Martha Washington Accomplishments No-One Told You About!

George Washington became the first president of the United States of America after the country gained its independence from the British empire.

His wife, Martha Washington, was also a respected personality since she served as the first unofficial first lady. Along with the Washingtons, President John Adams and President Thomas Jefferson are some of the most respected and important names in American history.

The glory of Martha Washington’s accomplishments grew even further after the American Revolution when she became the 'first lady' of the United States of America, although the wife of the president was only called the First Lady officially years after her death.

It is worth knowing about Martha's early life and childhood to find out more about her compassionate personality and upbringing. She set an example of the kind of service that needs to be given to protect the welfare of the state.

Martha Washington had seven siblings: John Dandridge, William Dandridge, Bartholomew Dandridge, Anna Maria Dandridge, Frances Dandridge, Elizabeth Dandridge, and Mary Dandridge.

Martha’s face is also engraved on coins, postal stamps, and U.S. banknotes and two American military ships also bear her name.

Martha Washington has been a strong influence over the years in the history of America. For instance, many educational institutes have been named after Martha.

Read on to know more about the different accomplishments of Martha Washington throughout her life, and how she is remembered today.

Fun Facts About Martha Washington's Accomplishments

Martha Washington is a popular and respected name that won the hearts of many Americans, and she accomplished a lot. Read some fun facts about what she achieved.

Martha Dandridge was born in New Kent County in June 1731. Martha had eight siblings and she was the eldest child among them.

Her father, John Dandridge, was an immigrant from England while her mother, Frances Jones, came from Virginia. Martha grew up in Virginia, on her parents' plantation, called Chestnut Grove, which was near to the capital, Williamsburg. She is said to have had a pleasant childhood.

During this period in America, girls' education was not the same as it is today. Hence, girls were given informal education and were not sent to schools; they were taught at home instead.

The role of girls and women was mostly restricted to household chores. Martha was also taught what were considered important skills for wealthy young ladies at the time: sewing, embroidery work, and subsidiary household-management lessons.

As the eldest child, after her parents, she had the sole responsibility of looking after her young siblings.

Martha Dandridge liked music and was a passionate singer. She was trained to manage the family plantation in New Kent County, which enabled Martha to develop skills in farming and selling produce, herbal medicine, and animal husbandry.

Martha Dandridge left her parent’s home in New Kent county when she was 18 years old. She married Daniel Parke Custis and became Martha Dandridge Custis.

There was a huge age gap between Martha Dandridge Custis and Daniel Parke Custis, as he was 20 years older than her. They got married in 1750 and moved to Daniel's plantation close to New Kent County, called the White House. They stayed together for seven years and had four children.

Daniel Parke Custis was the eldest son and was born in 1751, while his sister, Frances Parke Custis, was born in 1753. Then in 1754 and 1756, the couple had John Parke Custis and Martha Parke Custis.

Unfortunately, Martha then became a widow in her mid-20s as Daniel died in 1757. The plantation owned by Daniel Custis now belonged to Martha. She became wealthy and inherited all the plantations along with their tobacco business and around 300 slaves.

Soon life gave Martha a second chance and she met George Washington. At the age of 27, Martha Custis married George Washington in 1759, who was the same age.

This was a turning point in Martha’s life. Martha Custis now took the name of her husband and became Martha Washington.

This name earned her huge respect, as George was both English and American aristocracy. Martha and George Washington never had any children of their own but they together raised two children that Martha Washington had from her previous marriage, John Parke Custis and Martha Parke Custis.

Her other two kids, Daniel Custis and Frances Custis, sadly died before her marriage to George Washington. Moreover, there were several other kids whom the couple raised at their Mount Vernon house.

This included four grandchildren that Martha Washington had, namely Elizabeth Parke Custis Law, Martha Parke Custis Peter, Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis, and George Washington Parke Custis. Several nieces and nephews of Martha Washington were also raised by the couple.

How is Martha Washington remembered today?

If you have enjoyed reading about Martha's early life, read on below to find out how she is remembered mainly as the wife of the first president, George Washington.

President George Washington came to prominence when he was given the responsibility of commander when he served in the American Army. Martha played the role of supportive wife during the military career of George Washington.

She accompanied George Washington during the time of war, and is among the wives who actively supported military officers in American history.

Martha Washington was known as a ‘giver’. She was a financial supporter of the military troops in the war, having raised this money from the wives of governors from Britain who favored America’s independence and supported the American military in disguise.

Thus, whatever Martha received, she gave to support the army. She was addressed as Lady Washington due to the respect accorded to her position, and the love she inspired for her support of the war.

After America gained independence, George Washington was named the first president. There was no formal election process and Martha did not like the fact that George had now entered formal administration and public office.

Martha was against the idea of restrictive roles for the political figures in America. She did not attend the swearing-in ceremony of her husband who became the first president of the United States of America in 1789.

She had no official role during the second swear-in ceremony as well.

She had controversial views when it came to behaving as a president’s wife was expected to. Once, Martha had stated that she felt like she was a prisoner of state and thus had a dull life during her stay at the White House.

Martha Washington's Values

Martha Washington contributed a lot to the success of her husband George Washington as the first president of the United States. She had a strong personality and carved a distinct identity for herself. She was intelligent and forthright, with strong opinions and a ready wit, making her a popular first lady across the country.

Martha Washington addressed many public meetings and forums and visited local communities. She was an inspirational figure for many Americans.

After the American Revolution, George Washington and Martha Washington did their best to rebuild America and lift its spirits. Martha suffered many personal losses in her family but this did not affect her work.

She was also a rational person with a practical approach to work. She had the experience of managing plantations and thus came the wisdom. Keep your business affairs in your own hands. It's the only way to be happy. This shows her firm approach to decision-making.

What did Martha Washington do while she was 'first lady'?

The title of 'First Lady' didn't come about until after Martha Washington died, but she is officially known as the 'first lady'. Read on to find out more about the wife of the first president of the United States.

After marrying George Washington, Martha went to the first capital of the USA, which was New York in those days. Since she accompanied her husband, her public life was limited. George Washington and Martha raised their children with her first husband together: John Parke Custis and Martha Parke Custis.

As the president's wife, Martha’s role in the initial days was to host dinners for the important visitors of the president.

She had to follow many protocols and restrictions about managing public affairs. Martha had a compassionate heart and was a generous woman, and she was known for supporting charities and welfare funds of the war veterans.

Martha Washington knew her actions would set a precedent and become a template for all future 'first lady' positions. She started a weekly reception on Friday in the evenings where anybody could attend.

There were Congress members, men and women from local communities, visiting dignitaries, and important political personnel who were well received at their homes. They were welcomed and greeted with warm hearts. Martha was addressed as Lady Washington, and some even called her Lady Presidentess.

Martha moved to Mount Vernon after the second term of the presidency, although her life was still equally restricted. But Martha Washington felt at home in Mount Vernon.

After the death of George Washington, Martha resumed her quiet life. One of her closest companions was Abigail Adams, who was the wife of the second president of the USA, John Quincy Adams. Martha felt at peace and had the best time in her life, however, until her health started deteriorating.

Martha breathed her last in 1802. Her tomb lies next to George Washington in Mount Vernon.