Congress created the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, and John Adams nominated George Washington to serve as the army's Commander-in-Chief. While there were over 230 skirmishes and battles fought during the American Revolution, these are the battles where General Washington personally secured h...

The Winter Patriots explores one of the darkest moments of the American Revolution and how the Continental Army, under the command of General George Washington, was able to save the cause of independence through one brilliant military campaign at the end of 1776 and the beginning of 1777. Follow...

King George III was shrewder, more complex, and more intriguing than we often acknowledge. He was king for sixty years, from 1760 to 1820. He was frugal in an age of excess, pious at a time of impiety. He despised disorder and loathed disobedience.

At the start of the Revolutionary War, it had been seventeen years since General George Washington last wore a military uniform and he was only a provincial officer with limited experience in frontier combat. But it quickly became clear, Washington was instinctively, brilliantly, a political gene...

George Washington's step-granddaughter is described in letters and other primary sources as a highly-skilled musician. We have several volumes of Nelly's hand-copied musical exercises, popular songs, and technical notes in the Mount Vernon collection. Dr. Joyce Lindorff studied these documents as...

George Washington's Continental Army has fought for five long years to drive the British from American soil. Now, with the aid of French land and naval forces, that time may be near. Washington and his allies have surrounded the British at Yorktown, Virginia.

The dream of American independence h...

Author H.W. Brands talks about the relationship between Benedict Arnold and George Washington

For two decades, William Lee was by George Washington's side and forged a close relationship with him. He was with Washington throughout every moment of the Revolutionary War, and till his death. It is thought that Washington's relationship with Lee altered his view on slavery as he grew older. I...

Wool yarn was a necessary textile in the Revolutionary War era - but where did it come from? Join us as we visit Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation and speak with Eva Mergen about how to turn wool into yarn. We will also learn a little about popular sheep breeds of the era. This overview will take...

This film features the story of George Washington's most important military achievements and special personal moments of his life. The film sheds new light on old hero by portraying him as kind and brave man who changed the history of the world.

George Washington operated one of the largest whiskey distilleries in early America, producing 11,000 gallons in 1799. The current distillery was reconstructed in 2007 producing small batches of whiskey on-site using 18th century methods. Walk through George Washington's working distillery with S...

Enjoy seeing a recipe made over a fire that was first published for the benefit of militia in England in 1778. Though it came from England, it's a very useful recipe to help us understand how food was best thought to be made for soldiers in the era.

Linen was a very common fabric in the Revolutionary War era - but where did it come from? Join us as we visit Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation and speak with Eva Mergen about how to grow and harvest flax and then process it into linen. This overview will take you from the field to the loom to the...

Lives Bound Together: Slavery at George Washington’s Mount Vernon explores the personal stories of the people enslaved at Mount Vernon while providing insight into George Washington’s evolving opposition to slavery.

Join Historic Trades manager Samuel Murphy at Mount Vernon as he demonstrates how ice cream was made in the 18th century.

The American Revolution is a creation story that accounts for who we are, where we came from, what we believe, and what our forebears were willing to die for. Rick Atkinson’s new trilogy show the war as soldiers and militiamen saw it—terrifying, bestial, and occasionally grand—and as generals fou...

Join Mount Vernon's Curator of Archeological Collections, Sean Devlin, for an in-depth look at a reconstructed slave cabin. What clues can we pull from looking at the structure, the soil, and the material culture around the cabin to help us understand more about the lives of the enslaved? What ac...

Learn about Ben Franklin the teenager... swimmer and boxer. Young Benjamin Franklin, The Birth of Ingenuity.

Ona Judge Staines was enslaved and forced to work as Martha Washington's personal servant until she escaped from the President's Mansion in Philadelphia. Much is known of Judge's life in comparison to other people enslaved by the Washingtons as a result of newspaper interviews she gave in 1845 an...

Caroline Branham was one of George Washington's housemaids at Mount Vernon. Part of Branham's role on the estate was cleaning and maintaining the rooms in the Mansion. She was also the person who first discovered Washington was ill shortly before he passed. In this video, join one of our interpre...

Today we remember the life of Doll: mother of 5, grandmother of 14, and enslaved cook at Mount Vernon. Telling this story is Brenda Parker, our African American Interpretation and Special Project Coordinator at Mount Vernon.