Author: Katie Blizzard
Benjamin Franklin and the Adams Family: Editing the Founders
Katie Blizzard
Reading Charles Francis Adams diary entry for May 9, 1850 in the editor in chief’s office at the Adams Papers made me smile. With three brief sentences Charles Francis Adams perfectly described what we strive to do as documentary editors.
Finding the Missing Pieces: Uncovering the Story of Mrs. Lucia Grattan
Katie Blizzard
The digital edition of The Papers of George Washington not only provides wider public access to our research, but also gives the editors the opportunity to revise and extend our work as more or better information becomes available. A smaller effort of that ability recently unveiled a human interest story that reminds us again that George Washington encountered many interesting characters besides the powerful and famous men celebrated as the founders of our country and that The Papers are a resource for cultural and social as well as political and military history.
The Spirit of Mount Vernon
Katie Blizzard
At a time of the year when reflection is unavoidable, I am consistently drawn back to the story of the early years of Mount Vernon’s preservation. To me, this story is a testament to the strength of American determination, and a reminder of the beliefs and qualities that bind us together.
A Morbid Child Remembers George Washington
Katie Blizzard
As a child, I had a morbid curiosity about death. When I was eight years old, a family friend gave me what I thought was the greatest Christmas present ever: a copy of the book, Hollywood Heaven, which detailed the lives and (more importantly) the deaths of film and television celebrities.
The Flight of the Navigator: Charting the Course of George Washington’s Voyage to Barbados
Katie Blizzard
Perhaps it’s not too much to say that editors live for those moments when all the pieces come together and the proverbial mental light bulb goes off. Not long ago when I was examining digital images of the Barbados diary one more time from my laptop at home (this intriguing diary exerts its pull even beyond office hours), I experienced just such an “aha!” moment. A detail long overlooked in the manuscript, so tiny it hardly merited notice, suddenly spoke volumes. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Performing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Katie Blizzard
As the giant Diary of a Wimpy Kid balloon inched its way to the lineup, all I could hear was “This is it!” The moment felt surreal. I was in the middle of the street of New York City, grinning widely in my orange-and-blue uniform, and getting ready to perform in the two-and-a-half mile march from Central Park to the Macy’s star in Midtown Manhattan.
A Tale of Two Georges
Katie Blizzard
“I cannot tell a lie.” A young George Washington allegedly spoke these words to his father after being caught cutting down a cherry tree, confessing his transgression. While this tale was meant to illustrate young George’s virtues as a worthy hero, it has also been used throughout the years as a moral lesson to American youth. If George Washington could tell the truth in such intimidating circumstances – shouldn’t you?
To Make a Great Cake
Katie Blizzard
Martha Washington’s “Great Cake” recipe is a sweet document, written in a careful hand by her granddaughter on a piece of folded scrap paper. Its instructions are incredible to the 21st century eye. It asks for forty eggs, four pounds each of sugar and butter, five pounds of fruit and flour, a pint of wine, an ounce of nutmeg and mace, and plenty of French brandy.
Three-Dimensional Insights at George Washington’s Boyhood Home
Katie Blizzard
Having shepherded “George Washington, Day-By-Day, 22 February 1732-14 December 1799” into existence, I very much looked forward to visiting Washington’s childhood home bordering the Rappahannock River directly across from Fredericksburg, Virginia. This visit finally occurred on Monday, November 9.
George – and Martha – Washington’s Mount Vernon: Journal of a Recent Visit to Mount Vernon, November 3–5, 2015
Katie Blizzard
On board BA 217, London to DC. I’m looking forward to speaking tomorrow night in the Gay Hart Gaines Distinguished Visiting Lecturer of American History programme. It’s wonderful to speak for the first time about my book, The Washingtons, at Mount Vernon, where I first conceived the idea of writing about America’s first couple.