Mount Vernon is privately owned and will remain open in the case of a government shutdown.
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.
Need help with homework? Our Digital Encyclopedia has all of the answers students and teachers need.
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 PlanThis DBQ style lesson asks students to use multiple primary source objects from Mount Vernon’s collection to explore the concept of ownership and what it can tell them about enslaved people in the 18th century. This lesson was created by 2016-2017 Life Guard Teacher Fellow Michael Ellis.
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 PlanThis lesson examines the views that a young George Washington had towards Native Americans as he traveled the “Ohio Country.” Students are asked to critically analyze and evaluate the views of George Washington through his various diary entries and letters from 1748-1754.
View Lesson PlanThis lesson begins with George Washington’s letter to James Duane. In it, Washington outlines his ideas for a Native American Policy. Next, students are placed in the role of Native Americans living within the boundaries of a newly created United States under the Articles of Confederation by critically analyzing two peace treaties from 1784 and 1785, and are asked, “What’s the Deal?”
View Lesson PlanThis lesson takes students through President George Washington’s first years as President as he and Secretary of War Henry Knox craft the first president’s Native American Policy. Students are asked to critically analyze President Washington’s policies and the tangible symbols of those policies, the peace medals.
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 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 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 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 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 PlanIn this post- distance learning program activity, students will use primary source objects, places, and documents to investigate different ways members of the enslaved community took agency over their lives while living in bondage. Students will learn about enslaved life at Mount Vernon, explore multiple perspectives, and contextualize history within a larger narrative.
View Lesson PlanStudents will examine excerpts from different primary source documents to understand the importance that Washington placed on being proactive about personal health. After the examination, students will create their own health diaries, like Washington.
View Lesson PlanA post- distance learning program activity for your classroom that uses Washington's library collection to understand his personal research and interest. Students will identify different subjects within his collection and compare them to the subjects studied within their own classrooms today.
View Lesson PlanA post-distance learning program activity where students will explore three different Washington-owned chairs to explore different ways technology was used to solve problems in the 18th century. Students will explore simple designs, analyze the technology used, and compare them to modern inventions that make life easier today.
View Lesson Plan