The Sword of Washington

 

There are several swords in various museums that are purported to have belonged to General George Washington. The Museum of the American Revolution has this particular sword of Washington on display.

The Washington family has indicated that this particular sword was carried by Washington at the begging of the Revolution. The hilt is silver with a lion head pommel. It is very much like the swords carried by many gentlemen if the period. While this one may have never been carried into battle it does have an interesting story behind it.

In 1769 the Virginia House of Burgesses passes the “Virginia Nonimportation Resolutions”. These resolutions were designed to boycott imports from Britain in favor of locally made items. This was in response to not only an economic downturn but also to several attempts by the British Parliament to implement new taxes on the colonies. The idea behind the act was to get the colonies to stop buying finished good from Britain. When British merchants started feeling the heat, they may lobby on behalf of the colonies.

George Washington, who was sitting in the House at the time, was instrumental in getting the resolution passed. In 1770, in support of the resolution, Washington purchased the sword above from a Philadelphia craftsman eschewing his previously owned sword that was purchased via his British agent.

On a side note, this particular boycott did not go so well. Many Virginia merchants basically ignored it and eventually, it sort of withered away. By 1771 the agreement was abandoned.