The Widow Washington: The Life of Mary Washington

The Widow Washington is the first biography of Mary Ball Washington, George Washington's mother, drawing on archival sources. Previous biographers of George Washington have largely portrayed his mother as self-centered and crude, viewing her as an obstacle to her son. However, historical records reveal a different picture. Mary Ball was the daughter of a wealthy planter and a formerly indentured servant. Orphaned young, she grew up practicing hard work, frugality, and piety. She married Augustine Washington, an older planter, and had five children with him before his death eleven years later. As a widow with limited access to her late husband's properties, Mary worked to raise her children and secure their places in Virginia's elite society. In her later years, Mary and her wealthy son George had a contentious relationship, often disagreeing over money. Yet Mary had a significant influence on George's development. Without the wealth and freedom typical of planter-class sons, George was shaped by his mother's demanding parenting, which instilled in him moral and religious principles that guided his life. Though Mary and George shared similar traits—commanding demeanor, persistence, athleticism, frugality, and irascibility—these qualities have been better remembered in George's legacy than in hers. This biography tells Mary's long, difficult life on its own terms.