of ice cream. Source materials include farm reports, material culture objects, rooms, maps, and biographies. This project was developed in partnership with McGraw Hill Education.
View Lesson PlanA primary source worksheet for students focused on close reading skills. Students are asked to read and analyze George Washington's diary entry from April 16, 1789, the day he left Mount Vernon for his inauguration in New York City. This resource was created by 2015-2016 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Marcia Motter.
View Lesson PlanA series of lesson plans that uses Martha Washington as a case study to integrate women's history into the events of the American Revolution and the New Nation historical eras. This lesson was created by 2017-2018 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Bonnie Belshe.
View Lesson PlanA primary source worksheet for students focused on close reading skills. Students are asked to read and analyze an advertisement George Washington wrote after his report to Governor Dinwiddie was published in 1754. This resource was created by 2015-2016 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Marcia Motter.
View Lesson PlanA lesson plan that uses rules from the Rules for Civility and Decent Behavior to establish a context for behavior and social expectations in George Washington’s time and creates best behavior practices for present-day classrooms and communities.
View Lesson PlanA lesson that engages students in an in-depth study of the manners and mores of late 18th century America. Students explore the personal rules of decorum by which George Washington lived and compare and contrast these to the rules they live by today.
View Lesson PlanA primary source worksheet for students focused on close reading skills. Students are asked to use historical thinking skills to source a map of George Washington's five farms. This resource was created by 2015-2016 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Marcia Motter.
View Lesson PlanA primary source worksheet for students focused on close reading skills. Students are asked to read and analyze a letter written by Martha Washington to her nephew John Dandridge about the presidency. This resource was created by 2015-2016 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Marcia Motter.
View Lesson PlanA lesson that uses the weekly news show “Meet the Press” as a model for engaging students using primary sources. Students portray George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the current President of the United States in a television interview. Students will develop answers to the host’s questions through primary sources research and current news articles.
View Lesson PlanA lesson that draws attention to the continued importance of the legacy of George Washington in the midst of the Civil War. In this lesson, students practice map skills and analyze primary source documents in order to develop a historical argument and make interdisciplinary connections between history and geography. This resource was created by 2013-2014 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Hannah Markwardt.
View Lesson PlanThis DBQ style lesson asks students to use multiple primary and secondary sources to evaluate the statement: Ideals and moral concerns regarding human equality and the evils of slavery espoused over the course of the Founding Era were impossible to carry out and enforce due to the economic necessity and racial dynamics of slavery. This lesson was created by 2016-2017 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Michael Ellis.
View Lesson PlanA lesson that explores the creation of the Purple Heart military decoration, known during the American Revolution as the Badge of Military Merit. Students explore the historical and modern significance of this award created by George Washington.
View Lesson PlanA primary source worksheet for students focused on close reading skills. Students compare how both George and Martha Washington felt about General Washington becoming the first President of the United States. This lesson builds on the George Washington's Letter to Henry Knox about the Presidency and Martha Washington's Letter about the Presidency worksheets which should be completed prior to beginning this worksheet. This resource was created by 2015-2016 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Marcia Motter.
View Lesson PlanThis DBQ style lesson asks students to use multiple primary and secondary sources to evaluate the statement: Non-violent opposition proved to be the most productive method of effecting change during the Revolutionary Era in America. This lesson was created by 2016-2017 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Michael Ellis.
View Lesson PlanA primary source worksheet for students focused on close reading skills. Students are asked to rank ten modern rules of civility alone and in small groups before completing a short activity sourcing and rephrasing George Washington's version of the Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior. This resource was created by 2015-2016 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Marcia Motter.
View Lesson PlanA worksheet encouraging students to read and source a newspaper article reporting on a celebration of George Washington's birthday from the Massachusetts Gazette from 1787.
View Lesson PlanA lesson that draws a connection between the realpolitik practiced during the Nixon administration and George Washington’s foreign policy practices. Students explore the application of modern foreign policy styles to 18th-century diplomatic situations and make interdisciplinary connections between history and government/civics. This resource was created by 2013-2014 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Hannah Markwardt.
View Lesson PlanMount Vernon’s Primary Source Sets contain documents, maps, objects, and images all related to a given theme. Each primary source includes a brief background for students and supporting content for instruction (additional background information, discussion questions, activity suggestions, and resources). Supporting content is available as one complete document for teachers. Use these sets as a whole collection, in small groups or pairs, or individually depending on classroom needs.
View Lesson PlanA primary source worksheet for students focused on close reading skills. Students are asked to read and analyze George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789. This resource was created by 2015-2016 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Marcia Motter.
View Lesson PlanThis DBQ style lesson asks students to use multiple primary and secondary sources to evaluate the statement: George Washington was a stern and unknowable man, always in complete control, with little tolerance for sentimentality or familiarity. This lesson was created by 2016-2017 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Michael Ellis.
View Lesson PlanA primary source worksheet for students focused on close reading skills. Students are asked to read and analyze George Washington's letter to his brother John Washington written after Braddock's defeat in 1755. This resource was created by 2015-2016 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Marcia Motter.
View Lesson PlanA primary source worksheet for students focused on close reading skills. Students are asked to read and analyze a section of George Washington's 1799 Will and Testament concerning the freedom of his enslaved manservant William "Billy" Lee. This resource was created by 2015-2016 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Marcia Motter.
View Lesson PlanA primary source worksheet for students focused on close reading skills. Students are asked to read and analyze a section of George Washington's 1799 Will and Testament concerning the creation of a national university. This resource was created by 2015-2016 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Marcia Motter.
View Lesson PlanA lesson exploring George Washington’s leadership and character as commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary War. Students analyze primary source documents and images to examine the relationships between George Washington and his generals during the American Revolution. A short research project focused on a Revolutionary War military leader challenges students to examine leadership characteristics.
View Lesson PlanA lesson challenging students to analyze primary and secondary sources to answer the question How many enslaved individuals named Grace, Isaac, and Suckey were there at Mount Vernon from 1750-1799? Using information available to researchers and scholars at the Washington Library, students become historians as they work to answer a question that has no definitive answer. As an optional extension, students can create a biography about one of the individuals identified in their research.
View Lesson PlanA lesson that encourages students to actively develop their own conclusions, rather than passively absorbing ideas generated by the media or other outside influences. Students use systematic analytical methods to compare past presidents to current or future presidents and to create their own research-based ranking system to compare presidents.
View Lesson PlanA lesson plan to help students gain an understanding of the lives of the enslaved people on Mount Vernon. The students will use a primary source document, entitled the French’s Slave Census 1799, to research an enslaved individual in order to answer questions and write an introduction about the person. This lesson was created by 2017-2018 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Donella Smither.
View Lesson PlanThis DBQ style lesson asks students to use multiple primary and secondary sources to support the historian Joseph Ellis’ statement: Instead of going to college, Washington went to war. And the kind of education he received…left scars that never went away, as well as immunities against any and all forms of youthful idealism. This lesson was created by 2016-2017 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Michael Ellis.
View Lesson PlanA graphic organizer to help guide upper elementary students in analyzing and evaluating secondary source material as historic resources. This worksheet was created to accompany Mount Vernon's animated presentation Yorktown: Now or Never.
View Lesson PlanA graphic organizer to help guide middle school students in analyzing and evaluating secondary source material as historic resources. This worksheet was created to accompany Mount Vernon's animated presentation Yorktown: Now or Never.
View Lesson PlanA graphic organizer to help guide high school students in analyzing and evaluating secondary source material as historic resources. This worksheet was created to accompany Mount Vernon's animated presentation Yorktown: Now or Never.
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