The Material Culture of the Presidency

In 1789, George Washington received this custom-bound copy of the Acts of Congress, which included the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. His signature appears on the title page, and he pasted his engraved armorial bookplate on the inside front cover. 

In a highly unusual move, Washington made several annotations in the margins of this volume (he typically took notes on separate sheets of paper while reading). In the text of the Constitution, he marked the passages relating to the powers of the president, clearly preparing for the unprecedented leadership role he had recently assumed.

In furnishing his executive residences, George Washington wanted to convey that Americans were not unsophisticated and provincial, as European stereotypes often portrayed them. 

In 1790, when French minister Elénor-François-Elie, Comte de Moustier, returned to Europe, Washington took over his New York City residence and purchased many of its stylish French furnishings. 

Items like this upholstered side chair, part of a matching set, demonstrated to visitors that the American president maintained elegantly appointed interiors despite his distance from the style centers of Europe. The white paint and green and yellow silk upholstery are modern treatments.

Alliances with Native American tribes were extremely important to the young United States. 

George Washington’s administration presented silver peace medals to Native American leaders as gestures of goodwill and attempts to cultivate loyalty to the U.S. government. The design of the 1789 peace medal featured a Native American chief and a classical warrior. 

Such gifts were prized possessions among Native leaders, who often wore the medals around their necks as symbols of power.