In January of 1781, British armed forces entered Virginia in strength and ravaged much of the countryside. In April, as part of this invasion, His Majesty’s sloop of war, the Savage, sailed up the Potomac burning and pillaging rebel American properties along its shores and laid at anchor April 12, 13 & 14th, just one mile upriver from General George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate. The British commander of the ship, Capt. Tomas Graves, sent a message to Lund Washington, the General’s cousin and Manager of the Estate, demanding provisions- and threatening to burn Mount Vernon if refused.
On April 25-26th, soldiers will once again come ashore, and our first person interpreters will re-enact this shocking moment in Mount Vernon’s history. More information about these exciting performances is available on our website.
It’s that time again… Colonial Days at Mount Vernon! Starting next Wed, February 17th through March 13th, our colonial crafters take up residence on the Pioneer Farm, and students have the chance to observe crafts such as paper making, candle making, woodworking, spinning and even hoe-cake cooking over an open fire. In addition, our animals are brought out to play, including our horses and baby oxen, and our costumed interpreters will be storytelling and playing colonial games. In honor of Black History Month, students will be able to visit the slave cabin and meet firsthand several of the slaves that lived and worked at Mount Vernon, including Billy Lee. Billy Lee was Washington’s enslaved man-servant for over thirty years and even rode alongside the General through the Revolutionary War.
Colonials Days is a free school program but online reservations must be made.
… well, not literally. However, the First Person Unit has indeed added a new character to engage Mount Vernon’s guests: William “Billy” Lee, General Washington’s trusted and longtime enslaved Valet – and the first slave freed by Washington’s will.
The new character is played by former Williamsburg Actor-Interpreter Willie Wright, who was drawn to the role by the interesting possibilities offered in portraying such a longtime companion to the General. As Mr. Wright explains, “Billy Lee will be able to offer unexpected and intimate glimpses into George Washington the man. As both a slave and a companion who rode by the General’s side through the Revolution, he has a unique point of view.”
As you may have heard, Mount Vernon’s recent initiative to “bring George Washington back to school” has proven a resounding success! To date, about 2,000 schools have received (and about 4,000 schools have requested) our free, framed reproductions of Rembrandt Peale’s Porthole Portrait of George Washington. All portraits are accompanied by a “George Washington Celebration Kit” of teaching resources and an American flag that has been flown over Mount Vernon (courtesy of a small army of energetic Mount Vernon volunteers!). Recipients have shared gracious letters of thanks praising the portrait‘s potential to inspire students and other members of the school community.
We’re grateful that schools have so enthusiastically responded to this effort to restore the first president’s portrait to our nation’s K-12 educational institutions. We also appreciate the kind patience of schools currently on our waiting list. Finally, enormous thanks are due to the many generous private donors responsible for funding this ongoing project. (Mount Vernon does not receive government funding of any kind.) We will continue to provide portraits for as long as we’re able!
Mount Vernon recently invited K-12 schools nationwide to request framed portraits of George Washington to display in a respectful, prominent place.
The response was overwhelming: thousands of schools submitted letters! Along with the portrait, schools received curriculum materials to help explore our first president’s contributions.
