Young Washington’s Social World Historian Roundtable

This historian roundtable is a companion resource to Young Washington and is intended to support classroom instruction. Historians discuss the film's central themes and provide additional historical context that can help prepare for classroom discussion or extend student learning after viewing the film.

Essential Question:

How did race and class affect George Washington's position in the world as a young man?

Topics discussed include Washington's social standing in colonial Virginia, his relationship with the Fairfax family, the role of wealth and class in shaping opportunity, and the central role of slavery in the society in which he lived.