George Washington's 1790 Grand Tour of Long Island

After being elected president, George Washington set out to tour the new nation, which was desperate for a unifying symbol. He spent five days on Long Island in April 1790, an area recovering from seven years of devastating British occupation. Washington saw it all, from Brooklyn to Patchogue to Setauket and back. He was honored at each stop and wrote extensive diary entries about his impressions of the carriage stops for food, overnight stays at taverns and private homes, as well as his vision for the future of the region. Author Dr. Joanne S. Grasso traces this momentous journey.

Dr. Joanne Grasso is an adjunct associate professor of history and political science, specializing as an "Americanist" in the areas of the American Revolution, the American presidency, the founding documents and also Long Island history. She holds an interdisciplinary Doctor of Arts degree in modern world history, two Master of Arts degrees in history and government and politics and a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics, economics and society. Dr. Grasso is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Society for Historians of the Early American Republic (SHEAR), Society for History in the Federal Government (SHFG) and the American Revolution Round Table (ARRT) in New York City. Dr. Grasso is a native Long Islander. Her first book, The American Revolution on Long Island, was published in August 2016.