The Expansion of Mount Vernon
As mentioned earlier, Gunston Hall and Mount Vernon are incredibly similar. The main difference is that Mount Vernon looks like the expanded version of Gunston Hall. This section explores the growth of Mount Vernon and how Washington obtained the means to expand Mount Vernon. In the George Washington Encyclopedia, the article "Growth of Mount Vernon" examines the progression of Mount Vernon and Washington’s wealth. Initially, Washington was not born into wealth. Over time, he acquired it, unlike Mason. Washington's father, Augustine Washington, passed on what is now known as Mount Vernon to his eldest son, Lawrence, who then passed it onto George when he died. Mount Vernon was actively being expanded before it belonged to George Washington. Lawrence had already added 170 acres to Mount Vernon. When George took over the plantation, he acquired approximately 8000 acres of land. Additionally, the George Washington Encyclopedia features an article "Washington and the West," which examines Washington’s experiences in the west. The researchers argue that these experiences were important and altered Washington’s outlook. In the west, he was often surveying lands, specifically in the Shenandoah Valley. A specifically altering experience for Washington was when he commanded the French to withdraw from the Ohio region. They refused, but Washington came back with the vision to “politically and commercially link the west with the eastern seaboard” (para 1). The Virginians allied with the British in the French and Indian War to gain the promised “200,000 acres to all who would join the Virginia forces in an expedition to capture control of Ohio from the French” (para 2). At the House of Burgesses, the governor granted the request fifteen years later. As a result, Washington was responsible for representing the lands and even added 50,000 acres to Mount Vernon.