Letter, George Washington to John Mercer, April 20, 1759

John Mercer was one of the most eminent attorneys in Virginia, and had been retained by George Washington to help in the settlement of the Custis estate after George’s marriage to Martha Custis. In this letter, George asks Mercer a series of detailed legal questions about the settlement, including questions about Martha’s dower slaves and his own legal status regarding Martha’s surviving children from her first marriage. The letter is revealing in terms of expected gender roles in colonial America. Almost immediately after George and Martha’s marriage, George assumed responsibility for managing the Custis estate, even though Martha had proven herself a capable custodian during the two years after Daniel Parke Custis’s death.

1759-04-20

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