We left off last week with George Washington leaving Philadelphia in March, 1791, just after the first Congress finally ended. The Second Congress did not plan to meet until December, giving Washington nine months before he needed to be back in the capital.
Long Island and Rhode Island
As president, Washington hoped to visit all of the states in the Union. I mentioned back in Episode 366 that Washington took a tour of the New England states in 1789 during the Congressional recess. Following his 1789 tour of New England, Washington also took a short tour of Long Island in April of 1790.
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| Washington at Charleston |
On the morning of April 20, Washington took a ferry across the East River to Brooklyn. He had sent his coach ahead of him. He was accompanied only by a few servants and his military aide, Major William Jackson. His personal secretary Tobias Lear, was away getting married at the time.
While most of his tours were about visiting towns, his Long Island tour seemed more about the travel. Washington covered more than 40 miles on most days. He stopped in a few small towns and taverns along the way, but since the trip was unannounced, he was able to avoid lengthy ceremonies from the locals. He did, however, make a point of visiting Setauket and meeting with several members of the Culper Spy Ring who had helped him during the war, and who he had never met in-person before.
After five days, Washington returned to New York. His diary is mostly full of discussions of the soil and of the efforts of locals to rebuild after years of British occupation during the war. He also recommended building a lighthouse near Montauk, the eastern end of Long Island.
Later in 1790, in August, Washington made another trip. During his 1789 tour, Washington had avoided Rhode Island because it had not yet joined the Union. After Rhode Island finally ratified, Washington scheduled a visit to that State.
Unlike his earlier presidential tours, when Washington only travelled with a few servants, he was accompanied on his trip to Rhode Island by a sizable party of other officials, including Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, New York Governor George Clinton and Supreme Court Justice John Blair. During his 1789 tour, Washington had travelled by coach so that he could stop in all the local towns along the way and meet with the people. Rhode Island was meant to be a much faster, in and out trip, so the group simply sailed from New York City directly to Newport.
Locals, of course, celebrated his visit - greeting him with cannons and parades. The town’s leaders greeted him at the wharf and escorted him through town. It was during this visit that the president visited the Jewish Congregation in Newport, giving an address that assured them that religious toleration in America was not limited to Christians. In an address that Washington wrote in cooperation with Jefferson, he famously said
For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.
Washington spent only one night in Newport, before boarding another ship the following day to return to New York City.
Southern Tour
So, by 1791, Washington had toured all of New England, and was already well acquainted with the mid-Atlantic States, where he had regularly traveled between his home in Virginia and the capitals in New York and Philadelphia.
Up until this time Washington had never visited the south. His southernmost trip came in 1751, when he travelled by ship with his brother Lawrence to visit Barbados for Lawrence’s health. Lawrence did not get better, and George contracted smallpox. That trip was by ship and did not stop at any other colony on the continent.
Washington may have gone into part of North Carolina in the early 1760s when he was touring the Great Dismal Swamp in search of western lands for investment. Part of that swamp is in southern Virginia and part in northern North Carolina. In any event, he did not visit any of the major cities of the southern colonies before his 1791 trip. During the Revolution, Washington never travelled south of Virginia, leaving that fighting to other generals.
A couple of weeks after Congress adjourned in 1791, Washington packed up and headed south. Spring rains had made the roads muddy and travel difficult.
As I said last week, his first objective was to visit Georgetown, Maryland, where he met with property owners, trying to finalize the land deal for the new federal capital. Because the roads were so bad, he made the first part of his trip by boat to Annapolis, then overland to Baltimore. In both towns he was received by leading politicians and subjected to ceremonies and parades.
Travel in the south was very different from the north. Most southerners who wanted to travel to another state, went by boat. Overland travel was much less common. The roads were in much worse shape. There were far fewer taverns or public houses to provide room and board for travellers. Washington, of course, wanted to go overland so that he could meet the people along the way. But that proved difficult.
In preparation for the trip, Washington had a new coach built that could handle the rougher roads that he expected to encounter. Washington had also fired his driver a few months earlier due to excessive drinking. His new driver was a Hessian who spoke questionable English.
As he did during his New England tour, the president travelled without a retinue of leaders. Once again, William Jackson accompanied him, serving as both bodyguard and secretary. The rest of the travellers were hired staff and slaves.
Washington’s new coach used four horses. A baggage wagon required another two horses. Another five horses were brought for riding, including Washington’s white charger, that he typically rode into large towns. The president also brought his greyhound, who he named “Cornwallis.”
Starting Out
After his negotiations in Georgetown, and a meeting with L’Enfant and his commissioners, Washington traveled back to Mount Vernon, where he rested for a week. He left home feeling refreshed and in good spirits. That feeling didn’t last long.
When he reached the Occaquon River, about then miles from Mount Vernon, he had to take a ferry to cross the river. About fifty feet from shore, his horses got spooked and fell into the river, almost dragging the carriage with them. Servants were able to release the horses and save the carriage. The horses were able to swim to shore and were recovered. The accident was a stressful one and took time for everyone to recover. As a result, they did not reach Fredericksburg until eight days after leaving Mount Vernon, a distance of less than fifty miles.
Fredericksburg was one of the areas where Washington grew up. He visited his widowed sister, Betty Washington Lewis, who was running the plantation where their mother was buried after she had died two years earlier. Washington had arrived without notice, but after a day, friends and neighbors got the word and quickly threw together a tribute for their native son. The following morning, Washington left town before 6:00 AM, but a local escort was ready to lead him out of town.
The wagons headed next for Richmond, where Washington got a tour of the James River locks and canals being built in the area. Washington had long been a supporter of these improvements for commerce. He was a stockholder in the James River Canal Company. He later donated these shares to create an endowment at Liberty Hall in Lexington, today known as Washington and Lee University.
After four days in Richmond, and it would be Washington’s last visit to that town, he continued south to Petersburg with more honorary dinners and celebrations. .
The Carolinas
The weapons then headed south taking several more days to reach North Carolina. During this leg of the journey the travelers faced a torrential downpour. They would have stopped and taken shelter, but could not find anywhere to stop. As a result, it ended up being one of the longest travel days of the journey, travelling 46 miles before they reached Halifax, North Carolina.
Despite the rain the carriage were able to cross the Roanoke River into Halifax. One of Halifax’s leading residents was Willie Jones, the leader of the anti-federalist movement in North Carolina. Jones had led the effort to reject the Constitution, causing North Carolina to become one of only two states to reject ratification until after the new government began to meet. Washington had been warned ahead of time that, although Jones respected Washington as a person, he would not share a meal with any US president, still believing the Federal government would destroy their freedoms.
Instead, Washington met with Congressman John Ashe, who hosted a dinner with the friendlier leaders of the area. Typically, these dinners would include at least 13 toasts. Popular toasts included to the Union, to Congress, to the sacrifices of the Continental Army, etc. The late Benjamin Franklin would often be remembered, as would the King of France, the French Assembly, the Marquis de Lafayette. Also, more general ones such as peace and liberty. The president would usually offer one toast to the state he was visiting. Of course, a toast to the president himself was also a big one. Although everyone wanted to meet the president, particularly welcome guests were local politicians, fellow masons, as well as veteran officers from the Society of the Cincinnati.
Washington continued his trek through North Carolina. Through much of the area, there were not even small towns to visit. His diary records days of seeing nothing but pine trees. Roads were poorly marked. The drivers also took wrong turns, sometimes missing nearby taverns or small villages. Usually, they could find some isolated village or cabin to give them shelter for the night, but this was a very uninhabited area of the country.
The coaches were headed for Wilmington, on the coast. It was about two and a half weeks since leaving Mount Vernon that they arrived in Wilmington on Easter Sunday. The town was aware of their approach. An escort met them about fourteen miles outside of town.
Wilmington was a relatively large town for the area, but still had a population of only about 1000 people. Since there were no hotels, Washington stayed at the home of a local widow. To avoid any hint of scandal, the homeowner stayed with relatives and gave Washington’s party the use of her home. Although it was Easter, Washington did not attend church services. Once again, the people celebrated the president’s arrival with cannons, parades, and parties. After two days and nights, Washington was once again on the road, leaving around dawn.
From Wilmington, the party stayed along the Atlantic coast, taking two days to reach the South Carolina border. They reached Georgetown, South Carolina on Saturday April 30, four days after leaving Wilmington.
Although Georgetown had a population of maybe only 500 people, they all turned out. A group of specially uniformed sea captains carried Washington into the city by water, where he enjoyed the typical greetings and parties. He noted attending a tea party with over 50 local ladies present. The next day, they were on the move again, headed for Charleston.
As the largest city in the south, Charleston pulled out all the stops for the president. An honor guard, including Governor Charles Pickney, greeted the president and escorted him into the city via a barge. Again, since there were no decent hotels, the city rented the private home of Thomas Heyward and provided domestic servants for the president’s stay.
He attended parties, dances and dinners every night, including one at the exchange building where 400 people crammed into the small building. In addition to the usual parties and parades, Washington took time to visit Fort Moultrie and Fort Johnson, which were the sites of important battles during the war.
Washington remained in Charleston for a week remaining until Sunday May 7 when he attended services at both St. Philip’s and St. Michael’s. He left Charleston the following day.
Before he left the state, he had one final visit he wanted to make. Although he was headed south for Georgia, he rode north out of Charleston to visit Sandy Hill Plantation, the home of his cousin William Washington.
William was actually the son of George Washington’s second cousin. The two men did not know each other well through their family lines. But the younger Washington had proven himself a capable cavalry leader during the war. Born and raised in Virginia, Colonel Washington had served under Generals Lincoln, Gates, and Greene in South Carolina, tangling several times with British Colonel Tarleton’s cavalry. He had been taken prisoner near the end of the war after being injured at Eutaw Springs. While on parole as a prisoner, he met and married Jane Riley Elliot whose family owned the Sandy Hill Plantation. After the war, William managed the plantation and specialized in breeding horses. George Washington, also a horse breeder, enjoyed discussing the subject and agreed to send William a sire for breeding mules.
Georgia and the Return North
After that, Washington headed for Georgia, the last state that he would visit. The trip to Savannah was delayed by a short stop at the Mulberry Grove Plantation, along the Savannah River. Georgia had given the plantation to General Nathanael Greene for his service in protecting Georgia’s independence during the war. Greene died of heatstroke back in 1786, but Washington met with his widow, Caty Greene who still lived there. During the War, Washington has spent hours dancing with Caty at various parties. The two spend a few hours reminiscing before Washington continued on his way.
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| Washington carried into Savanna |
Savannah would be the southernmost point of Washington’s trip. He had mostly traveled down the eastern parts of the states to get there. For his return trip, Washington mapped out a route along the western frontiers of the southern states.
He spent three days in Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, where he enjoyed a dinner and a reception at the state house. He then visited the Camden battlefield and Baron DeKalb’s grave. He then moved on to Charlotte, North Carolina and then to Salem. He remained an extra day in Salem to allow Governor Alexander Martin to get there and offer his complements. Martin had not only served as a colonel in the Continental Army, he was one of the leading political leaders that finally convinced North Carolina to ratify the Constitution. Washington then accompanied Martin to his plantation, where he remained overnight. The two men also visited the Guilford Court House battlefield.
By the time Washington crossed back into southern Virginia, it was already early June. He passed through a number of small towns in western Virginia before finally returning to Mount Vernon by mid-June.
Probably worn out by his travels, Washington took two weeks to relax at home. Martha, and the grandchildren they were raising were still up in Philadelphia. He caught up on his correspondence and spent some time riding around his properties.
At the end of June, Washington was back in his coach again, headed north. He did not go directly to Philadelphia. Instead, he headed back to Georgetown, where he reviewed the progress on the federal city with the commissioners and landowners. He spent a couple of days riding around with L’Enfant and Ellicott to get a better idea of how the new city was being laid out. From there he rode up to Frederick Maryland, then on to York and Lancaster in Pennsylvania for more receptions and parades.
Washington remained in Lancaster for the celebration of the 15th anniversary of independence. The following day, he started out for Philadelphia, arriving back at the capital on July 6. The people of Philadelphia also welcomed him back with celebrations and parades.
Conclusion
President Washington covered about 1900 miles on his southern tour, probably more than any civilian had ever travelled overland in a single trip in America. It was a difficult and probably sometimes tedious journey, but Washington felt it was important to visit each of the states of the union. As he wrote to a friend a few days after his return:
I am much pleased that I have taken this journey as it has enabled me to see with my own eyes the situation of the country thro’ which we travelled, and to learn more accurately the disposition of the people than I could have done by any information. The country appears to be in an improving state, and industry and frugality are becoming much more fashionable than that have hitherto been there—Tranquility reigns among the people, with that disposition towards the general government which is likely to preserve it—They begin to feel the good effects of equal laws and equal protection.
Having visited all of the thirteen original states, Washington would not embark on another major tour of the country again. He never felt the need to visit Vermont or Kentucky to welcome them into the Union. The time for his longer travels was done.
Next week: I know I promised to get to this topic this week, but I had too much to say. So next week, we will cover Washington’s second state of the Union address.
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Next Episode 371 Planning Washington, DC (coming soon)
Previous Episode 369 First Bank of the United States
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Further Reading
Websites
Dobson, Meade C. George Washington’s Presidential Tour of Long Island Retraced Over His Route of 1790. The Quarterly Journal of the New York State Historical Association , Vol. 8, No. 3, July, 1927), pp. 246-251 https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/43553885.pdf
George Washington and Rhode Island: https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/rhode-island
“George Washington to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, 18 August 1790,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-06-02-0135
Washington’s Southern Tour: https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-first-president/george-washingtons-1791-southern-tour
The Tale of Washington’s Horse https://www.ccpl.org/charleston-time-machine/tail-washingtons-horse
Free eBooks
(from archive.org unless noted)
Brant, Irving James Madison: Father of the Constitution, 1787-1800. Bobbs-Merrill Co. 1950 (borrow only).
Byran, Wilhelmus B. A History of the National Capital, Vol. 1: 1790-1814. New York: MacMillan Co. 1914.
Henderson, Archibald Washington’s Southern Tour 1791, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1923.
Losing, Benson (ed) The Diary of George Washington, From 1789 to 1791, Richmond: Press of the Historical Society, 1861.
Malone, Dumas Jefferson and the Rights of Man, Little Brown and Co. 1951. (borrow only).
Tindall, William Origin and Government of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1909.
Books Worth Buying
(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*
Bingham, Warren L. George Washington’s 1791 Southern Tour, History Press, 2016.
Breen, T.H. George Washington’s Journey, Simon & Schuster, 2016.
Conley, Patrick T & John P. Kaminski The Constitution and the States: The Role of the Original Thirteen in the Framing and Adoption of the Federal Constitution, Madison House, 1988 (borrow only on archive.org).
Philbrick , Nathaniel Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy, Viking, 2021.
Bordewich, Fergus M. Washington: The Making of the American Capital, Amistad, 2008.
Bowling, Kenneth R. Creation of Washington D.C.: The Idea and Location of the American Capital, Rl Innactive Titles, 1991.
Chernow, Ron Washington, A Life, Penguin Press, 2010.
Elkins, Stanley M. and Eric McKitrick, The Age of Federalism: The Early American Republic, 1788–1800, Oxford Univ. Press, 1993 (borrow on archive.org).
Ellis, Joseph J. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, Knopf, 2000.
Grasso, Joanne S. George Washington's 1790 Grand Tour of Long Island, History Press, 2018.
Leibiger, Stuart Founding Friendship: George Washington, James Madison, and the Creation of the American Republic, Univ. of Virginia Press, 1999.
Randall, Willard Sterne Thomas Jefferson: A Life, Henry Holt and Co. 1993.
* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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