Page "George Washington" Paragraph 82

After retiring from the presidency in March 1797, Washington returned to Mount Vernon with a profound sense of relief.

He devoted much time to his plantations and other business interests, including his distillery which produced its first batch of spirits in February 1797.

As explains, his plantation operations were at best marginally profitable.

The lands out west yielded little income because they were under attack by Indians and the squatters living there refused to pay him rent.

Most Americans assumed he was rich because of the well-known " glorified façade of wealth and grandeur " at Mount Vernon.

Historians estimate his estate was worth about $ 1 million in 1799 dollars, equivalent to about $ 18 million in 2009 purchasing power.