About the Special Issue for the George Washington Book Prize

In this special issue, we are pleased to offer essays adapted from books nominated for the George Washington Prize, one of the nation’s largest and most notable literary awards.

The award recognizes the past year’s best-written books on the founding era, highlighting works that enrich public understanding of early American history.

The $50,000 George Washington Prize was created in 2005 by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and Washington College.

This year's finalists (with links to their essays) are:

• Max Edelson, The New Map of Empire: How Britain Imagined America before Independence (Harvard University Press)
   
• Kevin J. Hayes, George Washington: A Life in Books (Oxford University Press)
   
• Eric Hinderaker, Boston’s Massacre (Harvard University Press)
   
• Jon Kukla, Patrick Henry: Champion of Liberty (Simon & Schuster)
   
• James E. Lewis, Jr., The Burr Conspiracy Uncovering the Story of an Early American Crisis (Princeton University Press)
   
• Jennifer Van Horn, The Power of Objects in Eighteenth-Century America (University of North Carolina Press for the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture)
   
• Douglas L. Winiarski, Darkness Falls on the Land of Light: Experiencing Religious Awakenings in Eighteenth-Century New England (University of North Carolina Press for the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture)

“These are all great books by worthy authors and scholars,” said Mount Vernon president and CEO, Doug Bradburn. “We are committed to encouraging authors to tell great stories that are both scholarly and widely accessible. This prize has made a major impact on encouraging great writing about this essential era in our history.”

The seven finalist books are a “go-to” reading list for anyone interested in learning more about George Washington, his contemporaries, and the founding of the United States of America. 

Don't forget to vote for your favorite!

The winner of the 2018 prize will be announced at a black-tie gala on May 23, 2018 at Mount Vernon.

More information about the George Washington Prize is available at www.mountvernon.org/gwprize.