
At Mount Vernon, the storied estate of the first president of the United States, George Washington, scientists recently made a major discovery. As time wears on and the United States quickly approaches the 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence, inevitably there are becoming less and less tangible links to the founding period of the nation and to the founding fathers. Every year, historic buildings are lost to decay, neglect, or incompetence, and in many other cases the reality of the matter is simply that time and circumstance continue to diminish links to the past. Mount Vernon is a site that has been well maintained and documented and is an extremely popular tourist destination for people from around the world and American Patriotic citizens alike. That is why the most recent discovery at the estate is all the more shocking and significant. Dozens of glass bottles containing cherries and currants were discovered buried in the cellar. The fruit was described as being perfectly preserved.
Scientists estimate that the bottles predate the American Revolution. The bottles were in pristine condition and the scientists are hoping that the cherries could be utilized to germinate into new, heirloom varieties today. 54 pits and 23 stems were already identified. This occurred after several other bottles with origins in Europe that also contained cherries were discovered.
The “father of his country”, George Washington, was the first president of the United States, serving from 1789-1796. Washington set the standards, or precedents, for every subsequent president to follow. He helped provide unrivaled stability in the early days of the nation and was a unifying figure during a time of great political and social uncertainty. Additionally, Washington was indeed the commander in chief of the Continental Army and led the American nation to victory in the revolution, exerting himself in a brave, courageous, and unparalleled manner. If it was not for Washington, America may never have been born.