“I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself.”

- Martha Washington

A 209 year old letter from Martha Washington has surprisingly turned up in Concordia, Kansas, of all places. It is unclear how the letter made it so far west to this town of just 5,700, but it was found in the drawer of an old filing cabinet at the town’s museum. It was postmarked January 27, 1793 in Philadelphia – the country’s capital at the time. She was writing about a family member’s sickness and how she just wanted to go home. Like Washington, she yearned for Mount Vernon. In fact, Martha had so opposed her husband’s running for the  President of the newly-formed United States that she refused to attend his inauguration.

Martha Washington

First ladies of the modern era certainly do amazing work: they have fought drugs, promoted literacy, and often made fashion statements.They certainly help to promote their husbands and have stuck by them during hard times. But none have gone to their husband’s war camp. Martha did just that. She was so eager to be with her husband, that she often went to stay with him as the Revolution raged. She even spent that infamous winter at Valley Forge, where she stuck by Washington’s side and helped to promote morale.

In one colorful instance, she helped to settle Washington’s hesitation over the smallpox vaccine. Many doctors warned Washington that the vaccine might lead do further sickness. But Martha seemingly took it upon herself to go get vaccinated without really asking Washington. Washington watched her condition with alarm and when she fared well, it helped to convince him of the vaccine’s safety. This ended up saving thousands of Americans from the disease and possibly tipping the war in the United States’s favor.

And how much does Christie’s estimate the letter from this intrepid lady is worth? $40,000.