Why is George Washington considered our greatest president? Mount Vernon is a perfect example of his sacrifice to country over personal gain. “The General,” as he’s called at Mount Vernon, barely saw it for 15 years because of the Revolutionary War and presidency. Yet, he always yearned to return. Washington saw growing his plantation as parallel to our nation’s rise while his views on slavery predicted its eventual ending nearly 70 years before its official demise. 

We’ll also discuss a sometimes-overlooked role by Martha Washington, who was every bit her husband’s equal and partner in a time when few women were. If George wasn’t listening, the diminutive Martha was known to grab his collar to pull him down to her 4-feet-11 level. 

Finally, Washington’s agricultural influence was substantial in the colonies as the first planter to abandon tobacco while adopting crop rotation and even building a green house.

I'm a lifelong storyteller as a newspaper journalist of 42 years and a licensed tour guide for 10 years. I often take students on a walking tour of the grounds so I'm used to making it fun to hear. 

I grew up across the river from Mount Vernon and first visited in the 1960s. So, there’s not a corner of the property I haven’t seen. I enjoy telling the stories of “The General,” including those of his false teeth that are in the museum. 

I teach Lincoln assassination and George Washington’s Mount Vernon classes, but look for more Washington-based history lessons coming soon. 

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We'll have a quiz near the end of class to ensure basic points are covered. 
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