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The Property of the Nation: George Washington's Tomb, Mount Vernon, and the Memory of the First President

The Property of the Nation: George Washington's Tomb, Mount Vernon, and the Memory of the First President

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SKU: 001537
 Size: 9⅓” H X 5¾” W; 322 pages

In this book, the White House Historical Association's senior historian Dr. Matthew R. Costello traces the story of Washington’s tomb, whose history and popularity reflect the building of a memory of America’s first president

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In this book, the White House Historical Association's senior historian Dr. Matthew R. Costello traces the story of Washington’s tomb, whose history and popularity reflect the building of a memory of America’s first president—of, by, and for the American people. George Washington was an affluent slave owner who believed that republicanism and social hierarchy were vital to the young country’s survival. And yet, he remains largely free of the “elitist” label affixed to his contemporaries, as Washington evolved in public memory during the nineteenth century into a man of the common people, the father of democracy. This memory, we learn in The Property of the Nation, was a deliberately constructed image, shaped and reshaped over time, generally in service of one cause or another.

Washington’s resting place at his beloved Mount Vernon estate was at times as contested as his iconic image; and in Costello’s telling, the many attempts to move the first president’s bodily remains offer greater insight to the issue of memory and hero worship in early America. While describing the efforts of politicians, business owners, artists, and storytellers to define, influence, and profit from the memory of Washington at Mount Vernon, this book’s main focus is the memory-making process that took place among American citizens. As public access to the tomb increased over time, more and more ordinary Americans were drawn to Mount Vernon, and their participation in this nationalistic ritual helped further democratize Washington in the popular imagination. Shifting our attention from official days of commemoration and publicly orchestrated events to spontaneous visits by citizens, Costello’s book clearly demonstrates in compelling detail how the memory of George Washington slowly but surely became The Property of the Nation.

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Casebound with Dustjacket
About the White House Historical Association

Founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, the White House Historical Association is the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization entrusted with preserving and sharing the history of the White House. The Association is able to fulfill its mission to share White House history through the support of private philanthropy and the sale of our educational books and products. As a continuation of our education mission, the Association also operates The People’s House: A White House Experience, a free, immersive, educational museum in Washington, D.C., which welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

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