 Good afternoon. I'm Patrick Madden, the Executive Director of the National Archives Foundation on behalf of the National Archives and the Foundation. Happy July 4th. It wouldn't be a July 4th without a little excitement. And because of the last year, you can imagine some technical delays. So we are going to try and make our way through this program right now. We're glad that you stuck with us. And I know you're going to have a lot of questions for Martha Washington. The National Archives is the nonprofit partner to the National Archives. We're delighted to partner with the archives on these terrific programs today. I want to thank our sponsors, John Hancock, AARP, and Dykema, who have helped us make these programs possible. You couldn't pick a better day to share with the National Archives. I'm sure you're curious and wondering what she's going to talk about. And we want to jump right to it. But before we do that, in the YouTube chat, let us know where you're watching from. Throw your hometown and state in there. And I'll give you a shout out later on. Now, for our special guests, allow me to introduce the first First Lady, someone who knows all about the revolution in the start of our country. This is Martha Washington. Happy July 4th. Are you with us? And the same. I hope I am. Can I certainly be seen and heard? Yes, indeed you are. I know you have a lot of insights and you have lots to share with us. So I'm going to turn the program over to you. Thank you so very much, Mr. Madden, for inviting me to speak today. And I must begin by admitting I am unaccustomed to speaking formally to large groups of people. And in all honesty, I have been drawn very reluctantly into the public arena. However, on this auspicious occasion of the celebration of independence, I am most certainly willing to chat for a few moments regarding my own experiences during those tumultuous times when our nation was born. But first, everyone must understand that prior to the War of Independence, I lived a life of relative tranquility as a plantation mistress in Virginia under our own vine and fig tree at Mount Vernon. Why, our usual day would begin with Mr. Washington and I rising before dawn for a light breakfast. And then he off time rides about and inspects the farms. And it has always been my habit to begin my day with an hour of prayer and the reading of the scriptures and domestic duties. They will consume the remainder of my day until dinner is served in the mid afternoon. But our tranquil, gentry life, it came to an abrupt close in June of 1775 when I received letters from Philadelphia City where Mr. Washington was attending the second of the Continental Congresses. And perhaps you might bear with me today for a few moments as I read just small amounts of those letters written to me by my husband. My dearest, I am now sit down to write you on a subject that fills me with inexpressible concern. It has been determined in Congress that the whole army raised for the defense of the American cause shall be put under my care. You may believe me, my dear Patsy. Oh, Patsy, of course. That's the endearing nickname my husband uses for me. You may believe me when I assure you in the most solemn manner that so far from seeking this appointment I have used every endeavor in my power to avoid it. Well, I would say that you have to understand he might have said he used every endeavor to avoid the appointment. But when Mr. Washington left Mount Vernon, he was wearing his new blue and buff Virginia militia uniform. He looked like a soldier, for he was a soldier. And I, I had to send him off like a Spartan mother, knowing he would stand firm to whatever commitment he would make to the voice of his countrymen. And then he continued as it has been a kind of destiny that has thrown me upon this service, I go fully trusting. And that providence, which has been more bountiful to me than I deserve, and in full confidence of a happy meeting with you in the fall. I retain an unalterable affection for you, which neither time nor distance can change. My dear Patsy, yours entire George Washington, I retain an unalterable affection for you, or how I treasure those words. But the general, the general failed to tell me that our happy meeting in the fall would mean that I would be traveling to him and travel, I did. Every winter of the war, that first winter, I traveled all the way to Cambridge, Massachusetts. And our travel took us through the city of Philadelphia. And what a figure our arrival made in the Philadelphia papers. And when I left that city, it was in as great pump as if I was a very great somebody. Now, at Cambridge, I will admit, I heard a number of cannon and shells. And to me, that had never seen anything of the preparations of war. Well, it was very terrible indeed. But I endeavored that I would keep my fears to myself as well as I could. I confess, I shudder every time I hear the sound of a gun. Now, when the British, they finally vacated Boston, then Mrs. Warren and I, that would be Mercy Otis Warren, we contented ourselves with a view from afar of the deserted lines of the enemy and the ruins of Charleston. You must understand that I was unable to enter the city, as did Katie Green and other of the wives, due to the great contagion of the smallpox. The general, he considered thepox a threat greater than the sword of the enemy. While door and siege, it even appeared that the British purposefully allowed victims of thepox to leave Boston, hoping, of course, as the general thought, that they would infect the American camp. The general believed that that was a weapon of defense the British were trying to use against us. But very thankfully, the general had contracted the disease while visiting Barbados, when he was a young man of only 19. And therefore, the general had a lifelong immunity to smallpox. But as for myself, well, I did not. And I have always suffered from a great fear of illness besieging my family. I have seen many of my loved ones lost to illness, so much so that when my only surviving child, my son, Jackie Castis, when he took the smallpox inoculation, the knowledge of his inoculation was withheld from me until after he safely recovered. Have I been aware that Jackie was undergoing the procedure? My uneasiness would have known no bounds. But later in the spring of 1776, I faced a troubling dilemma. We traveled from Boston to New York and once again, smallpox was rampant. I understood for well that if I desired to be with the general, unsolid by apprehensions of contracting that disorder, then I must undergo inoculation for myself. But the general doubted my resolution to do so. How quickly sometimes a husband will underestimate the resolution of his helpmate. And so later in the spring, Congress called the general to Philadelphia. And on the very day of our arrival, that would have been May 23rd, 1776, on that very day, I underwent the inoculation. Dr. William Shippen attended. Three weeks of quarantine followed while I remained at Randolph's lodging house. I refused the very generous offer of Mr. Hancock to stay in his home. And I got through the procedure very favorably with not more than about a dozen pastures. Oh, I apologize. Perhaps that is more than you desire to know, but the truthfulness is assured. Now, upon my recovery, I followed the general back to New York City. And when I left Philadelphia, that city was in heated debate over the possibility of declaring our United Colonies free in independent states. I was in New York only a few days when general Hal's ships arrived in the harbor. And so I was quickly dispatched again to Philadelphia along with Lucy Knox. And thus, just by chance, I found myself in the environs of Philadelphia when our declaration was adopted by Congress on July 4th of 1776. And on July 8th, independence was publicly proclaimed in Philadelphia to the ringing of bells. Whilst in New York, the general had the declaration read to the troops. And King George's statue came tumbling down to make it perfectly clear. As commander-in-chief, General Washington never signed our declaration, but he was an unwavering advocate of independence. And I, in turn, I did not waver in my desire to be with the general, even if it meant undergoing inoculation for smallpox. So that I might soften the hours of private life and sweeten the cares of the hero and smooth the rugged scenes of war. For eight long years, my travel to every winter encampment became the regular pattern of my own deranged life. I was not unlike those poor women who had very little choice but to follow their own soldiers from camp to camp. And many of these women were upon the strength of the army as washer women and cooks, nurses, and the misery of these wretched souls. While it was nearly unspeakable, as they suffered the same deprivations of food and clothing and shelter, as did the soldiers. Now, as the wife of the commander-in-chief, I sold it as my duty, as well as my pleasure, to entertain the officers and their wives at the winter encampments with as much civility and society as could be accomplished in such difficult circumstances. And mind you, I was not the only lady in attendance at the winter encampments. Other officers' wives also came. These ladies, they were a fine character, strong fortitude, and they were also willing to withstand the privations of travel and camp to comfort their husbands. Like the heroines of antiquity, we of the desktop side, we wish to render ourselves really useful in our calls for independence. We wish to offer more than barren wishes for the success of the soldier, and our desire as women to be really useful became evident as the war dragged on. While in New Jersey, I remember that some of the best ladies came to call upon me in the encampments, and they were dressed in all their finery, ruffles and silks, only to find me with a speckled apron on, knitting socks. I reminded these fine ladies that with the deprivations of a war, women must become examples of persistent industry in Philadelphia. Upon the publication of Mrs. Esther Reed's broadside, the sentiments of an American woman, women began to petition in the very streets of Philadelphia, quill and ink stand in hand, soliciting monies and pledges from all women without any distinction. Quakers, patriots, loyalists, wealthy, the middling sort, all women were asked or controlled into contributing for the relief of the soldiers, relief that men refused to vote for in their respective state congresses. The offering of the ladies resulted in more than 2,000 shirts sewn for our needy soldiers. Time and again, women have proven to be ardent patriots, as a British officer proclaimed in great frustration, but unerring truth. Even if we destroy all the men in America, we should still have to conquer the women. Now in conclusion, perhaps I might be so bold as to suggest that we would not have won our war of independence without the offerings and sacrifices of the women as well as the men. The toll that war exacts knocks at every door, but sacrifice is inherent when we pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. Thank you very much for letting me visit. Thank you, Mrs. Washington. We do have some questions that have come in. We've obviously some limited time given our delayed start, which I apologize for, but I think it's an important question because it's something we're dealing with. Folks, our viewers are very familiar with. You talked about the vaccine vaccination, smallpox. Could you talk a little bit more about General Washington's effort and his decision to give the vaccination to the soldiers and how that was important? It was very important. This is true. And of course, first he was hesitant because of fearing that the soldiers would also need to be quarantined, and therefore that would put the army at a great disadvantage if so many of the soldiers were sick. But I do believe that it was in 1777 and also later at Valley Forge that he began to strongly support the inoculation of all the troops. And those new recruits, they also would have to be able to make sure that they had had the inoculation. The goal for the general was always to have an army that was strong and healthy. And undergoing the inoculation for the smallpox, even though again at first he was resistant became much of that his strategy for success. Thank you for asking. Very good. Thank you. So before we move to our education colleagues, do you have any closing thoughts for our viewers? For myself to give some closing thoughts, sir? Yes. Well, I do if you don't mind. And it's more so for me to consider what the future will hold for our new nation. May I be bold enough to speak my thoughts? Please. Thank you. And I surely hope to understand that women, women will be caught upon, I am sure, to raise up the next generation of citizens. And as women, we perform our duties at home. But women also desire to be useful in the world to have our voices heard. And the power and the influence of women should never be limited or diminished. We too are citizens of this nation. And as citizens of a republic, we must each be willing at times to sacrifice our own private interests, our own private inclinations and our comforts for the sake of our duty. But let your duty become your inclination and the consciousness of having attempted to do all the good in your power. And the pleasure of having your fellow citizens well satisfied with your conduct will doubtless be some compensation. But above all, the choice of duty over inclination will benefit the common good of this country and thereby secure its future. Thank you very much. Thank you. Well, we're so glad you're able to join us on this busy day. And it's wonderful to hear your perspective. I hope you enjoy the rest of your July 4th. I will indeed. And thank you for allowing me to celebrate with you, Mr. Madden, and all of your many friends today. Good day to you. Thank you. Now I'm going to turn it over to our colleagues at the Archives Education Team. Breanne Robinson will bring us a little bit more history around the founding and as well as her colleague, Sarah, who will walk us through one of the craps. Thank you, Patrick. When George Washington assumed command of the Continental Army in 1775, Martha Custis Washington also took an active role in the fight for colonial independence. Between 1775 and 1781, she traveled during the winter when fighting was quiet to join her husband at his winter encampment. It might surprise us today to know that she wasn't the only woman there, far from it, in fact. At the time, women were regular members of camp life. Some were wives of soldiers, while others supported the war effort by working as cooks, nurses, seamstresses, and washerwomen. Martha was the spouse of the commander-in-chief and so performed many important duties at camp. She copied letters and served as an intermediary for her husband. She comforted sick and wounded soldiers, and she hosted social activities to boost morale. Her concern for the well-being of the soldiers and her husband's charge led her to join Esther de Bergeried, Abigail Adams, and other prominent women in a campaign to support the Continental Army. American women provided direct aid to soldiers by making financial contributions, sewing, and gathering necessary supplies. Local groups collected funds, kept a record of each donation, and sent the contributions to the First Lady of her State, who in turn sent the donations to Martha Washington. Accounting books indicate that Mrs. Washington herself donated 6,000 pounds, or the equivalent of $20,000, to the campaign in October of 1780. George Washington praised the generosity and commitment of American women in a letter to Esther de Bergeried, saying, quote, this fresh mark of the patriotism of the ladies entitles them to the highest applause of their country. It is impossible for the Army not to feel a superior gratitude on such an instance of goodness. In addition to her role as a public figure during the war, Martha Washington was a valued confidant and sounding board for the commander in chief. In 1775, shortly after Congress tapped him to lead the Continental Army, General Washington wrote a letter to his wife, acknowledging his apprehension over this important assignment and anticipating his prolonged absence from home. This letter is one of only a few surviving letters between him and Martha. It shows that they shared a special relationship and helps us understand why Martha Washington would risk her safety to visit her husband during the winter encampments. She later destroyed nearly all of his letters to her to keep their relationship private. Illness was a special concern during the American struggle for independence. Smallpox is a contagious disease that causes symptoms ranging from fever, vomiting, severe headaches, rash, and muscle pain. Like most communicable diseases such as the coronavirus we are battling today, smallpox spread more easily where people lived close together, including in large cities and military encampments. Americans had little exposure to the disease and so were especially vulnerable to falling ill. This gave British troops an advantage over the Continental Army. It also meant that Martha Washington risked contracting smallpox by visiting the troops. Recognizing that smallpox had the potential to weaken American forces and impact the outcome of the Revolutionary War, George Washington sent a letter to Congress during the early siege on Boston warning that the disease was, quote, a weapon of defense the British are using against us, end quote. He later required all soldiers in the Continental Army to be inoculated to help protect them against future outbreaks. This would be the first of several government campaigns against infectious disease in our nation's history. One of the best-known drives took place in 1955, nearly 200 years after Washington inoculated the Continental Army. That year, the U.S. government licensed the first vaccine against polio and rolled out an ambitious campaign to inoculate children who were at greatest risk of contracting the disease. Similarly, the current vaccination campaign against COVID-19 is making history. Federal records from the White House, Congress, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for example, will eventually become part of the National Archives' holdings. George Washington, who recovered from smallpox as a teenager, had both immunity and insight into the disease. This gave him confidence in the inoculation process at a time when many feared it would further spread infection. It is likely for this reason that Martha Washington chose to be inoculated against smallpox in mid-May of 1776. After she built up immunity to the disease, she could safely visit her husband and the other soldiers at camp. She traveled to New York City to see General Washington for two weeks in June and then proceeded to Philadelphia, where the Continental Congress was meeting in early July. But George Washington did not go with her. As we just heard from Martha Washington, the General did not sign the Declaration of Independence. While the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, George Washington and his forces were in New York. The Continental Congress voted for independence on July 2nd, and a declaration explaining the reasons for independence largely written by Thomas Jefferson, whom we heard from earlier today, was adopted on July 4th. John Hancock, the President of the Congress, sent Washington official notification of the decision along with a copy of the Declaration. He wrote, quote, the Congress have judged it necessary to dissolve the connection between Great Britain and the American colonies and to declare them free and independent states, end quote. This would have been welcome news for Washington, who had been waiting for a Declaration for some time. He knew that thousands of enemy troops were landing on Staten Island and preparing for an attack on New York. We can learn about Washington's views on the revolution and American independence through surviving letters and military orders. You can explore some of these from the Founding Fathers Papers Project through Founders Online. On the evening of July 9th, 1776, Washington ordered thousands of continental soldiers to the parade grounds in Lower Manhattan. They had arrived recently from Boston to defend New York City from the British. Assembled promptly at 6 p.m. that evening, they heard the Declaration of Independence read aloud. Washington believed that his soldiers would commit to fight not only in defense of the colonies, but for the creation of a new nation. He explained to his troops that Congress had dissolved the connection between this country and Great Britain, declaring the United Colonies of North America to be free and independent states. The stirring words of Jefferson's Declaration followed. According to the proclamation, King George III had trampled on their inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And so the American people had a right to break from Great Britain and form a new nation. Citizens moved by the list of grievances and accompanying arguments for independence rushed down Broadway where they toppled and decapitated a large statue of the British monarch. The statue no longer embodied the political ideals they espoused and the Americans later melted down the figure to make bullets that would be needed in the coming battles. Meanwhile, Martha Washington was in Philadelphia where she would have witnessed the emergence of new traditions and symbols celebrating the birth of a new government. On July 8th, she may have heard the ringing of the Liberty Bell, which announced the first public reading of the Declaration in the courtyard behind the then Pennsylvania State House, known today as Independence Square. Following the reading and continuing into the night, the bells in the city rang in celebration. The Liberty Bell has since become an important reminder of the events surrounding the Declaration of Independence. For example, in 1962, 186 years after the first public reading of the proclamation, President John F. Kennedy visited the historic bell on July 4th before delivering a speech celebrating American independence. While Martha Washington may not have known it at the time, she too would become a key figure in our national memory of the Revolutionary War and American independence. Now, let's go to our National Archives educator, Sarah Lyons Davis in New York to enjoy a 4th of July treat, a patriotic ice cream sundae. Thank you, Breanne. Flag streamers and lanterns have been used in celebration of American independence since the days of the American Revolution. Symbols have conveyed messages and demonstrated ideas. Last year, we created a patriotic windsock to hang in your window. If you'd like to do that again, we've shared video instructions on our website. We also commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration with traditional activities. These can be shared events like watching firework displays or more personal gatherings of friends and family, cooking hot dogs or enjoying a refreshing ice cream on a hot summer day. George and Martha Washington loved ice cream and often served it to their guests. At the time, ice cream was a delicacy. It was expensive and took a lot of work to make. Growing up, my family used to make ice cream from scratch using an electric machine, ice and salt. It took a lot of time, adding ice and salt to make the milk freeze. Then you had to wait while it set. 18th century ice cream took even more time to make since the process had to be done by hand. Please join me now as I put together an ice cream sundae inspired by our national colors, red, white and blue. First, we need vanilla ice cream. This can be made from scratch if you plan ahead or you can just use store-bought frozen yogurt or ice cream like I have here today. I've let the ice cream soften so that it will be easier to scoop. With an ice cream scoop or a large spoon, place a serving of ice cream into your bowl. I'm next going to assemble my sundae with blueberries and strawberries, which I've previously washed and cut. Next, we're going to mash about two cups of fresh raspberries with two tablespoons of granulated sugar. This is going to be a topping, so make sure it gets nice and syrupy. Once it's ready, drizzle a little of the raspberry mix on top of your ice cream. For extra flourish on your sundae, you can add patriotic flag sprinkles or an American flag toothpick. Your patriotic red, white and blue treat is now ready to eat. But before you dive in, remember to share what you create with us. You can tweet us using the hashtag archive July 4th. Thanks, Brianna and Sarah. I am feeling like a midday dessert treat myself right now. Before we wrap up, I'm sure you're curious where you can get your George and Martha Washington gear. We have in the National Archives store our George Washington bobble head. We've got a terrific artistic addition to the mural in the National Archives. This is the mural from the Rotunda where we have an artist add some of the first ladies and women of the founding and Martha Washington is there. You can find these things along with much more patriotic swag at our website NationalArchiveStore.org. This week we have a 25% off of our patriotic collection. Use the code represent25. That's the word represent in the number 25. We'd also like to thank our sponsors, John Hancock, AARP and Daikama. Without their support for July 4th at the National Archives, it would not be possible. And of course, to all of our members who support us throughout the year. If you're curious about becoming a member, visit archivesfoundation.org. While you're waiting for the next program, just coming in a few minutes, don't forget to post on social using the hashtag archivesjuly4 and give us a little social love and follow us. And next up we've got Ned Hector who will be joining us followed by James Armistead Lafayette and Betsy Ross. So thank you for spending part of your day with us on behalf of the National Archives and the Archives Foundation. What is past is prologue, wave your flags, enjoy your patriotic day, and have a happy July 4th.