From the President

In this edition of Mount Vernon magazine, we explore the rich spiritual world of George Washington. From his family Bibles and early reading, to his leadership as a vestryman of his church, through the religious stewardship of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and on to his tenure as the first president, George Washington inhabited and participated in a full religious culture. He encouraged active worship and national days of thanksgiving and prayer. He fundamentally believed good government needed a strong religious foundation, and good citizens a strong moral basis to exhibit virtue. As he wrote in his Farewell Address, “religion and morality are indispensable supports” of free government.

But Washington also championed freedom of thought and the free practice of religion as a cornerstone of the great American experiment in democracy. Freedom of religion is one of its central tenets, guaranteed in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It was a revolutionary concept in the 18th century, and even today, the freedom of religious practice is envied in many parts of the world. The freedom of faith George Washington helped establish was very different from the colonial order of his youth.

Prior to the Revolution, many religious groups had been subject to persecution, both in Europe and the colonies. In colonial Virginia, only the Anglican Church received official sanction and was supported by taxes and the force of law. Dissenters had no political rights and could be fined, punished, and imprisoned for offenses against the church and for unsanctioned religious activities. As an officer of the Crown and a magistrate in colonial Virginia, Washington was required to take an anti-Catholic oath, renouncing the pope, and affirming the Anglican establishment. The new United States would not require such religious “tests” for public servants.

Delve into the stories in this issue, from Washington’s beliefs in the role of religion in society, to his personal religious views and practices, to new research regarding the veneration of locks of his hair. A special feature, based on ongoing archaeological research, sheds light on how the enslaved community at Mount Vernon buried their dead and cared for their ancestors.

These stories of America’s founding are as important as ever, and we are proud to share them with visitors and schoolchildren from around the country. Please enjoy the magazine and share it with friends. And plan to visit us, or drop in the next time you are in the neighborhood. 

Douglas Bradburn
President