by gwffoundation | Jul 3, 2026 | 20th century, Archives, Developing America, Holiday History, Lives & Legacies
The George Washington Foundation has been abuzz with anticipation for the upcoming Semiquincentennial, or 250th birthday of our United States! In all this excitement I thought it would be a compelling trip down memory lane to uncover how the nation celebrated July 4th...
by gwffoundation | Oct 31, 2024 | Literature, Lives & Legacies
We have reached the best time of the year. The summer heat has broken, the leaves are crispy, and the best holiday, Halloween, is coming up quickly. We all know Halloween was not celebrated in Colonial America, but that doesn’t mean we can’t incorporate a bit of...
by gwffoundation | Sep 19, 2024 | Developing America, Founding Figures, Lives & Legacies
In 1824, the United States was approaching its national jubilee—50 years of independence. President James Monroe, looking to create a wave of patriotism and celebration, invited the last surviving General of the American Revolutionary War, an American hero and icon,...
by gwffoundation | Feb 15, 2024 | Archaeology, Children, Founding Figures, George Washington's Ferry Farm, Lives & Legacies, Washington family, Washington in the World
Not every president gets their birthday celebrated every year with a federal holiday, but George Washington, a favorite of his countrymen and the first president, has had that privilege since 1879. But one year was a little different from the others: 1932. It...
by gwffoundation | Nov 15, 2023 | Archaeology, Daily Life in the 1700s, Developing America, Holiday History, Lives & Legacies, Washington family
Thanksgiving is next week, and families and friends across the United States will gather again to celebrate the past year’s blessings. Days for giving thanks have been proclaimed throughout history for many reasons – most often to celebrate a bountiful...
