About This Project
This is not a project that began with a dataset and ended with a chatbot. It began with an old set of books and a personal interest in a man whose writings have been undeservedly overlooked.
My interest in Washington's writings began after acquiring several early editions of his letters and biographies. While reading them, I found myself repeatedly wishing I could ask questions directly of the man behind the history.
Ask George Washington is an experiment in making those writings more accessible through modern technology while remaining grounded in Washington's actual words whenever possible.
Over time, what began as a personal collection grew into a much larger effort. I spent hours reading, collecting, photographing, and studying early editions of Washington's letters, speeches, military orders, and biographies. Many of these volumes are now nearly two centuries old—their pages contain not only the events of Washington's life, but the principles that guided him through war, public service, leadership, and the founding of a nation.
As I read these works, I found myself continually highlighting passages that seemed remarkably relevant to our own time. Washington's thoughts on duty, public virtue, political division, humility, religion, character, patriotism, and leadership often felt as timely as when they were first written.
This platform was created to allow others to explore those writings directly—to ask questions and receive answers drawn from Washington's actual letters, speeches, military correspondence, and historical records, rather than relying on modern interpretation or paraphrase.
The goal is not to place words into Washington's mouth. The goal is to let his own words speak.
What Makes This Different
Many AI experiences now allow visitors to "speak" with historical figures. Ask George Washington takes a different approach. Responses are grounded in Washington's documented writings — his letters, speeches, military orders, and the historical record — whenever possible. When the record is silent or uncertain, the system is designed to acknowledge those limitations rather than invent certainty.
This is not a roleplaying character simulation. It is an effort to make Washington's writings and the historical record more accessible through a conversational interface. The goal is not to predict what Washington might say, but to explore what he actually wrote, believed, experienced, and recorded during his lifetime.
Every response draws from real source material — and shows you exactly where it came from: which document, which volume, and which page. The archive itself continues to grow as additional writings, biographies, illustrations, and historical resources are added and organized.
- Answers grounded in documented writings, not invention
- Source citations down to the volume and page
- Honest about the limits of the historical record
- A growing archive of primary and secondary sources
How It Came Together
The Acquisition
A complete set of Jared Sparks' The Writings of George Washington — twelve volumes, Boston, 1834–1837 — was acquired. Bound in contemporary half brown calf over marbled boards, with spines featuring raised bands, compartments stamped in gilt, and contrasting morocco lettering labels. Engraved portraits, maps, and plans throughout.
Reading Begins
Volume by volume, the letters, orders, addresses, and personal correspondence began to emerge. Washington's voice — formal, direct, deeply principled — proved far more powerful on the page than any biography had suggested.
Passages & Reflections
Selected passages were shared — fragments that resonated personally. Washington on duty. On perseverance. On the danger of factions. On Providence. The writings proved remarkably relevant to the present day.
The Idea Takes Shape
The question emerged: What if others could engage directly with Washington's writings, not through biography or paraphrase, but through his own documented words? Not a textbook. A conversation.
Ask George Washington
A growing historical archive and research platform built around Washington's writings — with citations, a structured timeline, and tools that let visitors explore his life through both primary and secondary sources. The project continues to expand beyond its original volumes.
From the Library of Joshua Stahlman
The books, portraits, and materials featured throughout this project are drawn from my personal collection and ongoing research. New writings, images, and historical resources are continually being added as the collection grows.
Get in Touch
Questions, research inquiries, feedback, or anything else — we'd be glad to hear from you.
Primary Source
The Writings of George Washington, edited by Jared Sparks. 12 volumes. Boston: American Stationers' Company, 1833–1837.
Current Archive Status
- The Life of George Washington (Jared Sparks)In archive
- The Writings of George Washington (12 Volumes)In progress
- Additional biographical & historical sourcesComing soon
Historical Sources & Digitization
The archive combines physical volumes from our personal collection with public-domain historical scans obtained from repositories such as the Internet Archive. OCR text is reviewed, corrected, indexed, and linked to original source citations whenever possible. The archive currently contains over 5,000 indexed passages, 2,575 timeline events, 935 contextual source entries, and 1,040 biographical narrative entries — and continues to grow. The goal of the project is to make historical writings more accessible while preserving transparency regarding source materials.