The fame of the founding fathers has echoed through generations. Less known, though, are what we sometimes call the founding mothers: the women whose strength of personality, political intelligence, and social graces furthered the cause of independence as much as any men in uniform did.
This spring, Colonial Williamsburg’s Revolutionary City welcomes one such woman: Martha Jefferson. Married to Thomas Jefferson during the course of his political introduction and ultimate ascendancy, Martha was the pillar of his life. The two shared a strong bond, anchored by a love of music, books, and home.
No easy life was Martha’s; widowed at 20 years of age, she met future husband Thomas Jefferson after having buried her first husband and a 4-year-old son named John. She bore six more children with Jefferson, of which only two survived to adulthood. She died at 34, having seen a revolution succeed with her husband at its heart.
Actor-Interpreter Annalise Weindel introduces Martha Jefferson, whom she’ll portray on the streets of the Revolutionary City.
Read more about the women of the Revolution.
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