Martha Washington First Lady Essay

First Lady means any woman who was married to a President before, during, or after his term of office. People often have an assumption that being a First Lady means sitting around, dressing in fine clothing, wearing imported shoes or known for using every branded things from any parts of the world. But they are not, they are special people and being the first lady which also had a lot of struggle and accomplishment.

As the wife of George Washington, the first President of the United States (1789-1797), Martha Washington who also known as Martha Dandridge Custis Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States, and often referred to as Lady Washington. She was born on June 2, 1731 on a plantation near Williamsburg. Even

though her education was almost negligible like the other girl in an 18th century, she learned all the arts of a well-ordered household and how to keep a family contented. But later on she learned to read and write, she found pleasure in reading. She was also known as a regular and active letter writer. A collection of her surviving letters are housed in the collections of the Mount Vernon library.
At the age of 18 in 1750, she married Daniel Parke Custis, a much older rich planter. He was nearly twenty years older than Martha and also significantly older than the average Virginia man who married for the first time at age 27. She had four children with him, but two children died before she met George Washington. At the colonial era, childhood was the period of greatest vulnerability to death and disease, one of her children died in 1754, and the other one died in 1757 probably because of malaria. And in the same year she was shocked with her husband died in 1757. Her husband leaving her as a rich young widow. But she had full control over his inheritance which included properties and slaves.
After awhile she met Colonel George Washington. He had served as general of the nation’s Army for eight years. No one knows for sure how Martha met Colonel George. But the story goes that they probably met in March 1758 at the home of some friends. Martha and her children had been invited to stay there as a overnight guests and one of those guests was a tall military man. Martha may recognized him right away since he was easy to pick out of a crowd because of his height. George Washington frequently came to Williamsburg to meet with the governor of Virginia and talk about the French and Indian War. Sometimes he also came to request more supplies for his soldiers. He was dedicated to his work with the military, but now his trips to Williamsburg gave him a chance to see Martha too. When George was given orders to go to the battlefield to once again fight against French, he did not want to lose Martha while he was gone. So he asked her to marry him and they would be married as soon as the fighting ended. Martha accepted his proposal.
While George fought in the war, he and Martha probably sent letters to each other about their daily activities.

Martha may have told him by letter about her early life at White House, and George may wrote about what was happening on the battlefield. In December 1758, when he was on his way back to Williamsburg to request more supplies for his soldiers, at that time the war was not over, but he felt he had done his duty. He was ready to resigned his military commission and they was married in a grand ceremony on January 6,1759, at White House, less than ten months after their first initial meeting and less than eighteen months after Daniel Parke Custis death. They were ready to begin their new life together and raised Martha’s two children. From the day she married him, her great concern was the comfort and happiness of her husband and children. She probably never dreamed one day she would be the most important woman in the country and in the history of United

States.
After the colonies achieved their independence and the United States constitution was ratified, on April 30,1789, her husband was inaugurated in New York City as the first president of the United States of America, and a huge crowd welcomed the nations first First lady. Though she was not dressed in a dazzling gown made of fine imported silk with jewels, instead she wore a dress made of homespun material, made in the United States of America. The new president and his wife were not a king and queen. They were homespun people, said its citizens. Congress had quite a debate over what to call their new president, and addressed him as Mr. President, so his wife came to be called the First Lady. Martha Washington was duty bound to her husband
Before being the First Lady, she used to living a free and uninhibited life.

However she still did everything in her power to fulfill her obligations as the president’s wife properly. She was a strong and independent woman who was also a dutiful wife. Being the United States first First Lady, resulted she had no role model to look up to within her own country, so she looked to Europe for inspiration in hosting public functions and affairs. The Europeans respected her in return and some of them sent her gifts. She also set a high standard for the position of the president’s wife. Although her husband was the head of the infant United States, it has been said the heart of the nation was its first

lady.
Martha sometimes felt more like a prisoner than a lady. It was decided that the Washingtons should not visit personally with their friends and they should only entertain in a formal or public manner. Even that their house on Cherry Street often was filled with people, but Martha often felt confined and separated from her friends. She was aware that her behavior as First Lady would become the template for the wives of future chief executives. Despite of her loneliness and dislike for her new public life, she brought grace and dignity to her position. She initiated a weekly reception, held on Friday evenings, for anyone who would like to attend, as long as they were dressed properly. This events developed her friendship with Abigail Adams, who was the second First Lady. Martha also created the role and hosted many affairs of state at the national capital at New York and Philadelphia. This socializing became known as “the Republican Court” and provided elite women with an opportunity to play backstage political role. Both Martha and Abigail were treated as if they were “ladies” of the British royal court.
Martha Washington would have rather been home at Mount Vernon, Virginia, but she accepted her new life and enthusiastically served the people of the United States. This was not the first time she had lived away from Mount Vernon. During the nation’s struggle for independence, she spent more than 50 months at her husband’s Army camps with hopes they would be able to see each other. She gave her time and energy to encourage her husband and his soldiers during the difficult winter months of the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783).
Sadly, the two other children with Daniel Parke Custis died in 1773 and 1781 after suffered from virulent illness. She served as the First Lady for eight years until 1797. The president’s second term was up in 1797 and the Washingtons went to Mount Vernon, said farewell to public life and returned for their retired life. They remained as a popular couple even after retirement and were often visited by several individuals holding high office to pay their respects. After George Washington died in 1799, Martha assured a final privacy by burning their letters. She died of severe fever at the age of 70 in her home on May 22,1802. Her death brought the Custis heirs even greater riches. Each of her four grandchildren received substantial amounts of land and money that been held in trust for them for years. In 1831, after being moved from Mount Vernon’s old tomb to the new tomb, her remains were placed into a marble sarcophagus that stands near her husband’s George at Mount Vernon until this day. Both lie buried at Mount Vernon where Washington himself had planned an unpretentious tomb for them.