When a damaged brig, the Peggy Stewart, arrived in Annapolis in 1774 with sick passengers and a secret stash of tea, local outrage forced a dramatic decision — the ship and its tea were run aground and burned in a protest of British taxation. It was reminiscent of the Boston Tea Party and helped set Maryland on the road to revolution.

Apparently Hungerford’s Tavern in Rockville, Maryland was the place to be. Constructed around 1750, it was one of America’s first real taverns and hosted a number of big shots including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry. In Rockville, it was a favorite watering hole for news, entertainment, business… and to fan the flames of Revolution.

When one thinks about George Washington they probably think of the general that led America to victory in the Revolutionary War or the first president of the United States. What they may not think about is someone with a sometimes complicated relationship with his mother.