Author Archive

Beginning on April 24th, Mount Vernon’s Archaeology Dept. will begin an underwater archaeology project in the Potomac River next to Mount Vernon. We asked our Archaeology Director, Esther White, to give us the scoop for our GWW readers.

GWW: What are the boats doing?

EW: Mount Vernon is partnering with the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP), the Institute of Maritime History (IMH), the Maryland Historical Trust (Trust) and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) to conduct an archaeological survey of the Potomac River. The boats are using side scan sonar and a magnetometer to map the bottom of the river along Mount Vernon from Little Hunting Creek to the north, to Dogue Creek to the south.

GWW: What is side scan sonar? How about a magnetometer?

EW: The first is a sonar system used to map river or sea floors. The sonar detects objects protruding above the bottom. When stitched together these images provide a map of the river bed. By analyzing these maps nautical archaeologists can detect ship wrecks, wharves and other features under the water. A magnetometer measures magnetic fields to detect iron below the water.

GWW: What do they hope to find?

EW: The underwater survey is being done to see what’s there. IMH works to document and map stretches of the river and has chosen to partner with Mount Vernon to learn more about the waters around George Washington’s plantation. Shipwrecks are one thing the survey expects to document.

GWW: Any particular ship?

EW: The Federalist is one ship the crew would love to find. This boat was a gift from the merchants of Baltimore, MD in appreciation of Washington’s work with the Constitutional Convention. It was a fully rigged miniature ship, 15′ long, and was sailed to Mount Vernon by Joshua Barney, a Revolutionary War naval hero, in June 1788. George Washington recorded a hurricane in his diary on July 24, 1788. This severe storm succeeded in “driving the Miniature Ship Federalist from her Moorings, and sinking her.”

GWW: Will the underwater archaeologists scuba dive?

EW: If the archaeologists find anything of interest they might scuba dive to get a better look. This wouldn’t happen until later in the week.

GWW: What will happen to wrecks they find?

EW: Nothing immediately. The archaeologists will record the locations of the wrecks and other things they find. These archaeological sites will be registered with the Trust (Maryland controls the Potomac River) and the DHR (Virginia controls the mouths of the two creeks). In this way the archaeological sites will be preserved for the future.

Image by L. Toshio Kishiyama

We are so pleased to announce the airing of History Notes: The Music of Washington’s World tomorrow. This distance learning program explores the soundtrack of George Washington’s 18th century world. It was a time of amazing change- a time that saw the creation of a new nation through a revolution based on the foundation of independence in government and ideas. These ideas were highlighted and revealed through song. During this program, your students will discover the music of Pre-Revolutionary America that reflects the Colonists’ growing revolt against the tyranny of England as well as the traditional songs of African slaves. They will hear music written about George Washington as well as learn the music that George Washington would have heard on the battlefields and in the ballroom. For more information and accompanying lesson plans, please visit us on the Fairfax Network. Free DVD copies of this broadcast will also be available through their website.

Are you the type of history teacher that brings a glimmer of excitement to your students eyes when you say the words, “Revolutionary War”? Have you ever dressed up in historical costume in the classroom? Are fellow teachers always on the look out to see what exciting things you’re up to this week? Well then, pay attention: the Mount Vernon History Teacher of the Year Award is now open to applicants! This award is open to any history teacher that resides in Virginia, Maryland, or D.C. and would like to win a $5,000 cash prize, an all expenses-paid field trip to Mount Vernon, and an invitation to join us at the 2011 George Washington Teachers’ Institute. One runner-up will receive an all expenses-paid field trips to Mount Vernon. More information on applying can be found on our website. Applications are due May 21st.

While George Washington is widely known as an excellent statesman, soldier, and horseman, most do not know that he was also quite the dancer. A life-long music lover, one of his greatest pleasures was listening to his granddaughter play the harpsichord. This tradition of music is continued today at Mount Vernon through concerts, dancing, and educational programs on colonial music, such as our slave music videoconference, the new Harpsichord Hero game, and an upcoming distance learning program (more details to come).

Mount Vernon has been lucky to have musician David Hildebrand, of the Colonial Music Institute, performing here for many years, and he has been kind enough to let GWW interview him. Enjoy!

GWW: How did you become interested in colonial music?

DH: Many years ago, nearly 30, Gmy wife and I were playing traditional folk music in Annapolis, Maryland. Every so often someone would come up to us and say something like: “Hey, this is a colonial town, do you know any colonial music?” Well, the first time someone asked, we just smiled. The next time we started to wonder what colonial music was like. By the third time, we had already started researching and had a piece ready to play for the enquirer. Three advanced degrees and four CDs later (not to mention 2 children and thousands of performances), here we are, apparently the national experts in the field.

GWW: What instruments do you play?

DH: Harpsichord, English guitar, Spanish guitar, hammered dulcimer, violin, English and German flutes, and djembe.

GWW: What was the general style of the music that George Washington would have enjoyed?

DH: There was no single style of music. Those wealthy enough to afford harpsichords and other instruments and lessons could play the English and European instrumental works and song settings that were published in London and elsewhere – these would be in what is roughly called today the Baroque or Classical style. But the tunes to which he danced, the military ballads, and the tunes he overheard his slaves sing- these were all in very different style. Of the popular songs of the day, English and Scottish music prevailed, while Irish music would flourish only later in the century.

GWW: What would George Washington play on his ipod today?

DH: Most of the titles would not be recognized by the average person, but the following list gives those older titles followed by modern titles which today represent the same melodies. In most cases the function of these older pieces was to accompany dancing, while the more recent titles evoke nursery rhymes or childish songs:
God Save the King (same as My Country Tis of Thee)
La Belle Catherine (same as Do You Know the Muffin Man)
Nancy Dawson (same as Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, or Lazy Mary Will You Get Up? or This is the Way we Brush our Teeth, etc.)
Marlbrouk (same as The Bear Went over the Mountain, or For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow)
Yankee Doodle- we all know this one! But be careful, the typical opening verse which goes “Yankee Doodle went to town riding on a pony, stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni” is not from Washington’s time period, but dates only back to the 1830′s (about the time the myth about him chopping down the cherry tree was being invented).