Martha Washington
Martha Dandridge was born in 1731 to a wealthy family. At age 19 Martha married Daniel Parke Custis, who was 38. Martha became a widow in 1757 and received a third of her husband's estate.
"Although widowhood was burdensome and challenging, it also offered women greater freedom than they had as wives. Married women lived under the strictures of coverture. As defined by English common law, coverture meant that once a woman married she could not own property, sue or be sued in court, or make contracts. Widows, however, acted in place of the male head of household and were allowed to perform all these functions."
At age 26, Martha was widow but owned 300 slaves and 17,500 acres of land on which she planted tobacco. Most widows at that time remarried for financial support, but Martha was well off and decided to marry for love. Martha married George Washington in 1759 after knowing him for ten months.
"Their attraction was mutual, powerful, and immediate. Martha was charming, attractive, and, of course, wealthy. George had his own appeal. Over six foot two inches tall (compared with Martha, who was only five feet tall), George was an imposing figure whose reputation as a military leader preceded him. Like his future wife, Washington’s own social status had improved as a result of an unfortunate death. After his half-brother Lawrence and his widow died, Washington had inherited Mount Vernon, a beautiful 2000-acre estate located high above the Potomac River in Northern Virginia.
For her part, Martha must have believed that in George she had found someone she could trust as well as love. Although some widows wrote legally binding premarital contracts that protected the assets they had from their previous marriage, Martha did not. For as long as she lived Washington would have the use of Martha’s “widow’s third,” the land, slaves, and money which would be handed down to the Custis heirs after Martha’s death. In addition, Washington would become the legal guardian of Martha’s children, responsible for managing and protecting their financial affairs."
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