Book Review -- The Widow Washington

The Widow Washington: The Life of Mary Washington by Martha Saxton The father of our country George had a mother named Mary. Since Andrew Jackson’s time she has been portrayed as uneducated, crude and a hindrance to her esteemed son. Martha Sexton, utilizing primary source material makes the case Mary was, in fact, none of those things but rather a product of the times in which she lived and her circumstances. She was raised with very little and stepped into the ruling class through marriage. After her husband died she managed to raise her five children with limited resources because as a widow she lost most of her husband’s property. And she managed to boost her children up the social ladder in large part through her parenting. Much of her thinking was based on a few spiritual texts popular at the time. These readings shaped her beliefs on religion, work ethic, slavery, and child rearing. She instilled these values in her children and her grandchildren. Her conflicts with George were usually about financial security, particularly as she aged. This book is very readable and fascinating on many levels including the rights of women in pre-Revolutionary times, how Mary shaped her children from an early age, and the attitudes toward slavery during this time period. Carol Lloyd is the Director of the Churchill County Library. This book dovetails nicely into her reading over the years on the founders of this country.       Never miss a meeting or community event – keep an eye on the community calendar at https://www.thefallonpost.org/events/ If you like what we’re doing, please support our effort to provide local, independent news and contribute to The Fallon Post, your online news source for all things Fallon.