Editing Martha Washington (section)

=== Early revolution ===
[[File:Martha Washington by Rembrandt Peale c1856.png|thumb|upright|Martha Washington by [[Rembrandt Peale]], ''circa'' 1856, based on a portrait by his father, [[Charles Willson Peale]]]]
Life for the Washingtons was interrupted as the [[American Revolution]] escalated in the 1770s.<ref name="schneider"/>{{Rp|page=4}} Though rumors were spread that she was a [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalist]], Washington consistently shared her husband's political beliefs.<ref name="boller"/>{{Rp|pages=3–4}} She strongly supported his role in the [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriot]] movement and his work to advance his beliefs in the cause. She stayed at Mount Vernon when he was appointed [[commander-in-chief]] of the [[Continental Army]] in 1775, overseeing the construction of new wings to their home. She then moved to the home of her brother-in-law so as not to be so conspicuous a target during the [[American Revolutionary War]].<ref name="schneider"/>{{Rp|page=4}}

The revolution was the first time in their marriage that they were apart for an extended period. In the fall of 1775, Washington traveled to Massachusetts to meet with her husband.<ref name="gould"/>{{Rp|page=6}} On the journey north, she experienced her newfound celebrity status for the first time as the wife of a famed general.<ref name="gould"/>{{Rp|page=6}} She joined him in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]], from where he and the other Continental Army officers were operating. While staying in Cambridge, she served as a hostess for guests of the officers.<ref name="schneider"/>{{Rp|page=4}} She would also sew clothes for the soldiers while at camp, encouraging other officers' wives to do the same, leading to the creation of a [[sewing circle]] that contributed to the war effort.<ref name="boller"/>{{Rp|page=5}} Though she hid it from those around her, Washington was frightened by the gunfire that could be heard from the nearby [[Siege of Boston]].<ref name="schneider"/>{{Rp|page=4}} She accompanied her husband when operations were relocated to New York, but she was sent to Philadelphia as British forces came closer.<ref name="schneider"/>{{Rp|page=5}} Each spring, when conflict resumed, she returned to Mount Vernon.<ref name="gould"/>{{Rp|page=7}}