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

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. Matthew R. Costello traces this process through 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. 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 . In The Nineteenth Century, George Washington Became Remembered As A Man Of The Common People And The Father Of American Democracy, Despite The Fact He Was An Aristocratic Elite Who Believed In A Strong Centralized Government. Following His Death In 1799, The Political Leaders And Social Elites Of The Time Competed For Control Of His Memory And Symbolic Status, Seeking To Use Washington As A Figurehead For Their Particular Cause. But These Episodes Shed Little Light On How The Greater American Populace Remembered Him. In The Property Of The Nation, Matthew Costello Tells The Story Of Washington's Tomb, The Popularity Of Which Tells Us More About How Ordinary Americans Remembered, Shared, And Believed In A Variety Of Narratives That Made Washington A Man Of The People. The Tomb Served As An Intersection For Historical Tourism, Race And Class Relations, Popular Culture, And Religious Expression, All Facets Of Life Transformed By The Growth Of Political Democracy. These Experiences Illuminate How The Democratic Impulse Transcended The Present, As More Americans Sought To Know, Touch, And Even Possess Pieces Of Washington's Past-- The Body Republic : Pater Patriae And The Politics Of Disinterment -- There's Money In Old George's Bones : John Augustine Washington Iii And The Advent Of Historical Tourism -- Cultivators Of Legend : Enslaved Storytellers At Mount Vernon -- Frontiersman, Solider, And Farmer : The Democratic Washington In Popular Culture -- The Civic Pilgrimage : Washington's Tomb And The Veneration Of Washington Relics -- Guardians Of A National Shrine : The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association And The Legacy Of Washington -- Conclusion: Washington Of The People, By The People, For The People. Matthew R. Costello. Revision Of The Author's 2016 Dissertation The Property Of The Nation : Democracy And The Memory Of George Washington, 1799-1865. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 289-326) And Index. "In the nineteenth century, George Washington became remembered as a man of the common people and the father of American democracy, despite the fact he was an aristocratic elite who believed in a strong centralized government. Following his death in 1799, the political leaders and social elites of the time competed for control of his memory and symbolic status, seeking to use Washington as a figurehead for their particular cause. But these episodes shed little light on how the greater American populace remembered him. In The Property of the Nation, Matthew Costello tells the story of Washington's tomb, the popularity of which tells us more about how ordinary Americans remembered, shared, and believed in a variety of narratives that made Washington a man of the people. The tomb served as an intersection for historical tourism, race and class relations, popular culture, and religious expression, all facets of life transformed by the growth of political democracy. These experiences illuminate how the democratic impulse transcended the present, as more Americans sought to know, touch, and even possess pieces of Washington's past"-- Provided by publisher Despite being an affluent slave owner who believed social hierarchy was vital to America's survival, George 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 this study, was a deliberately constructed image, shaped and reshaped over time.