​Presidential Notes - Washington – “Pater Patriae”

On January 6, 1759 Martha Dandridge Custis, a widow with two small children, married George Washington. They were married at the bride’s home in Virginia. Mrs. Washington had two surviving young children from her first marriage. They were John Parke Custis and Martha Parke Custis, known affectionately as “Jacky” and “Patsy.”

As children, both Jacky and Patsy were loved and indulged by their mother and stepfather.

Sadly, they both died at a young age. In 1773, sixteen-year-old Patsy died during what was believed to be an epileptic seizure. Jacky, against Washington’s advice, made a visit to the battlefield and camp following Washington’s victory at Yorktown. On November 5, 1781, he died of “camp fever,” a contagious illness that was prevalent throughout Revolutionary War camps.

Our first president demonstrated a father’s love, commitment, and dedication to his country, and for that he is oft referred to as the Father of His Country. (The title Pater Patriae, a Latin phrase translated as “Father of the Country” or “Father of the Fatherland,” dates back to the Roman Empire. For the Romans it was a high honor bestowed on an individual by the Senate for outstanding service to the state.) There is no definitive evidence to document the exact origins of this esteemed reference to George Washington, but there were many. What is certain is that this respected sobriquet highlights the powerful leadership roles he played in the Revolutionary War, the Constitutional Convention, and during his two terms as president.

President Washington, remembered as the Father of His Country, fathered no children of his own. Nonetheless, he was a compassionate and devoted stepfather, grandfather and surrogate father to several nieces and nephews, making him the much loved and respected father figure of his family. It is indeed fortunate for the children of his family, that they were given the same fatherly love, commitment and dedication that distinguished Washington among our founding father and won for him the enduring acclaim of generations of Americans.