George Washington and the American Mule
As this week marks World Donkey Day, let’s take a moment to acknowledge one of the most influential donkeys in American history. No, it’s not Eeyore. It’s actually a Spanish donkey gifted to George Washington, who is responsible for the American Mule.
It turns out that Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer, and George Washington was a mule farmer — sort of. Washington had an interest in creating a new line of American Mules to give the nation a reliable agricultural animal. The best way to do this was to start with a prized Jack donkey from Spain and then have him breed with appropriate mares across America. It might sound a little ridiculous to imagine the first President of the United States coming up with this plan, but he did.
After a few failed attempts to find the right animal and get the ball rolling, Washington finally got his wish to own a prized Spanish donkey when he received one as a royal gift. There were, in fact, two donkeys in the agreement with the Spanish royal family. It was an insurance policy in case one didn’t make it. That turned out to be a wise move because the second died in transit. Eventually, the proud new jack that did survive made it to Gloucester, Massachusetts, on September 26th, 1785.
It was big news, and Washington proudly showed off his new animal once he arrived in Mount Vernon. That was once he and his handler had made the 25-day trek from Boston that November. It was a rough month of acclimatization for the donkey, but the aim was that he would be rewarded with a wonderful life at the plantation and all the mare he could want. On his arrival, Washington formally announced the arrival of this treasured royal gift and christened him with the exceptionally creative name of…Royal Gift.
The aim now was simple. They had the prized Jack ready to mate. They just needed a good supply of healthy mares to breed with to create the next generation of American Mules. Washington’s team ran advertisements every year for the mating season, inviting breeders to apply with their mares. It started locally, with ads in Virginia and Maryland, but it soon expanded as other businessmen heard about this incredible new animal in Mount Vernon.
Once George Washington was inaugurated and took on his new role of President of the United States, surely his mule farming days were behind him? Didn’t he have better things to be concerned about than trying to maintain this stock of prized animals? Despite being miles away from Mount Vernon and having the Executive Branch to keep in order, Washington still wanted to keep up with this venture. He purchased a group of mares in Pennsylvania, not far from his new presidential home, and even took the time to create the adverts for the mating seasons. He was invested in making this work and getting the best out of Royal Gift.
The problem was that this business venture also meant a lot of long trips and a lot of stress on this one animal. When you place your bets in the equine world, going all in on one animal is always going to be a risk. Washington sent Royal Gift to South Carolina in 1791 as part of a business deal. A few months later, he went back down there again, making frequent stops as a sideshow for visitors. It all began to catch up with him, and he developed hoof problems in later years. Eventually, he died in 1796.
The story of Royal Gift is sad in many ways. Washington put so much stock into Royal Gift to create this new line of American mules, and the poor donkey eventually paid the price. Washington, however, could look back on the venture as a success. Royal Gift sired a lot of mules with mares from across the country. The quality of the gene pool was so strong it was set to last for hundreds of years.
The American Mule was its own hybrid species and was quickly revered as a superior working animal. It spread out West, helping the frontiersmen and ranchers past the Mississippi and into the deserts of the Southwest. There were thousands registered in California and neighboring states by 1860.
So, as much as we may laugh at the idea of George Washington writing ads for available mares from his presidential office, it paid off. It led to a lesser-known part of his lineage that shaped America.
The series so far
Part 1: Rebecca The White House Raccoon https://medium.com/@d.e.bradley/rebecca-the-white-house-raccoon-7c007075282f
Part 2: George Washington And The American Mule https://medium.com/@d.e.bradley/george-washington-and-the-american-mule-9917da1f7fa5
Part 3: Andrew Jackson And The Swearing Parrot https://medium.com/@d.e.bradley/andrew-jackson-and-the-swearing-parrot-c25acfdece0a
Part 4: The Roosevelt’s Rabbit https://medium.com/@d.e.bradley/a-state-funeral-for-a-rabbit-e57d658e5381
