George and Martha Washington were America's original first couple. From its origins in 1760s Virginia to the forging of a new nation, Flora Fraser traces the development both personal and political of an extraordinary relationship.
The private sphere – their love of home and country, the two children Martha brings to this union from a previous marriage, and the confidence she instilled in her beloved second spouse – formed the backdrop to an increasingly public partnership: the lead role played by Virginia in the rebellion against British taxation galvanised them, radicalised their politics, culminating in George Washington's 1775 appointment as commander-in-chief of the American 'rebels'. In the eight harsh years of the American War of Independence which followed, Martha's staunch support never wavered despite bitter conditions, though the eventual victory was overshadowed by the death of their remaining child, Jacky.
This is the first scholarly look at a union which owed its strength in equal measure to both parties. Martha Washington is today little known, but here, in a narrative enhanced by a close reading of personal, military and presidential papers, Flora Fraser brings her and her better-known husband to life afresh to connect a new generation with a man whose foibles were many but his aspirations to greatness more, and with a woman who, when tested, proved an ideal spouse to commander and president alike.
