February 2008 - The Parklander Magazine

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HISTORY LESSONAmerica’s Hidden History:A Revolutionary Love StoryBy Robert P. Watson, Ph. D.If there had been no George Washington there might not have been a United Statesof America. Historians agree that none of the other Founding Fathers could have leda rag-tag band of poorly trained and even less well-equipped farmers, merchants, andblacksmiths against the world’s most powerful army… and won.An integral part of what made Washingtonwell, Washington, came courtesy of what he didnot share with the other Founders. Unlike thewealthy men who gathered in Philadelphia,Washington was tempered by an unprivilegedupbringing, very little in the way of a formaleducation, and the experiences of a backwoodssurveyor. But he was a man withboundless ambition, restrained only bysocial awkwardness and a humble awarenessof his own shortcomings.History often gets it right, but those “cherrytree” myths continue to be passed down fromgeneration to generation while other true stories nevermake it into the history books. This is the story of one ofthose latter hidden truths. It is also the story of that otherforce in Washington’s life – the “other woman” – without whomit is doubtful we would remember the name George Washington today.Sally’s ShrineAugustine Washington, George’s father, passed away when his son wasonly 11 years old, and the widow and her children struggled. As a boyGeorge longed to be an officer in the British army and a gentlemanplanter. Strapping but ungainly, George showed potential though helacked the social graces and standing to even hope to accomplish suchdreams in the status-conscious society of colonial Virginia.The young Washington sought to better his condition by courting thedaughters, many of them older than him, of the most established familiesin the region. Unfortunately for Washington, he was way out of hisleague. As one disapproving father said to the impossibly bold suitorabout the object of his desire, “[my daughter] is a princess out of thy star.”Unlucky at love, a teenaged Washington frequently poured out his frustrationsin poetry, bemoaning,“Ah! Woe’s me, that I should love and conceal…though severely Loves Pains I feel.”When George was 16, his older half-brother, Lawrence, introduced himto Sally Cary Fairfax, the new bride of perhaps the foremost family of theTidewater region. The event would change his life. George was instantlyand hopelessly bewitched by the beautiful, elegant, and witty Sally, whowas a few years his senior.Over the next several years of his life, the young man spent as much timeas he could at the Fairfax estate, Belvoir, where Sally introduced the veryunworldly Washington to literature, music, the art of social discourse,and her circle of rich and powerful friends. It was said that the lovelornteen “bowed at [Sally’s] shrine.”Sally Fairfax was particularly well educatedfor the time and was, in every way, anextraordinary woman. Althoughmarried, she continued to be theobject of many a man’s desire.Once when she was traveling toa social event at the invitation ofa general she was stopped by asentry who requested the passwordnecessary to enter theheadquarters. Sally stated thatshe did not know it but gave hername. She was immediatelyallowed to pass, as the guards hadused Sally’s name as the password!Matters of the HeartIt would be Sally who refined Washington’s appearanceand demeanor and gave direction to his raw ambition. She alsoinspired him to both the greatness equated with his latter years and therecklessness characteristic of a young man in love. In one of the manywarm and trusting letters the two friends exchanged, Washington, writingduring a military campaign, admits that it was Sally for whom he displayedalmost suicidal bravery on the battlefield.Washington’s surviving letters written toSally are unlike any of his other correspondence.There are hints of flirtationand an emotional openness so utterlyuncharacteristic of Washington’slater writings, which are defined by aperfunctory formality. In one letter,written in 1758, apparently inresponse to Sally’s teasing inquiryabout Washington’s engagement tothe wealthy, dowdy widow MarthaDandridge Custis, Washington admitsto Sally, “I profess myself a Votary toLove.” But he then goes on to suggest that,though engaged, his heart is torn from “a thousandtender passages that I wish to obliterate… but,alas… how impossible this is.” He is referring to his forbidden feelingsfor Sally.Did the two friends consummate their feelings? We likely will never knowthe answer, but it appears they kept their true feelings for one another asecret and respected the boundaries of Sally’s marriage. Washington wascapable of lust and love, but also of restraint and discipline.12FEBRUARY 2008
Sally’s husband was loyal to the Crown. As such, in 1773, with revolutionarytensions on the rise, the Fairfax family moved back to England.Washington never saw Sally Fairfax again. Washington was later assignedthe emotional task of auctioning the Fairfax home, which he did, keepingonly one item for himself: Sally’s silk bedroom pillow.What Might Have BeenMany years later, in 1798 and in retirement from the presidency of thenew nation he forged, Washington put quill to paper and wrote perhapsthe most thoughtful and tender letter of his life. It was to Sally Fairfax,now a 68-year old widow living in Bath, England. In the letter,Washington spoke of the momentous events that had passed since thetwo had seen each other last, so long ago. Yet, he notes, “None of whichevents, however, nor all of them together, have been able to eradicatefrom my mind the recollection of those happy moments, the happiest inmy life, which I have enjoyed in your company.”Just over a year later Washington was dead. We do not know whetherWashington’s feelings toward Sally were reciprocated, but the scant evidencethat survives seems to indicate as much. Washington married andlived a full life, but it is highly possible the single greatest passion of hislife remained Sally Fairfax.And so, absent the affectionate mentoring of the “other woman”, thedrama of liberty and democracy imagined at Philadelphia and performedduring the American Revolution might never have been staged. And therest, as they say…Robert P. Watson, Ph.D., isthe author/editor of 25 books onAmerican politics and history andcoordinates the new American StudiesProgram at Lynn University in Boca Raton.Email him at Watson@theparklander.com.CypressHead• Private, cul-de-sac location• 5BR/3.5BA, 3600+ air conditioned square feet• New kitchen w/wood cabinets & granitecounters• Separate 5th br--for office, maid or guest room• Expansive pool/patio & stunning backyardCORAL SPRINGS$424,900 $350,000Regency Lakes• Eagle Cay in desirable gated community• 4 bedrooms + loft/2.5 bathrooms, 2-car garage• Light & airy--open floorplan and volume ceilings• Tiled kitchen & dining room; laminate wood infamily room• Community clubhouse, tennis courts, pool, totlot and moreGREENACRES$324,900The Mews• 2 bedrooms+den/2 bathrooms, 2-car garage,1550 sf a/c• Split bedroom plan; atrium; interior laundry• Wood kitchen cabinets, granite counters,stainless appliances• Spacious master bedroom; upated masterbathroom• Maintained community with pool and tennisWESTON$199,900PARKLANDYardley Estates• 4BR/3BA, paver driveway, built in 1996• Updated kitchen: granite, maplewood &stainless steel• 3-way bedroom split, tile throughout• Private yard; heated, diamond brite pool• Walk to elementary school & largecommunity parkCOCONUT CREEKPARKLANDBRENT-(954) 410-6056COURTNEY-(954) 410-6528BOBBI-(954) 410-6059$699,900$349,900RiverBridge• Eagle Trace of RiverBridge--built in 2005• 4BR/2.5BA two-story w/master & 2nd BRdownstairs• 18" stone-look tile in all main living areas• Raised panel cabinets, screen-enclosedpatio• Community offers pool & spa, tennis,basketball, gym, etc.$300,000Coconuts• Key West style community w/numerousamenities• 2BR/2.5BA townhouse with a brand new roof• 18” stone-look tile in all living areas• Unit freshly painted inside and outside• Screened patio w/storage closet &hurricane shutterOFFICE-(954) 341-5718TheMechlerGroup@aol.comthe PARKLANDER 13
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128 FEBRUARY 2008
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February 2008 - The Parklander Magazine

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