EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of a weekly series on our region’s history coordinated by the Trumbull County Historical Society.

The Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775-Sept. 3, 1783) resulted in the colonists earning their independence from Great Britain, but the colonists did not achieve this alone.

France played a pivotal role, especially after an American victory in the second Battle of Saratoga in 1777, which persuaded the French to officially enter the war as an American ally.

However, little is mentioned about the importance of the Irish despite them having a heavy presence within the colonies at the start of the war.

In fact, there were approximately 300,000 Irish living in the colonies, and 10,000 were on the official register of enlisted personnel at the beginning of the war.

In addition, many Irish contributed to the war effort behind the scenes as nurses, cooks, secret intelligence and housekeepers.

Elizabeth Thompson was one such example and was employed as George Washington’s housekeeper, but she became so much more.

She was a close friend and confidant to George and Martha Washington, and her dedication proved to be invaluable.

George Washington was forced to find a replacement for his housekeeper Mary Smith after it was revealed she was a British spy and part of the Governor William Tryon plot to kidnap and assassinate Washington and his chief officers. On June 28, 1776, Washington wrote to General Clinton in New York and expressed interest in recruiting Elizabeth Thompson for the open position.

On July 9, 1776, at the ripe age of 72, Elizabeth reported for duty. Her workload included overseeing the female servants, overseeing the male servants after Washington dismissed his steward, preparing meals, taking inventory of the linens and cutlery, purchasing necessities for the military family, doing laundry, cleaning and preparing the guest rooms.

However, perhaps one of the biggest challenges Elizabeth faced was packing and moving camp at a moment’s notice. It was not an easy task, and George relied on Elizabeth at least 90 times during the course of her five-year employment to move and set up camp elsewhere.

The fact that Elizabeth was trusted with the travel plan details such as departure day and time, as well as the intended destination, spoke volumes about how George and Martha felt about their beloved housekeeper. They trusted her completely and considered her to be extended family. In fact, in 1781, when Elizabeth requested to retire and return to New York, George acknowledged her request and secured a lifetime pension for her via Congress.

George and Martha invited Elizabeth to live the remainder of her days with them at Mount Vernon, but Elizabeth’s health was too poor to travel. She passed away in 1788, but left a legacy behind. She bequeathed her belongings, which consisted of a silver tea pot, a cream pot and six teaspoons, to her pastor John Rodgers and his wife to help fund a school designated for poor Presbyterian children in her community.

Her death mirrored her life in that she gave everything of herself to help others. Elizabeth Thompson is not a name often included in history books, but her dedication to the Washingtons, both as a friend and an employee, illustrate her immense contribution to the Revolutionary War effort.