Reading the book Founding Mothers, every woman contributed in some type of way and some more than others. In the book, it describes women's lives through their point of view, through letters that have been kept for some time now. It amazed me on how long these letters have survived and how much women actually wrote to their husband and friends. The woman that I believe contributed the most out of all the women in Founding Mothers, would have to be the wonderful First Lady, Martha Dandridge Curtis Washington. Martha was loyal, caring, and supportive through everything she had to see and go through.
Martha wasn’t always a Washington. At the age of 20, she was married to a man named Daniel Parke Curtis and according to the book Founding Mothers, “ She married into one of the richest fortunes in Virginia in 1750…”(85) Martha had 4 children with Mr. Curtis but sadly one of her children died and not long after that she lost her husband and other child. Many women in the book, suffered the lost of children or even the loss of their husbands. Martha was one of the stronger women, she was a rich widow with her two babies. Martha was either a very good looking women or every man was after her money because she was very wanted by men but Martha rejected them all. The one man she could not reject was Mr. George Washington, a “very good-looking but debt-ridden hero…” (85) because they married just after a few meeting and moved with him in northern Virginia. Later, Mrs. Washington lost her teenage daughter, while finding out that her husband was in charge of a whole army and was having to go to war. Just imagine how crazy you would go after going through everything and wondering if you will every see your husband again. Now that Mr. Washington became a commander in chief, Mrs. Washington was receiving treats of being captured and held hostage, but she wasn’t worried. Martha later accepted an invite to follow her husband in war after a publicity scandal. Martha brought along her son, daughter-in-law, and nephew all followed Mr. Washington everywhere he went to war. Martha was very loyal to he husband, that she would not leave far from his side even when the war would take a wrong turn. Martha did make two friends while her husband was fighting the war, Lucy Knox and Catharine Greene. Cathrine Greene, who went by Kitty was getting pregnant and could not follow her husband vey much. Lucy Knox would follow but didn’t help the men out as much as Martha did. All three women stayed by their husbands side as much as they could, but Martha was the one who stayed closest to her husband and helped him during his times in war, by taking on sectorial duties as well as being a type of life coach and talking soldiers into staying the course of the war instead of deserting when the outcome looked very bleak.
Martha was such a caring women not only did she care for her own family but she cared for the men that went out and fought for our independence. When Martha saw that the troops had nothing the book, Founding Mothers states that, “To help the soldiers, she started sewing shirts and knitting socks out of materials she had brought from home.”(92) Not only did Martha donate and make clothing from her own household materials, she along with George Washington used their own person credit to buy the fabric needed for new shirts for all the soldiers under Washington’s direct command. Plenty of women helped out as nurses, seamstress, and even went and fought on the battlefields, but Martha no matter what always helped the soldiers when they were in need. Their are multiply times in the book were it states that Martha would create sewing circles to help fix the mens clothing. Not only did she help to contribute to her husband and the troops but she also helped her family when they were in need. Mrs. Washington wanted to be their for her family and also for her husband, in the book it says, “Martha, who was torn between her duty to family at home, especially as her son’s wife continually suffered through difficult pregnancies, and her duty to her husband at camp.”(94) She later takes on the role of caring for her two grandchildren after the death of her only son.
On April 14, George Washington found out that he became the President of the United States and Martha Washington would be the First Lady. Martha wasn’t very fond of being the first lady, having to entertain guests and always having to be properly dressed. In the Founding Mothers, Martha writes a letter to her niece Fanny saying,”Indeed I think I am more like a state prisoner than anything else, There are certain bounds set for me which I must not depart from, and as I can not do as I like, I am obstinate and stay at home a great deal.”(235) Martha was still very supportive of her country and her husband as she continued with the duties of the first lady as Mr. Washington took a second term. It doesn’t seem as Mrs. Washington complained a whole lot about being the first lady as long as her grandchildren were well taken care of and went to a great school. My favorite thing about Mrs. Washington was that “…there was one group of people Martha continues to see— Revolutionary War veterans.” (264) Martha was such a big icon now not only to women around but also to the country. Martha was loved by her friends, family, and citizens of the country. Martha contributed so much to her country that she deserved to be the first lady.
Many women I’m sure did a lot to help contribute to our country, but Martha I believe put her all in everything she did to help in every way possible. She was loyal, caring and supportive to her husband and her country. Although women were not considered equal during the time period it would seem that without not only Martha, but all of the wives the victory and independence we now enjoy today would not have been possible without their effort and support. Much like today men are somewhat helpless without their significant other maybe not the same reason or purpose as back in colonial days but though out history and in the future you can and will always be able to trace back a strong leader to an even stronger women despite the societal problem of the time era.