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Martha Washington
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Martha Washington
Martha Washington First lady Martha Washington, oil on canvas by Rembrandt Peale, c. 1850; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Martha Washington

American first lady
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Also known as: Martha Custis, Martha Dandridge
Written by
Betty Boyd Caroli
Betty Boyd Caroli has written extensively about American first ladies. A graduate of Oberlin College, she holds a master's degree in Mass Communications from the Annenberg School of the University of Pennsylvania...
Betty Boyd Caroli
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
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Article History
Quick Facts
Née:
Martha Dandridge
Also called (1749–59):
Martha Custis
Born:
June 2, 1731, New Kent county, Virginia [U.S.]
Died:
May 22, 1802, Mount Vernon, Virginia, U.S. (aged 70)

Martha Washington (born June 2, 1731, New Kent county, Virginia [U.S.]—died May 22, 1802, Mount Vernon, Virginia, U.S.) was an American first lady (1789–97), the wife of George Washington, first president of the United States and commander in chief of the colonial armies during the American Revolutionary War. She set many of the standards and customs for the proper behavior and treatment of the president’s wife. Daughter of farmers John and Frances Jones Dandridge, Martha grew up among the wealthy plantation families of the Tidewater region of eastern Virginia, and she received an education traditional for young women of her ...(100 of 593 words)

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