Martha Washington Bio

Martha Washington


Martha was born June 2, 1731 near Williamsburg, Virginia. At the age of eighteen, Martha was married to Daniel Parke Custis. He was wealthy, handsome and twenty years older than her. Martha set up housekeeping on the Custis plantation, while her husband managed the estate which encompassed over 17,000 acres.

Her husband adored his young, pretty bride and pampered her with the finest clothes and gifts imported from England. They had four children, two died in infancy.

John Parke, called "Jacky" and Martha, called "Patsy" were their two surviving children. In 1757, when Martha was twenty-six, Daniel Parke Custis died after a brief illness. Jacky was three and Patsy was less than a year old.

Sometime later, Martha met a young colonel (several months younger than her) in the Virginia Militia at a cotillion in Williamsburg. This young colonel fought for the British in the French and Indian War. His desire was to become a commissioned officer in the Royal Army, but the British never considered it. His name was George Washington. (shylo10.blogspot.com)

Martha fell in love and George found her quite attractive. That she had a good disposition and inherited wealth were an added bonus to the relationship. He had had a crush on a pretty neighbor, Sally Fairfax, but when she married another, he knew he must find a suitable wife for himself. So then George chose Martha and they got married in 1759. (shylo10.blogspot.com) They lived a prosperous and happy life at Washington's Mount Vernon estate in the state of Virginia.

Martha Washington had alot of recognition for being George Washington’s wife. However she didnt get alot of have alot of recognition in her own right. George Washington is very famous because first of all, he was the first president of the United States and secondly he lead us to win the Revolutionary War with Britain. Some of the things she should have been recognition a out are that she was so committed with her family, because she always supports George and she goes with him to the battle fields some times. She has supported the needy. She supported education for girls. One of her quotes was that dependence was "Wretched State."

Martha and George Washington had no children together, but together they raised Martha's two surviving children. Martha followed Washington into the battlefield when he served as Commander in Chief.

Martha Washington and her husband both died at Mount Vernon. George Washington was inaugurated president on April 30, 1789. As the wife of the president, Martha lived with her husband and grandchildren Nelly and Wash in Philadelphia until they returned to Mount Vernon on March 15, 1797. George Washington at Mount Vernon December 14, 1799. Martha was widowed for two and one-half years until she, too, died of a severe fever at Mount Vernon on May 22, 1802.They both died at their Mount Vernon home.

Martha Washington was one of the few womans at this time with Abigail Adams (britza2010.blogspot.com), Sarah Franklin Bache (campingqueen.blogspot.com) , Betsy Ross amyamm.blogspot.com, And Deborah Samson (punkysblogger.blogspot.com). Also Martha was the first wife of a first president. Some of the first people working with the government are George Washington(President), John Adams (Vice President)(zackstudies.blogspot.com), Thomas Jefferson (Secretary of State) (historyamg.blogspot.com), Alexander Hamilton (Secretary of Treasury) (marie2010.bogspot.com), Henry Knox (Secretary of War) (brittany92nokomis.blogspot.com), and Edmund Randolph (Attorney General).



http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/mw1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Washington
http://www.history.org/Almanack/people/bios/biomwash.cfm