Author: Blake McGready

Blake McGready is a Park Guide at Valley Forge National Historical Park. (The views and conclusions in this essay are those of the author and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the National Park Service or the United States Government.) Blake holds degrees in history from SUNY New Paltz and Villanova University, and has worked at historic sites in his home state of New York and in Pennsylvania. He is particularly interested in the American Revolution, cultural memory, and environmental history. He is currently at work on a project about the battle of Princeton in American memory.

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Revisiting the Prayer at Valley Forge

When George Washington died in 1799, partisan infighting and international crises threatened the survival of the American experiment. Many Americans believed in Washington’s unique ability to unite the country, and his death exacerbated national uncertainties. Enter Mason Locke Weems, whose contributions to Washington mythmaking dwarf those of any individual then or since. As national yearning […]

by Blake McGready