May-September —- George Washington lived in Philadelphia as he presided over the writing of the Constitution.
1789-1796
George and Martha Washington moved to New York and Philadelphia to serve as the First President and First Lady under the new Constitution.
During President Washington’s two terms in office, Fanny Bassett (niece, daughter of Martha’s sister) took care of the domestic responsibilities at Mount Vernon, and her husband, George Augustine Washington (nephew, son of George’s brother Charles Washington), managed the Mount Vernon plantation.
1789
April 20 —- Martha wrote “I am truly sorry to tell you that the General is gone to New York...when, or whether he will ever come home again God only knows, - I think it was much too late for him to go into publick life again, but it was not to be avoided, our family will be deranged as I must follow him.”
April 30 —- General Washington inaugurated as president in New York City.
May —- Martha Washington and her grandchildren moved to New York City.
August 25 —- Mary Washington died at 83 years of age.
October 23 —- As the nation’s first First Lady, Martha finds her social life a challenge, comparing herself to a “state prisoner.”
December 26 —- Yet, she willingly became much more active, visible, and effective in her role in support of the President. Martha wrote, “...it is owing to this kindness of our numerous friends in all quarters that my new and unwished for situation is not indeed a burden to me....I am still determined to be cheerful and to be happy in whatever situation I may be, for I have also learnt from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.”
1797
Martha, George, the now retired president, and the children returned to Mount Vernon.
1799
February 22 —- George Washington’s final birthday celebration. On this same day, Eleanor “Nelly” Parke Custis married Lawrence Lewis, a nephew of George Washington at Mount Vernon.
November —- Nelly and Lawrence’s first child, Frances Parke Lewis, was born at Mount Vernon. They later built their home on land that George Washington had given to them, near Mount Vernon.
December 14 —- George Washington died at home, with Martha seated beside his bed with an open Bible. His last words were “’Tis well.” Her first words spoken when she was told he had died were, “’Tis well. All is now over, I shall soon follow him! I have no more trials to pass through!”
1800
April 5 —- Martha wrote to a friend, “... your affliction I have often marked and as often have keenly felt for you but my own experience has taught me that griefs like these cannot be removed by the condolence of friends however sincere—If the mingling tears of numerous friends—if the sympathy of a Nation and every testimony of respect of veneration paid to the memory of the partners of our hearts could afford consolation, you and myself would experience it in the highest degree. But we know that there is but one source from whence comfort can be derived under afflictions like ours. To this we must look with pious resignation and with that pure confidence which our holy religion inspires.”
December—Martha made arrangements at the courthouse in accordance with Washington’s will to free his slaves at Mount Vernon, which took effect on January 1, 1801.
1802
May 22 —- Martha Washington died, and her body was placed beside the president’s in the family vault at Mount Vernon.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST WASHINGTON’S CHRISTIANITY THAT EMERGE FROM HIS FAMILY CONTEXT
There are generally four key issues raised in Washington’s family context to argue against his Christianity.
• First, Washington allegedly rejected the childhood faith of his mother.40
• Second, Washington’s marriage to Martha, the Christian, was a passionless marriage of convenience,41 and that Washington had a lifelong love for Sally Fairfax, who was married to his older friend, George William Fairfax.42
• Third, Washington’s letters to his children do not reveal any Christian witness, and thus he could not have been a Christian.43
• Fourth, his last will and testament was written without any express witness to faith in Christ (although it does begin, as was often the custom, “In the name of God. Amen”), and when he died, he did not call for a clergyman and thus did not receive the Sacrament.44
In this chapter, we will consider the relationship between Washington and his mother, Mary. We will also evaluate the claim that Washington’s marriage was only a marriage of convenience. But we will not consider Washington’s relationship with Sally Fairfax until a later chapter. In this chapter, we will also engage the question of whether there was a Christian witness by Washington to his children. The last two concerns, namely, the absence of a Christian witness in Washington’s will and the absence of a clergyman at Washington’s death bed, will be discussed in a subsequent chapter as well.
Here we will address these arguments as we summarize Washington’s relationship with his mother, his relationship with his wife Martha, and his relationships with his two sets of adopted children: Martha’s children from her first marriage, John (Jack) Parke Custis and Martha (Patsy) Parke Custis, and, John Parke Custis’ two children that the Washingtons took into their home when John died, namely Eleanor (Nelly) Parke Custis and George Washington (Tub) Parke Custis.
