I am reading a book from RELIC's collection, titled "George Washington's Virginia" by John R. Maass. It has an interesting way of looking at the life of George Washington through the people who influenced him and the many sites throughout Virginia associated with Washington and his family. 

Thomas A. Reinhart, Director of Architecture at Mount Vernon, stated, "This is a guide for real lovers of history, those who not only want the how, when and why, but also want to see the where for themselves" (Maass, p. 10).

Maass begins with an introduction to Washington's family tree, starting with his great-grandfather, John Washington, who left England as an officer on a merchant ship bound for Virginia in 1656 because he was interested in joining the successful tobacco trade (Maass, p. 18).  

The story goes that after John Washington unloaded his cargo in February 1657, his boat foundered and sank in the Potomac near the mouth of Mattox Creek in Westmoreland County, where tobacco shippers brought their annual crop to transport to English ports.

John Washington lost his newly loaded cargo and was temporarily stranded in Virginia, in the tidewater country, so he decided to stay. He met wealthy plantation owner Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Pope, whose eldest daughter Anne became John Washington's wife in 1658 (Maas, p. 19). From there, Maass takes the reader through George Washington's family history, the interesting people they met along the way, and whose connections would benefit Washington and his career.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a unique way of viewing George Washington's life, a tour of Virginia as it applied to Washington and his family, an explanation of myths such as the "cherry tree," and tips on visiting some of the sites mentioned in the book. 

To check out "George Washington's Virginia" and the other title in our collection written by John R. Maass, "The Road to Yorktown: Jefferson, Lafayette and the British Invasion of Virginia,” visit our Online Catalog or stop by RELIC.

Join us for upcoming RELIC programs this summer. Together, we'll explore places and local history and introduce techniques to learn about the interesting people in your family tree.