Who Were George Washington’s Descendants?
There are no direct descendants of George Washington, as he and his wife Martha never had any children together. However, Martha had two children by a previous marriage, so George Washington became the stepfather of two children upon marrying Martha. The lineage of the stepchildren is the only known link to George Washington.
George Washington’s stepchildren were a boy named John and a girl named Martha. After his stepson was killed in the Revolutionary War, Washington and Martha took in John’s two youngest children, also a boy and girl, and cared for them as well. The girl, named Eleanore, eventually married George Washington’s nephew. The boy, named after George Washington, married Mary Lee Fitzhugh. That marriage produced only one child who survived to adulthood, a girl named Mary Custis, who married Robert E. Lee, her second cousin. All of George’s stepchildren and grandchildren were very devoted to him and his legacy, and Washington was purportedly a very father-like figure to the children. His grandson built Arlington House in Washington D.C. in Washington’s honor. Washington’s granddaughter Eleanor also played a critical role in securing his status as an important historical figure in American history. Unfortunately, both George and Martha Washington died shortly after he completed his second term in office.
