•In Chapter 12, I fudged the timeline in order to let Martha meet all three young men at once. I know Hamilton joined them March 1, 1777 (Martha arrived March 15). I don’t know when Laurens’ offer was accepted other than it was sometime in 1777, but Lafayette showed up in August after Martha had gone back to Mount Vernon. He did, however, become like a son to her.
•The Oneida Indian story in Chapter 13 is true. It was only recently discovered and was passed down for two hundred years through Oneida oral history. Martha did give these presents to Polly—after George was president.
•The house of Abingdon, built by Jacky and Eleanor, is now just a brick foundation that can be seen between two office buildings at the Reagan National Airport near Alexandria. On another piece of land in the area (which Jacky purchased in 1778), Jacky’s son, Wash, built Arlington House (in 1802). Wash’s daughter married Robert E. Lee, the Confederate Civil War general, and the couple lived in the house for many years. After the Civil War, the house and land were confiscated by the federal government because Lee was considered a traitor. The land around Arlington House became the Arlington National Cemetery. President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie, are buried there.
•The winter of 1779-80 in Morristown was the worst winter in North America.
•Martha gave what would equal $20,000 in today’s dollars toward the women’s charity drive to make shirts for the soldiers. Total collected =$300,000!
•The friendly fire incident detailed in Chapter 15 actually happened, and the following line is a quote from George: “Never was I in more imminent danger by being between two fires, knocking up with my sword the presented pieces.” He didn’t speak of the incident for decades, but it obviously weighed heavily on his mind. This is the incident intimated about in Chapter 5.
•In Chapter 16, George shocked everyone when he resigned as commander in chief of the army. No one had ever willingly relinquished power like that. On his deathbed Napoleon said, “They wanted me to be another Washington”—something he obviously could never be.
•Eleanor Custis was to be pregnant twenty times. Thirteen children lived.
•“Our own vine and fig tree” is a quote from one of George’s letters and refers to his sentiment regarding their retirement to Mount Vernon. If only they could have enjoyed it longer . . .
•In Chapter 16, visitors Mr. Quarrier and Miss Eliza Tomkins were real people who showed up without introduction and stayed overnight sometime during the year following George’s death, when Martha was in deep mourning. Their audacity was not unique.
•Martha had to deal with an enormous amount of loss and grief. Added to her issues in Chapter 17 was the fact her mother and brother died within days of each other in April 1785. And George’s favorite brother, Jack (John Augustine), died in January 1787.
•There are discrepancies regarding how George got the news he was president. I chose to combine two views.
•In Chapter 17 Charles Thomson comes to tell George he is the new president. Beyond being the secretary of Congress, Thomson designed the Great Seal of the United States and also provided the first American translation of the Bible from the Greek.
•George and Martha’s granddaughter Betsy felt so insecure and desperate for attention she changed her name to the lofty sounding Eliza. She became a very difficult woman.
•When Nelly got married, she wore the first bridal veil in America.
•George’s last words as stated in Chapter 18 are what he actually said. But in addition, just before he died, George—with a great deal of effort—told Tobias Lear, “I am just going. Have me decently buried and do not let my body be put into the vault in less than three days after I am dead.” At the time there was a common fear of being buried alive—as sometimes comas were indistinguishable from death. Martha and Nelly did not attend the funeral.
I could mention more items, but this is the gist of it. I wish to thank the following biographers for their insightful books, which were invaluable: The General and Mrs. Washington by Bruce Chadwick, Martha Washington: First Lady of Liberty by Helen Bryan, Martha Washington by Patricia Brady, and The Unexpected George Washington: His Private Life by Harlow Giles Unger. I also want to thank my editor, Helen Motter, whose passion for history equals my own, Dave Horton at Bethany House for believing in me and my “ladies,” and my agent Janet Grant for always being my champion.
May the main fact of this book be that it brought you a deeper appreciation of this country and the people who sacrificed so much toward its creation.
Discussion Questions for Washington’s Lady
1. Martha gave up a lot to marry George, moving from the county of her youth to the foreign locale of Mount Vernon, moving from being the wealthiest widow in Virginia to the wife of a struggling farmer. Why do you think she took the plunge with George?
2. Although we often disparage “women’s work” and look upon women of the past in pity or call them weak for not wanting more, women in America during Martha’s time were often relieved to be “stuck” doing the domestic tasks in the house. It was a step up from the tough position of their mothers and grandmothers who worked in the fields and woods with their husbands, carving out a life in the wilderness. Discuss the roles of women in history. Are we better off now or were we then? How? Why?
3. In Chapter 4, Martha and the children move from White House to Mount Vernon. It is a poignant moment that is interrupted by little Patsy falling off the carriage seat, a distraction Martha sees as an odd blessing. Sometimes it was best not to think too much until the peak moment of sentiment was past. When have you been spared an emotional moment until a later time when it was easier to endure? Do you ever consciously seek a distraction to attain such a delay of emotion?
4. Martha longed for more children. How did she handle this disappointment? Did she handle it well? Why do you think she and George had no children?
5. Martha chose to keep her enemy close by becoming friends with Sally Fairfax. Do you think this is generally a wise move? Or is it asking for trouble? If the Fairfaxes had not moved back to England, what do you think might have happened?
6. The tension caused by Martha’s inability to discipline her children, and her unwillingness to let George be a true father to them, had dire consequences in her son’s life. Martha knew she was wrong but couldn’t seem to stop herself. Have you ever been in, or witnessed, a similar parenting situation? What were the results? What is the solution?
7. At first, the Washingtons were hesitant to join the dissension against their mother country. What do you think was the turning point for them—what made them willing to sacrifice life, liberty, and property for such a dangerous long shot?
8. George’s mother, Mary Ball, never acknowledged her son was worth a whit, yet Martha enjoyed the full support of her family. How do you think these parental attitudes affected them?
9. Throughout her life, Martha suffered enormous loss through the deaths of family and friends, not to mention the death and suffering of the soldiers she visited. It’s said God won’t give us more than we can handle. What methods did she use to get through it? Did they work? Why do you think some people are asked to handle so much suffering?
10. Many times, Martha showed great bravery: on the roads north, protecting Mount Vernon from Dunmore . . . What in her life prepared her for this attribute?
11. Martha was a willing hostess, yet at winter camp she was forced into the role of intercessor by the wives of soldiers, and later was thrust into the role of wife of the new president. All the while, she just wanted to be home. Do you agree with her view? Or do you think she should have done a better job dealing with her public position?
12. In Chapter 14, Martha was given a gift of lemons, oranges, and other delicacies from the wife of the British paymaster. George told her she couldn’t keep them because the giver was the enemy and it might dama
ge the Cause. For one brief moment I wished to pitch the Cause and enjoy my lemons. But I could not. Duty ruled me now, as it always had, as it always would. Duty was the driving force for many people during this time of history—duty toward country and family. How does our sense of duty differ today—toward country? Toward family? Is duty a lost virtue?
13. Many of the founders of this country were against slavery, yet they didn’t know how to fix the problem without creating more problems. What aspects of today’s society do you disdain? What are your solutions? What are the new problems that accompany your solutions?
14. Many of George’s actions reveal a dichotomy between ambition and humility. Do you think his various examples of humility (such as resigning his position after the war) were real or a part of a larger plan to gain position? What do you think about his choice to wear his uniform to a meeting of Congress when they were making some personnel decisions? What about his French and Indian War exploits—how did ambition and humility enter into his choices?
15. Martha and George went to great lengths to cure Patsy—to no avail. And yet, later in life, Martha realized if Patsy had lived, Martha would not have been free to join George at the winter camps during the war. Have you ever recognized such a hindsight revelation in your own life?
16. It’s been said that without George Washington there would be no United States, but without Martha, there would be no George Washington. How so?
17. The great sorrow Martha experienced at George’s death broke her (can you blame her?) yet she found solace in the thought of being together again in heaven. When have you found peace in this promise?
18. This nation was created “under God.” God intervened in many ways. Name some of the places where you see His hand. Where do you see God’s hand in the world today?
NANCY MOSER is the best-selling author of over twenty novels, including The Invitation, the Christy Award-winning Time Lottery, Mozart’s Sister, An Unlikely Suitor, and Christy-finalist Washington’s Lady.
Nancy has been married nearly forty years. She and her husband have three grown children and live in the Midwest. She loves history, has traveled extensively in Europe, and has performed in various theaters, symphonies, and choirs.
Copyright
Washington’s Lady: A Novel of Martha Washington and the Birth of a Nation
Copyright © 2008, 2012 by Nancy Moser. All rights reserved.
Previously published by Bethany House Publishers under ISBN 978-0-7642-0500-2.
First electronic printing in 2012 by eChristian, Inc.
eChristian, Inc.
2235 Enterprise Street, Suite 140
Escondido, CA 92029
http://echristian.com
ISBN EPUB: 978-1-61843-295-7
ISBN MOBI: 978-1-61843-296-4
Published in association with the Books & Such Literary Agency, 52 Mission Circle, Suite 122, PMB 170, Santa Rosa, CA 95409-5370, www.booksandsuch.com.
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Cover design by Lookout Design, Inc.
Cover photography by Aimee Christenson.
Interior design by Larry Taylor.
Produced with the assistance of Livingstone, the Publishing Services Division of eChristian, Inc. Project staff includes: Dan Balow, Afton Rorvik, Linda Taylor, Katie Arnold, Nancy Nehmer, Ashley Taylor, Lois Jackson, and Tom Shumaker.
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