Presidents’ Day writing prompts about our Founding Fathers

George Washington

• His dentures weren’t made of wood.
  • They were made out of ivory and…human teeth.
    • Worse, they were made out of human teeth likely purchased from slaves or (best-case scenario) severely impoverished people, says University of Virginia researcher Kathryn Gehred. 
• Washington was also one of our wealthiest presidents. Experts believe he likely owned almost 60,000 acres (much of which came from Martha’s inheritance). When he took office, his salary was a whopping 2 percent of the country’s entire budget.

Imagine: How did Washington acquire these teeth? Did they have to be fitted? Imagine being a person forced to give up your teeth for someone else’s mouth – presidential or otherwise.