About the Book
William Gordon published The History of the Rise, Progress, and Establishment, of the Independence of the United States in 1788. Washington gave Gordon complete access to his wartime papers and correspondence on site at Mount Vernon in order to help him write the history, and later purchased two sets – one for himself, and one for his nephew George Augustine Washington.
The library was recently loaned Washington’s copy of the work, which will be on display for this event. This set contains nine engraved folding maps and plates, and each volume contains his signature and bookplate.
Sharp and Montgomery will discuss the fascinating story of Washington’s involvement with Gordon's publication, as well as his own emerging understanding of the importance of his personal papers – an understanding which foreshadowed the creation of the Washington Library at Mount Vernon.
Alexandra L. Montgomery
Dr. Alexandra L. Montgomery is Director of the Center for Digital History at the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon and one of the leads for the ARGO project. She holds a Ph.D. in early American history from the University of Pennsylvania.
When she is not wrangling digital projects about George Washington, her work focuses on land speculation, settler expansion, and mapping in eighteenth century North America.
Caroline Sharp
Caroline Sharp is the Special Collections Librarian at the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon. She holds a Master's degree from King's College London in Early Modern Literature: Text and Transmission as well as a Master's in Archives and Records Management from University College London.
Following a decade of study and employment in the UK, she is delighted to be in her home state of Virginia and at the Library. Her research interests include early modern and colonial libraries, archives, and epistolary practices.