American Toby Jug Museum 

George Washington & Martha Washington thimbles produced by Francesca China of Longton, England, circa 1985. The first President of the United States of America, George Washington (1732-1799), won a lasting place in American history as the Father of His Country. For nearly twenty years he guided the nation much as a father cares for a growing child. He resumed his military career as Commander-in-Chief of the American army against the British at Boston in 1775. A remarkable tactician and great leader of men, Washington proved himself a worthy commander in the ensuing Revolutionary War, which ended after his capture of Yorktown in 1781. In 1787 he presided over the convention charged with writing the United States Constitution. Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (1731-1802) was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, she served as the inaugural first lady of the United States, defining the role of the president's wife and setting many precedents that future first ladies would observe. During her tenure, she was referred to as "Lady Washington". Washington is consistently ranked in the upper half of first ladies by historians.