This is the initial volume of a comprehensive history that traces the “Presidential line” of the Washingtons. Volume one begins with the immigrant John Washington who settled in Westmoreland Co., Va., in 1657, married Anne Pope, and was the great-grandfather of President George Washington. This volume continues the story of John and Anne’s family for a total of seven generations, collecting over 5,000 direct descendants. Future volumes will trace eight more generations with a total of over 63,000 descendants. Although structured in a genealogical format for the sake of clarity, this is no bare bones genealogy but a true family history with over 1,200 detailed biographical narratives. These in turn strive to convey the greatness of the family that produced not only The Father of His Country but many others, great and humble, who struggled to build that country. The Washingtons includes the time-honored John Wright line which in recent years has been challenged largely on the basis of DNA evidence. Volumes one and two will form a set, with a cumulative bibliography appearing at the end of volume 2. Volume two will highlight the most notable descendants and spouses from the later volumes, including such luminaries as General George S. Patton, the author Shelby Foote, and the actor Lee Marvin. All of the volumes, now estimated at fourteen in all, are virtually complete and are scheduled for release over the course of the next year.
