George Washington was an innovative farmer, experimenting with over 60 crops at Mount Vernon

American farmers—including George Washington—experimented with coffee farming

Two coffee plants—an arabica strand and a Kentucky Coffee Tree—continue to grow at Mount Vernon, Washington's iconic Virginia home. The Marquis de Lafayette requested the agrarian commander send him some beans in France.

George Washington was an expert in maps and cartography

Trained as a surveyor, Washington routinely studied, annotated, and drew maps throughout his life. He relied on cartography to navigate frontier lands, plan military campaigns across vast distances, and make strategic decisions on borders, settlement, and governance.

George Washington had a limited formal education, leaving school at 15

A few years after his father died in 1743, Washington's schooling ended. He soon began working as a land surveyor in Virginia. He later assumed management of Mount Vernon at age 22 and became the estate's master at age 29.

Washington's whiskey distillery at Mount Vernon was one of the largest in the country

By 1799, Mount Vernon's distillery produced nearly 11,000 gallons of whiskey annually, making it one of the largest commercial distilleries in the United States during Washington's lifetime and a significant source of income for the estate.

President George Washington's adventurous eating habits included having tongue toast for breakfast and cow stomach for dinner.

Explore the life and presidency of George Washington, whose two terms in office were defined by precedent-setting, restraint, and institution-building.

As the first president, Washington established lasting norms: enforcing civilian control of the military rather than placing it in the hands of generals, forming a Cabinet, asserting federal authority during the Whiskey Rebellion, and voluntarily stepping down after two terms.

Washington systematically introduced and popularized mule breeding in the United States

Known as "the father of the American Mule," Washington imported a prized Spanish donkey and bred it with a female horse at Mount Vernon. He promoted mules as stronger, more efficient farm animals, helping spread their use across the South and transforming American agriculture.

George Washington had a recipe for 'small beer,' a low-alcohol beer that was once safer than drinking water.

Explore rare artifacts from the archives at Mount Vernon

This series from Washington's Presidential Library showcases rare books, maps, letters, and artifacts from his collection. It illuminates how he learned, governed, traveled, and understood the world around him.

George Washington loved to serve ice cream while hosting guests, and spent thousands of dollars on it in a single summer.

George Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis in 1759

Before marrying George Washington, Martha Dandridge Curtis was a wealthy widow with two children. Their marriage formed a stable personal and economic partnership. She managed Mount Vernon during Washington's absences and later played a central role as a political host and confidant throughout his public life.

Many legends about George Washington, including his supposed wooden teeth and the story of cutting down the cherry tree, lack evidence.

The famous cherry tree story—where a young Washington admits, "I cannot tell a lie"—was created by biographer Mason Locke Weems. Washington's "wooden teeth" were also a myth: His dentures were made of ivory, metal, and animal teeth.

George Washington set the template for the presidency

As the first US president, George Washington established key traditions still followed today—forming a Cabinet, serving only two terms, asserting executive independence, and peacefully transferring power—helping define how the presidency would function.

George Washington was a fan of barbecue

The first US president celebrated laying the cornerstone of the US Capitol by hosting a barbecue, the centerpiece of which was a 500-pound ox. By the 19th century, barbecue was a standard component of public celebrations, including Independence Day and Memorial Day.

Hear the stories of some of the 577 people enslaved at Mount Vernon

Washington inherited his first slaves at age 11 and enslaved 123 people at the time of his death. This eight-part podcast traces the lives of eight of them, using their stories to examine how slavery complicates Washington's legacy today.

John Marshall maintained a lifelong connection to George Washington

Marshall served under Washington in the Continental army, later delivered a memorial address following his death, and chaired the funeral arrangements. He also authored a five-volume, 3,200-page biography, "The Life of George Washington."

Washington sat for a portrait at least 12 times during his career

Those sittings were primarily for painter Charles Willson Peale. Without photographs, capturing the accurate physique of the tall, commanding Washington is difficult—but you can get a sense of his appearance with this collection of paintings over several decades.

Washington's military acumen and political judgment were crucial to the Continental Army's success

In this podcast, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson argues that Washington's endurance, strategic communication, political judgment, and ability to elevate capable subordinates proved decisive, in sharp contrast to the failures of British leadership during the war.

George Washington used his Farewell Address to explain his departure and warn the nation

In his 1796 Farewell Address, Washington explained that stepping aside from the presidency would set a republican example of limited power. He also warned against political parties, regional divisions, and permanent foreign alliances that could threaten national unity and independence.

Washington's Farewell Address warned that political factions and foreign entanglements were the greatest threats to the American republic.

Marshall served in the Continental army under Washington

Before his judicial career, Marshall served in a Virginia regiment during the American Revolution, rising to the rank of captain. He fought at Brandywine and Monmouth, endured the winter at Valley Forge, and developed a personal connection with Gen. George Washington.

At age 22, Washington inadvertently started the French and Indian War.

Later in life, Washington privately grew critical of slavery—while continuing to uphold it publicly

His private letters increasingly described slavery as unjust and incompatible with Republican ideals, and his final will ordered the eventual emancipation of those he legally owned. At the same time, he enforced slave labor, signed pro-slavery laws, and took no public action to dismantle the system.

Washington (reluctantly) presided over the Constitutional Convention

As presiding officer, George Washington presided over the Convention's daily proceedings—opening and adjourning sessions, recognizing speakers, enforcing debate rules, and maintaining order. He rarely spoke and used the role to facilitate deliberation rather than steer outcomes directly.

Washington was elected unanimously twice to the presidency

George Washington was unanimously elected in 1789 and 1792, with every presidential elector casting one of their two votes for him (at the time, each elector cast two votes). He accepted the office reluctantly, seeing it as a duty rather than an ambition.

Hamilton was one of Washington's aides during the Revolutionary War

During the Revolutionary War, Alexander Hamilton served as a key aide to George Washington, handling correspondence, strategy, and coordination, and serving as a trusted intermediary between Washington, Congress, and senior military leaders.

Abigail Adams was a shrewd and largely self-taught financial investor

While John was away during the Revolution and his diplomatic career, Adams managed the family's finances and investments skillfully. When John urged her to buy farmland in 1783, she refused—investing instead in government bonds and earning up to 25% annually, compared to his farmland's 1%.

George Washington's birthday was a federal holiday until it was moved to the third Monday in February in 1968

Washington's February 22 birthday became a federal holiday in 1879. A 1968 law moved it to the third Monday in February, and decades of advertising popularized the unofficial name "Presidents' Day," which the federal government never formally adopted.

After the Boston Tea Party, colonists switched to coffee, which became the main morning drink for revolutionaries.

After the Boston Tea Party (1773), colonists boycotted tea and turned to coffee, with coffeehouses becoming hubs for revolutionary discussions. The stimulating import from the Caribbean helped shape the nascent American taste.

George Washington resigned after two terms to avoid the precedent of dying in office

America's first president could have stayed in office longer, but he knew the chances were high he would die in the middle of a term. So he quit after two to signal to future commander-in-chiefs that the presidency was not a lifetime position.

The common 'Three Sisters' mound-planting system used by natives

In the 17th century, Native Americans cultivated a three-plant combination of corn, beans, and squash—a symbiotic tradition dating back hundreds of years. The corn allowed the beans to climb, the beans fertilized the plants by extracting nitrogen from the air, and the squash leaves protected the soil and preserved moisture. Learn more about the tradition here.

The favorite restaurants of former US presidents

Curious about the eating habits of past commanders-in-chief? From George Washington to Barack Obama, discover the food preferences of former US presidents. Find out who liked to go out vs. stay in, where they frequented, what they ordered, and how they spent their time in each establishment.

Washington, DC, was designed by French-born architect Pierre L'Enfant

Pierre Charles L'Enfant was an engineer who fought in the American Revolution. George Washington chose him to design the capital for his military service, artistic training, and vision of a monumental national city.

Before the White House was constructed, the president lived and worked in Philadelphia

From 1790 to 1800, the President's House at 6th and Market Street in Philadelphia served as the executive mansion. George Washington and John Adams both served there as president before the capital moved to Washington, DC. The site is a tour of a replica of the house.

J.I. Rodale helped pioneer organic farming in the US

Rodale began using the term “organic” in the 1940s to describe farming practices that avoided the use of pesticides and chemicals, which he believed were dangerous. Rodale used a 63-acre farm in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, to cultivate organic food and established a magazine, Organic Farming and Gardening, as well as a foundation based on a simple motto: “Healthy Soil = Healthy Food = Healthy People.”

Long after his death, Washington was made the highest-ranking military figure in US history

Only three Americans have held the rank of General of the Armies: John J. Pershing, Ulysses S. Grant, and Washington. However, Washington still outranks the others because Congress passed a 1976 law stating that he outranks all officers "past or present."

How the stock market performed under every US president

It's worth noting that the stock market as we know it today didn't exist under the leadership of earlier presidents, such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

A fire in NYC that burned a fifth of the city in 1776 may have been started under orders from George Washington.

1440 traces how the presidency transformed from the limited office envisioned by the Founders into today's powerful institution.

In a letter, George Washington assured a Jewish congregation that the new government gives 'to bigotry no sanction'

In 1790, President Washington visited Newport's Touro Synagogue and received a welcoming letter from its warden. Washington's reply—considered his clearest statement on religious tolerance—assured the congregation that under the new government, religious freedom would be protected as a fundamental right.

'Johnny Appleseed' was the itinerant horticulturalist John Chapman

Born in 1774 in Massachusetts, Chapman planted apple orchards for pioneers across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana, to be sold to locals to produce hard cider. He became famous through a 'Harper's Weekly' profile in the late 1800s, cultivating the modern legend.

King George III was Britain's longest-reigning male monarch.

A New York farmer established the first cheese factory and revolutionized the industry by sourcing milk from local farms.

The federal government's decision to pay off the states' Revolutionary War debts required a new tax, which sparked an armed rebellion. 

The portrait of George Washington was first placed on the one-dollar bill in 1869

Trace the history of the US dollar from its colonial roots to its adoption as the national currency. The video explores the word's Germanic origins, how the dollar sign evolved from the Spanish peso, and how Washington's portrait came to define US paper currency.

Benjamin Franklin advocated for the use of paper money and even engineered some key anticounterfeiting techniques used today.

'I have learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.'

- Martha Washington (1731-1802)

The best US states for fall apple-picking

Washington, New York, and Pennsylvania are the top states in the US for everything apples, including classic picking at orchards, but also any apple-themed experience, pro-apple policies, and general public interest. Check out the full list here.

The Founding Fathers were divided in their reactions to the Boston Tea Party.

Montpelier was founded by Madison's grandfather, Ambrose, in the 1730s

Montpelier was originally known as Mount Pleasant. James Madison inherited his family's Virginia estate in 1801. He expanded the plantation and, after his presidency, lived there full time until his death in 1836.