Sources

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Washington

• http://www.us.history.org/valleyforge/served/martha.html.

• "The American Heritage Book Of The Famous Americans" 

Copyright 1962 by American Heritage publishing Co. Inc. New York. 

My Accomplishments

• Loyal House Wife
• Took care of Grandchildren after her children had died
• Stayed my George Washington's side
• Help  tended to soldiers at Valley Forge

My Biography

I am Martha Custis Washington. I was born on my parent’s chestnut grove plantation in New Kent County, Virginia on June 2, 1731. I was the eldest daughter of John Dandridge and Frances Jones. I married Daniel Parke Custis when I was 18 years old. We lived together on the White House Plantation on the south shore of the Pamunkey River. We had 4 children two of which died in childhood (Daniel and Frances), but there was still John (Jacky) Parke Custis and Martha (Patsy) Parke Custis. My first husband Daniel died in 1757 and left me to be a rich widow with independent control over a dower inheritance for my lifetime and trustee control over the inheritance of my minor children.

 I then married George Washington on January 6^th, 1759. When my first husband died I was left with everything of his so when I became married to Washington I added 17,000 acres to his 5,000 and 300 slaves to his 49. Sadly we had no children of our own together but he continued to raise my two surviving children and lived on Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. My daughter, also called Martha died, of an epileptic seizure that hit me very hard. Then my son died during his military service which left me and my husband to care for his children Eleanor Parke Custis and George Washington Parke Custis.

I supported my husband as he was the Commander in Chief of the American Army, even though I was perfectly content to stay at home at the Mount Vernon estate, but never-the-less I followed my husband into the battlefield. After my husband had died I respected his will and freed all of his slaves but kept my own. Later on, in March of 1802 I knew my life was coming to an end so I freed all my slaves and then made a will and burnt all the letters that me and my husband George had wrote to each other except for two.

Written by Stephanie Willyard and Savannah Smith