"Mount Vernon: Home of George Washington" (1989) - Classic Museum Film

foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] duties in war and government kept George Washington on the public stage if it had not been for those obligations he would rarely have left this place and in the same way that his dynamic character helped to shape a Young America here at Mount Vernon here at home his strong personality shaped the mansion and the estate to reflect his own individual philosophy and interests [Applause] visit the home today is almost to meet the man [Music] George Washington lived at Mount Vernon for a short time when he was a child he returned here to live at the age of 22 and he acquired the estate not long after that he soon began an elaborate program of enlarging and improving both the home and the plantation the work became a joyful passion that continued for the rest of his life in the 1750s Washington some military service with both Colonial and British forces against the French during infrequent visits home he made a most eligible and dashing figure in Virginia Society he resigned his commission as Colonel in 1758 and soon afterwards married Martha custis a pretty young Widow Martha was a woman of means and mother of two young children a son John or Jackie and a daughter Martha who was called Patsy the new family settled into a close and affectionate relationship at Mount Vernon Washington would raise the youngsters as his own children I know I believe fixed at this seat with an agreeable consort for life and hope to find more happiness in retirement than I ever experienced amidst a wide and bustling world the handsome West parlor became the focus of the family's social life this is where family portraits were hung and in the ornate pediment above the mantle is a carving of the Washington coat of arms family meals were served in the small dining room Washington's fondness for green which he found grateful to the eye is indicated by the rich color of the walls his liquor chest with its original bottles stands on the floor to modernize the decorated ceiling May lend a formal tone to the room but 18th century tastes were rather formal and Candlelight softened the surroundings dinner here must have been a very pleasant family experience [Music] quiet times at home however grew less frequent as Washington's participation in local and Colonial Affairs increased particularly after his election to the Virginia assembly the House of Burgesses at Williamsburg a growing number of distinguished visitors came to call guests first entered the passage a wide Central Hall that extends the full width of the mansion this is an Airy room during The Heat Of Summer it was the most comfortable part of the house it was in this room in a special place of honor that Washington later displayed the original key to the infamous French prison called the Bastille the key was a gift from the Marquis De Lafayette a French nobleman who was an American General and Aid to Washington during the revolution the decoration of the passage is unusual Washington had the wood paneling painted to simulate the grain of mahogany often even strangers providing they had a letter of introduction were put up in the Mansion downstairs bedrooms were not uncommon and the one at Mount Vernon opens handily off the passage guests were also lodged in some rooms on the second floor often it was even necessary for the servants to get portable beds out of storage and set them up eventually in one of the later enlargements of the Mansion Washington built a spacious Master bed chamber for himself and Martha to afford some privacy it was not readily accessible from other second floor rooms and was reached by a narrow stairway at the back of the house like Washington's French clock many of the mansion's Furnishings were imported Martha's Dressing Table however was made in Virginia although the mirror is Chinese on one side of the chamber are two very large closets one of which Martha used as a dressing room Martha's desk stands beside the bed this is where she wrote her letters and more importantly it was from here that she managed a large and busy household her leather key basket on top of the desk suggests the extent of her duties Mount Vernon was more of a community than a simple Farm various outbuildings housed a great assortment of activities a large staff of workmen and Artisans both slaves and employees provided most of the necessary products and services among the buildings that Martha probably covered in her daily rounds was the spinning house yarn was spun from wool and flax grown here at Mount Vernon and the cloth woven from it was used in making clothing for the slaves clothes for the family were generally imported or bought in Philadelphia or Williamsburg [Music] laundry for the family and guests was washed and ironed sometimes as often as six days a week here in the Wash House [Music] much of Martha's time was naturally devoted to overseeing work relating to the preparation of meals every day China and glassware were stored in the pantry on the first floor of the mansion kitchen was located in an outbuilding separate from the main house this was a common arrangement in large 18th century homes to keep heat cooking odors and the danger of fire away from the mansion this was a busy place because the Washingtons were noted for their hospitality the living is plain and I do not mean to be put out of it a glass of wine and a bit of mutton are always ready and such as will be content to partake of them are always welcome actually Mount Vernon dinners were often large rich and complex by modern standards there might be three or four Meats half a dozen vegetables and a variety of desserts plus a choice of wines beer and cider at times the staff included two cooks and two waiters under the direction of a steward or housekeeper most food was produced right on the estate game was plentiful in the woods and Fields it was stored here in the Larder just off the kitchen Martha's famous hams were hung in The Smokehouse the vast number of pots pans and dishes were washed in the scullery which was also part of the kitchen outbuilding the work day of the master of Mount Vernon began about 5 A.M he was often at the stable early because much of his time was spent writing about the plantation inspecting operations at the Quarry Distillery fisheries and all the other business enterprises that were conducted at Mount Vernon [Music] some Tidewater Planters toured their Estates in a riding chair this one belonged to a neighbor Lord Fairfax Washington however preferred to ride horseback [Music] activities on the estate it was farming the efficient raising of crops that most appealed to Washington's practical nature agriculture is the most healthy the most useful and the most noble employment of man in the Lower Garden not far from the kitchen many vegetables fruit and herbs were grown for home use Washington experimented with new plants and fertilizers he hired skilled gardeners and corresponded with authorities in England he tested crop rotation and replaced tobacco which depleted the soil with wheat as the plantation's staple crop he became one of the most Progressive farmers in America [Music] the upper Garden is still a lovely place for a quiet stroll foreign to imagine Martha enjoying herself here preparing bouquets for the house in later years Washington built a large Greenhouse it fronted on the upper garden and complemented the symmetrical arrangement of beds and pads that was popular in landscape design at the time [Music] Mount Vernon was a working Plantation a business Enterprise run to make a profit besides his agricultural Pursuits on the outlying farms Washington also operated extensive Fisheries in the Potomac River there were many years in fact when fishing provided more income than his field crops did the Mount Vernon estate was virtually self-sufficient little was bought that could be grown or made here the equipment in some of the storehouses barely hints at the size and complexity of the operation Washington employed overseers to manage the large force of workers needed slaves provided both skilled and unskilled labor and the overseers themselves were sometimes slaves the overseers quarters near the Mansion are Pleasant and comfortable probably similar to those of the average free farmers of the area [Music] the slaves who worked in the spinning house lived here [Music] these are not necessarily typical slave quarters and housing conditions often varied widely even on a single Plantation in 18th century Tidewater Virginia slavery was looked upon as part of the natural Order of Things people who could afford slaves generally bought them to perform the work that had to be done but by the end of the Revolution Washington had come to believe that emancipation was the only proper course [Music] I wish from my soul that the legislature of this state would see the policy of a gradual abolition of slavery by the terms of his will his slaves were to be freed after his wife's death and Provisions were made for their care [Music] most African slaves lived out their lives of servitude in an alien land those who died at Mount Vernon were buried here in a small Cemetery the graves were unmarked just below is the river the start of the long long road back home [Music] today the Potomac is the broad sparkling route of the boat trip from Washington DC to Mount Vernon on a warm summer morning there's no more pleasant way to travel to George Washington's home foreign boat landing is a short distance up River from the site of the original where Washington's fishing boats tied up [Music] I have no objection to any sober or orderly persons gratifying their curiosity and viewing the buildings Gardens Etc about Mount Vernon they raised your two small children later raised two grandchildren and as visitors continue to come here to Mount Vernon the house through okay can put a wing on the far side which gave them a bedroom upstairs even while George and Martha Washington were still living here people began coming to Mount Vernon to see the estate where this great and famous man made his home now the Mansion grounds and outbuildings are lovingly and authentically maintained by the Mount Vernon ladies Association here at his home more vividly than in books Washington the man seems to come to life foreign architecture was not a widely established profession architectural details and even designs for entire buildings were often adapted from English pattern books or copied from existing structures Washington himself seems to have been the guiding force in the design of Mount Vernon he achieved a harmonious overall plan that's both practical and beautiful a stately country home of great charm the Mansion has several unique features too most dramatic of all is the broad Piazza stretching the entire length of the house with its tall slender columns and Grand proportions it's ideally suited to both climate and setting this is Washington's own Innovative design his authentic claim to architectural distinction on warm evenings when a breeze from the river was welcome The Piazza was an ideal place to have tea the children enjoyed it too a model of the Bastille now stored in the pantry was once kept on The Piazza as a plaything another interesting architectural detail the palladian window on the northeast side of the Mansion was based on a book illustration the large dining room seems to have received Washington's special care and attention to detail the chimney of the new room should be exactly in the middle of it the doors and everything else to be exactly answerable and uniform in short I would have the hole executed in a masterly manner this is by far the largest room in the mansion and it's the most elaborately informally decorated it's designed once again illustrates the 18th century love of symmetry and balance by 1775 Great Britain's insistence upon taxation without representation and other hateful policies had so enraged American Patriots that they broke into open Rebellion delegates from the colonies met at Philadelphia in a continental congress Washington a representative from Virginia with excellent military experience was unanimously chosen to command the American forces for the next eight years except for two very brief visits in 1781. Washington was absent from his beloved Mount Vernon at first despite his military skill and his utter dedication to the cause of the fledgling American Nation the war went badly [Music] gradually with help from France fortunes changed under Washington's leadership Victory and Independence were secured and the young American Republic joined the family of Nations I should enjoy more real happiness in one month with you at home than I have the most distant Prospect of finding abroad if my stay were to be seven times seven years Washington returned home to Mount Vernon in 1783 expecting praying never to have to leave again for public service he resumed the domestic tasks he loved improving the mansion and overseeing the Affairs of the plantation the study was his headquarters no room in Mount Vernon tells more about the man and his interests this is a masculine World Spartan in decoration and filled with the Practical objects that were part of Washington's daily life [Music] many books in his Library bear his strong flowing signature on their title pages foreign there's a windsor chair cleverly fitted with a fan which is operated by foot pedals Washington's day began in this room often Before Sunrise using the private stairway he came down from the bed chamber to this dressing table once at his desk letters and accounts took up much of his time increasingly his correspondence urged a strong federal government to replace the loose Confederation of states that followed the revolution celebrated visitors arrived in even greater numbers than before with family members as well as Washington secretary accommodations in this busy household were often stretched of the six Chambers on the second floor the yellow bedroom was one of the most cheerful the top drawer of the dresser here readily converted to a handy desk both of Martha's children Jackie and Patsy had died before the end of the war and the Washingtons never had children of Their Own however they raised two of Jackie's youngsters Martha's grandchildren the granddaughter Nelly custis was Washington's special favorite the crib used by her first child is in her bedroom foreign Mount Vernon's most famous guests was the Marquis De Lafayette Washington's friend and aide from the war the bedroom where Lafayette stayed at Mount Vernon is still called by his name and his portrait hangs over the mantle Washington had placed a Weather Vein with a dove of Peace On Top of the cupola of Mount Vernon After the Revolution he never again left home to go to war but one last great peacetime duty to his country still remained [Music] he left Mount Vernon in 1787 perhaps riding in a coach similar to this one to preside at the convention in Philadelphia that Drew up the United States Constitution not long afterwards he was elected first president of the new nation for most of the eight years he was in office he and Martha were absent from the home they loved so much they returned for good in 1797. Washington was 65. once again the Washingtons hosted a nearly unending succession of guests the neoclassical large dining room was ideally planned for entertainments of almost any size it was furnished to permit great versatility and use [Music] foreign [Music] for large dinners Trestle tables were set up these were generally saw horses with boards across them covered with damask cloths desserts could easily be as Sumptuous and varied as the entrees Washington although a gracious and unsparing host always would have much preferred a quieter simpler meal in the small dining room with his family [Music] foreign ER years his happiest hours May well have been spent in the company of close friends and family in the little parlor Nelly played sweetly on the elegant English harpsichord it's tempting to picture Martha her back to the fire busy with her sewing now and then Washington might set aside his book and spectacles to listen to the music [Music] thank you December 12 1799 was a cold wintry day the general busied himself with improvements along the bank of the Potomac he returned home with snow on his hair and shoulders during the night he awoke feeling ill in the morning doctors were sent for [Music] contracted Quincy an acute inflammation of the throat following the accepted procedures of the time the doctors bled him to eliminate impurities he grew much weaker when the summons comes I shall Endeavor to obey it with the good grace Washington died in his bed at home in Mount Vernon December 14 1799. All America was plunged into mourning for three days his body lay on view in the same room that had seen so many happy occasions when the news of his death reached Europe the Navy of Great Britain once his enemy and the armies of Napoleon paid tribute to his memory according to his instructions he was buried at Mount Vernon this is where he had passed the happiest times of his life and no other final resting place would be appropriate his heart had always been here [Music] after her husband's death Martha closed their bedroom and moved to the small austere Garrett chamber on the third floor widows often observed a period of mourning in this way but Martha never again occupied the room that she and her husband had shared for so long [Music] her needs were simpler now she continued to manage the household and was a diligent correspondent how often must the Garrett's oval window have seemed to frame a view of distant happier days Martha survived her husband for only two and a half years before they were reunited in the old family tomb a number of years later the remains of George and Martha Washington were moved to the present tomb where they rest forever side by side the general has never been forgotten by his fellow Americans he never will be [Music] every year on the anniversary of Washington's birth a wreath is placed at his tomb a colonial Fife and Drum Corps often plays on the Bowling Green in front of Mount Vernon soldiers from the revolution a vision of the past March in formation [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] crazy yeah [Music] laughs [Music] thanks for watching if you'd like to help us produce more compelling historical content like this please like comment below and share this video with fellow history Buffs and of course be sure to subscribe to help keep history happening foreign

Channel: LionHeart FilmWorks

Views: 2,409

Keywords: Barry bostwick, patty duke, commander in chief, living history, mr president, presidents, profile in courage, recreations, the white house, washington, general washington, american revolution, comander in chief, first president, george washington, george washington documentary, history channel, history shows, mount vernon washington, revolutionary war, the life of george washington, virginia, war for independence, yorktown, Jaclyn Smith, williamsburg, mount vernon, mini series

Id: L9qE0lUkVi8

Length: 29min 41sec (1781 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 19 2023