George Washington Died 216 Years Ago Monday

Illustration courtesy of Library of Congress

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Monday will mark the 216th anniversary of the death of George Washington. Washington, 67, was enjoying his retirement from being the country’s first president when he fell ill and died at his home on Dec. 14, 1799.

His tomb is open for visitors at Mount Vernon.

Washington was out on his horse supervising farming activities on Dec. 13, 1799 in light snow, hail and rain the day before he died, according to accounts of his death. When he returned home, instead of changing out of his wet clothes, he sat down for dinner because he was running late. “Known for his punctuality, Washington chose to remain in his damp attire,” Mount Vernon notes on its Web site.

Later, Washington couldn’t sleep and was having trouble breathing and had a sore throat and fever. Washington’s personal physician, James Craik, came to Mount Vernon from his home in Alexandria. He was one of three doctors who attended to Washington the next day.

Bloodletting was one of the ways Craik tried to save Washington’s life. Bloodletting was based on an ancient system of medicine in which blood and other bodily fluids were regarded as “humors” that had to remain in proper balance to maintain health.

In 12 hours, Washington lost 80 ounces or about 40 percent of his blood during bloodletting, administered to try to cure him, to ”reduce the massive inflammation of his windpipe and constrict the blood vessels in the region,” Dr. Howard Markell wrote last year for PBS on the 215th anniversary of Washington’s death.

Between 9 a.m. and the time of his death that night, doctors tried several other ways to save his life in addition to bloodletting including gargling with vinegar and sage tea.

Washington died between 10-11 p.m. surrounded by people who were close to him including his wife who sat at the foot of the bed, his friends Dr. Craik and Tobias Lear, housemaids Caroline, Molly, and Charlotte, and his valet Christopher Sheels who stood in the room throughout the day.

Several retrospective diagnoses have been offered to explain Washington’s death, ranging from croup, quinsy, Ludwig’s angina, Vincent’s angina, diphtheria, and streptococcal throat infection to acute pneumonia. But Dr. Morens’s suggestion of acute bacterial epiglottitis seems most likely, Markell wrote.

Washington’s last will outlined his desire to be buried at home at Mount Vernon. Washington made provisions for a new brick tomb to be constructed after his death, which would replace the original yet deteriorating family burial vault. In 1831, Washington’s body was transferred to the new tomb, along with the remains of Martha Washington and other family members.

Watch a reenactment of Washington’s funeral here: