EDUCATORS ’ PERSPECTIVE
Library of Congress
Lithograph of George Washington standing among field workers at Mount Vernon , by Junius Brutus Stearns , circa 1853 .
When Washington left his surveying business to join the Virginia militia during the French and Indian War , he was able to see the Ohio River Valley for himself . After King George II set aside lands in Ohio for veterans of the war , Washington quickly took advantage of the grant and was eventually able to secure about 30,000 acres through the land grant process .
Although his holdings in Ohio were vast , Washington faced several obstacles in developing them . Relations with Native Americans in the area deteriorated to the point that it was too dangerous to settle there . Squatters also moved in on Washington ’ s land holdings and caused no end of trouble for him . Incompetent managers on Washington ’ s far-off land holdings often impeded their development and delayed the opening of these lands for settlement . Nevertheless , Washington persisted and was able to build substantial wealth from his Ohio land holdings .
Washington also invested in the Great Dismal Swamp Land Company in 1763 . The company intended to develop the last undeveloped tract of land in the Virginia Tidewater . Washington hoped to harvest timber from the swamp and transform the swamp ’ s rich soil into productive farms . The risks were substantial , but Washington carefully weighed those risks before making the investment . Unfortunately , the Revolutionary War interfered with the company ’ s development plans .
Land was the bedrock of Washington ’ s wealth . He understood its enormous potential and invested aggressively . Although there were many setbacks , his vast landholdings would ultimately reward him with great wealth .
Whiskey
Late in life , Washington decided to build a commercial grade distillery . The idea came from his Scottish-born farm manager , James Anderson ; after Washington ’ s
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