Archive for February, 2011

George Washington may have been first president, but is he still first in the hearts of his countrymen? A recent Gallup Poll shows that the individual whom the largest number of Americans deem “greatest president” is in fact Ronald Reagan.

The survey, conducted Feb. 2-5, shows that Washington holds a sold 5th place, with 10 percent of Americans naming him as “greatest.”

Reagan was chosen by 19 percent of Americans. Next in line were Abraham Lincoln with 14 percent, Bill Clinton with 13 percent and John F. Kennedy with 11 percent.

According to Gallup, either Lincoln, Reagan or Kennedy has topped the list each of the eight times that the polling organization has asked the question during the last 12 years.

Preferences seem to be stratified according to partisan predilection. Gallup reports that “Republicans name Reagan substantially more than anyone else, followed by Washington, Lincoln, Kennedy and then George W. Bush. Democrats are most likely to say that Clinton was the greatest U.S. president, followed by Kennedy, Barack Obama, Franklin Roosevelt and Lincoln. Independents name Lincoln and then Reagan as top choices.”

Americans have a tendency to name more recent presidents, which is not surprising considering that people hear these leaders’ names much more frequently than those of previous presidents. This year’s list of the top 10 greatest presidents includes four of the five most recent presidents — Obama, George W. Bush, Clinton and Reagan.

Today is George Washington’s birthday — Feb. 22 — despite the fact that an inscription in the Washington family Bible reads that Washington “was born ye 11^th Day of February 1731/2 about 10 in the Morning.”

Why the two different dates? No, Washington’s parents weren’t confused. Washington was born while the Julian, or Old Style calendar was still in use in Britain and the colonies. When the British Empire adopted the Gregorian, or New Style calendar (which we still use today) in September 1752, they dropped 11 days from September and changed the start of the New Year from March 25 to January 1 to synchronize their calendar to the solar year. Since different parts of Western Europe and their colonies were using both Old and New systems, dates prior to 1752 that fall between January 1 and March 24 are subject to dual dating.

People in the 18^th century quickly learned to deal with duplicate dates. The first recorded public celebration of Washington’s birthday was at Valley Forge on Feb. 22, 1778. (We know this because one Capt. Caleb Gibbs recorded payment for a “Continental Artillery Band” that serenaded the commander in chief). On the other hand, one early birthday ball was held in Alexandria on Feb. 11, 1780, and the first official Birthnight Ball was given by John Gadsby at his tavern on Feb. 10, 1797. Washington apparently celebrated both dates at different times (and sometimes both dates the same year!), but he did consider Feb. 22 his birthday by the end of his life.

The recordings in the Washington family Bible are made on a page affixed with sealing wax toward the center of the book. They are carefully inscribed with the date Augustine Washington (George Washington’s father) married his second wife, Mary Ball, as well as the birth dates of their six children. The handwriting is believed to be that of the young George Washington, perhaps around age 20, though that has not been verified.

The Washington family Bible is believed to have descended from Mary Ball Washington to her daughter (and George Washington’s sister), Betty Washington Lewis, and then through her descendents who placed it on loan and ultimately sold it to the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association in 1908.

Today it is on view in the “Man of Firm Beliefs” section of Mount Vernon’s traveling exhibition, which makes it way across the U.S.A. until 2013.

Object Spotlight is a regular feature on George Washington Wired that highlights some of the household belongings that Washington came into contact with in his daily life. For more of Washington’s belongings, see Mount Vernon’s eMuseum. Today’s Object Spotlight was contributed to by assistant curator Laura Simo.

Purchase, 1908 [W-408].

How does George Washington celebrate Presidents Day? With a giant surprise party thrown by Martha Washington and her granddaughter Nellie Custis on the Bowling Green, complete with a fife and drum performance and special gifts for the president.

The more than 15,000 visitors who came to the estate for Presidents Day festivities were also treated to singing of the national anthem by Caressa Cameron, miss America 2010, plus a special demonstration by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington that featured the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry, the Old Guard Fife & Drum Corps and the Commander in Chief’s Guard.

It was enough to rouse more than a few hearty Presidents Day huzzahs from the audience.

Rob Hunter, ceramics expert and editor of Ceramics in America stopped by Mount Vernon to assess the numerous findings from our South Grove trash midden. Smitten with ceramics, he takes an archaeological interest in one piece in particular and shares his thoughts on ceramics, tea and even Starbucks.