Reenactment of George Washington's first political win

Come join us Saturday 5pm -7pm 27 July 2024 on the walking mall where the 1840 courthouse is, now known as the Civil War Museum, the actual site where Colonel George Washington won his first political office to represent Frederick County VA in the House of Burgesses in 1758.

This Saturday will be our 6th reenactment of this event.

It is the only reenactment we know of where the public becomes an active participant by voting and hearing the arguments for and against.

Voting will be held for 2 hours, between 5pm to 7pm. You must vote for 2 out of the 4 candidates running. All are welcome to vote.

Seth Thatcher, former Frederick County Commissioner of Revenue and Jay Forman, former member of Frederick County Schoolboard will represent the two incumbents.

There were 2 challengers to those 2 incumbents.

Stevan Resan, Vice President of the French and Indian War Foundation will represent James Wood, who is standing in for Colonel George Washington who is away helping the Forbes Expedition against the French Fort Duquesne in what is now Pittsburgh.

Ryan Williams, docent at the George Washington Office Museum, will represent Thomas Bryan Martin, who is nephew and representative of Lord Fairfax. Thomas Bryan Martin is quite the big man of the area back then. If you wanted land, you went to him.

Let the incumbents tell you why they should serve another term. Let the challengers argue why new blood is needed. Then you vote out loud. There was no secret balloting.

You must vote for two out of the four running. Two must represent Frederick County in the House of Burgesses. Reenactors will help you decide.

It was not until 1964 when the Supreme Court ruled that all representatives in a state legislature must represent areas of equal populations. Back then each county had different population sizes.

I first heard the idea for this from local historian and reenactor Brett Osborn. I wanted to organize a reenactment. We owe a great deal of thanks to everybody who has helped.

They are the French and Indian War Foundation and Tony Elar Jr heading the Captain George Mercer Company of Colonel George Washington’s Virginia Regiment and David Downes of the Virginia Beer Museum.

Mayor of Middletown, Charles Harbaugh IV will play young George Washington. He has helped obtain candidates.

For adults, enjoy a beer from the Virginia Beer Museum. Colonel George Washington wanted all the voters to have a drink on him whether they voted for him or not..

Children are welcome to vote too to learn this history.

African Americans, women, and white males with no property were not allowed to vote. But today, we have learned that all need representation. All need to have a voice in this republic.

So, we welcome all to vote in this reenactment. We welcome all to learn our shared and unshared history. We learn of all kinds of history, from Rome to the Ming Dynasty to the history of our own backyard.

I did not choose the headline. It should say George Washington's first win in July 1758. He lost his first election Nov 1755. But nevertheless, I like to thank the Winchester Star for posting the Open Forum letter and also a write up of this event in an article by Winchester Star reporter Brian Brehm.