George Washington Time Capsule Paper

Dear future American citizen,

        By the time you find this, I will be long gone. I want you to know that inside this time capsule contains several important items that represent events during my lifetime. I hope that whoever finds this capsule will realize the significance that these items hold to our country’s history, and will take their findings seriously.

        The first item in the time capsule is a quill. I put the quill in the capsule to represent the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787. Of the 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention, 39 signed it, including myself. I hope that the words we have written still hold importance in the future, and that people will respect what it says.

        The time capsule also contains a map of Brandywine. It represents the Battle of Brandywine. Taking place on September 11, 1777, it was the longest single-day battle of the Revolution, with continuous fighting for eleven hours. Despite being defeated by the British, we remained in good spirits and still had courage to fight the enemy another day.

        The next item is a gun. This gun is to represent the Battle of Trenton, which took place shortly after my crossing of the Delaware River. Despite the large number of Hessians that escaped Trenton, in only one hour of fighting, the Continental Army captured nearly nine hundred Hessian officers and soldiers as well as a large supply of muskets, bayonets, swords, and cannons.  Troops fought for two straight days through rain, snow, sleet, and hail. Our dramatic victory inspired soldiers to serve longer and attracted new recruits.

        Next, I have put in an old cannonball inside. On January 2, 1778, my troops and I met the British troops outside of Trenton. We wanted to destroy the Stony Brook Bridge to keep the British from moving between Princeton and Trenton. After several hours of fighting, the British barricaded themselves in Nassau hall. We shot cannonballs at the building, and the British eventually surrendered.

        The wedding ring I have put in the capsule is meant to represent my marriage to Martha. Together, we raised her two children from her previous marriage; later we raised two of her grandchildren. We had never had any children together, but I was still happy. While we were newlyweds, we moved to Mount Vernon, where I took up the life of a planter and political figure. Martha died at the age of 70 on May 22, 1802.