Activity: Make a Lady’s Cap
Martha Washington actually had a life before she met
George. To honor her birthday this month, a brief look at her first love story.
Born in Virginia June 2, 1731 Martha Dandridge, the eldest
of eight children, mastered the multitude of housewifery skills so important to
a girl’s upbringing. With some formal education mixed in, Miss Dandridge was
well prepared to find a husband, a female’s main job in colonial America. Martha’s
kindness and vivacious personality charmed Daniel Parke Custis, a man twenty
years her senior and one of Virginia’s wealthiest men.
The promise of a peaceful home life with Miss
Dandridge appealed to Daniel. His parents’ bitter marriage required a legal document
spelling out they’d refrain from calling one another “vile names” and other
abuses. The Custis and Parke family sagas featured contested wills, bizarre
behavior, rages and illegitimate children. No wonder Daniel sought refuge with
calm, good-natured Martha!
