Dr Arnold Toynbee, the great 20th Century historian, observed that the breakdown and eventual disintegration of civilizations, for the most part, follow a common pattern. The ruling class, who once were able to creatively respond to challenges on behalf of the masses, lose their ability to inspir...

Ever since the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ended the War of the Austrian Succession in 1748, Europe has seen six years of uneasy peace. That peace is about to be broken, but not on the battlefields of Europe as had been the trend for the past half-century, but rather in the frontier wilderness of t...

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.

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...

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...

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

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'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...

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...

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

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...

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...

Learn the history of Jefferson Barracks and its role training cavalry for America’s movement west in the 19th century and its importance as a National Cemetery for those who have served in the armed forces.

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...

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.

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...

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...

Join the German language film to experience the struggles of Captain Badger and his crew as they navigate the rivers to Montreal in 1785. The story is told through the eyes of Ueli Manser, a rich businessman who accompanies the journey and keeps a careful journal.

Filmed in Germany, enjoy this ...