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Let’s learn about George Washington & make some apple fritters from a recipe adapted from the 1747 publication of Hannah Glasse’s The Art of Cookery made Plain and Simple– this book would have surely been at Washington’s home at Mount Vernon and used by Martha Washington and the enslaved cooks there. Apple fritters would certainly have been served at the table at Mount Vernon at some point, especially given the easy availability of the ingredients! The recipe for the fritters is below.
Washington- first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen. As we study, we have to be really careful to remember he was human, nothing more, nothing less. There’s a great national myth around him that creates confusion about the reality of Washington with the myth of him. When we study the founding generation we have to avoid getting involved in hero worship.
Now that we’ve said that- who was GW exactly? Well…. He was a regular guy at first. No inheritance, no extensive education, and no family business. He used the military to raise his position. The military created his values and enforced them.
He married Martha on Jan 6, 1759– she came with 7000 acres of land and 250 enslaved people left to her by her first husband. She chose him, mostly because he was totally handsome. She was smart, vivacious, and optimistic– she was very charming! They had no children together. Martha’s children came from her first husband, Daniel Parke Custis, and she outlived them all.
Enslavement was one of the ways the Washingtons could live the way they did. Washington could be gone for long periods of time because he had no children, and Martha could travel, especially during the American Revolution to be at encampments with GW because enslavement allowed them to be gone for long periods of time with the two surviving children, Jacky and Patsy, cared for. While we can admire GW’s service & sacrifices, we also have to remember that the foundation of that was enslavement- we don’t erase it.
Speaking of, GW was also an entrepreneur. He was good at envisioning business and the economy both personally and nationally. He was involved in the seizure of indigenous land, which was necessary for Westward expansion- again good for personal and national economy. Indian loss was Washington’s gain– the Haudenosaunee called him “Town Destroyer.”
The complexity of the 1770s and 1780s showed what GW was up against when our country was created.
- The greatest army & navy in the world (Britain)
- He had an all-volunteer army.
- Public apathy.
- Public loyalism.
- Ineffective government.
While he lost more battles than he won, he was the primary strategist that led to American victory in the revolution Congress created the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, and John Adams nominated George Washington to serve as the army’s Commander-in- Chief. Prior to his appointment, he had never commanded a large army in the field!
Not only did Washington have the most military experience amongst the Congressional delegates, but as John Adams pointed out there were also great political advantages in having someone outside of New England take command of a military force that was congregated around Boston and largely made up of New Englanders. The American Revolution and independence needed buy-in and couldn’t be seen as New England’s war with England– it needed to be a colonial war and having a Virginian lead the army helped with that necessary buy-in.
Arriving shortly after the conclusion of the Battle of Bunker Hill, Washington moved swiftly to assume command of the ragtag forces surrounding besieging the British garrison within the city of Boston. What Washington did not realize at the time was that it would be six long years of battle, marching, siege, crises, and winter encampments before Washington had an opportunity to return to his beloved Mount Vernon. In September 1781, as the combined American and French forces made their way down to Yorktown, Virginia, Washington was able to make a brief visit to his home along the Potomac River. During this visit, Washington and Rochambeau refined their plan for defeating Charles Cornwallis’ forces trapped on the York Peninsula.
He resigned his command of the Continental Army in 1783; there was no precedent of a person laying down all that power. He believed the power lies with the people, not the military. This is also why he resigned from the presidency after 2 terms, which was also unprecedented.
Apple Fritter Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2c flour
- 3/4c dark ale
- 4 large apples cut into half inch slices
- 2c heavy cream
- 1/4tsp nutmeg
- 1/4tsp ginger
- pinch of salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 c sugar
Combine dark ale and heavy cream. On the stovetop, heat the mixture until just warm enough for your finger to touch it. While heating, mix together the flour, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Add 4 egg whites to the dry mixture and whisk. It will be crumbly. When the cream & ale mixture is warm enough (but not boiling!), whisk into the flour mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Stiffen the egg whites then fold them into the refrigerated batter. Heat 2c canola oil or lard in a frying pan. Dip apple slices in batter and when the oil is hot, drop battered apples into the oil for 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until the batter turns golden brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and rest on a paper towel to soak up excess oil. If desired, mix cinnamon & sugar and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. Enjoy!
