Martha Washington

Martha Washington (1731–1802) was an American historical figure best known as the wife of George Washington and the first First Lady of the United States. Born Martha Dandridge, she married planter Daniel Parke Custis and was widowed before marrying Washington in 1759. During the American Revolutionary War she spent winters with the Continental Army at encampments such as Valley Forge, supporting morale and organizing aid for soldiers. As First Lady from 1789 to 1797, she helped shape the social role of the new presidency through formal receptions in New York and Philadelphia. Her surviving correspondence is sometimes published and quoted.