America 250: From Independence to Discovery
Follow the Story from 1776 to the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Social Hubs - Taverns

📍 Washington DC Area/Alexandria Old Town
 

What to do & see:​

• In the late 1700s and early 1800s, taverns were far more than places to eat and drink—they functioned as the social, commercial, and political nerve centers of American towns. Often described as the “main street” of public life, taverns hosted debates, business deals, electioneering, performances, and the exchange of news. Many later evolved into early hotels or saloons, but in the nation’s founding era, they were where ideas circulated and decisions took shape.

• Stroll the historic streets of Alexandria Old Town, a former colonial tobacco port founded in 1749. Known for its cobblestone streets, well-preserved 18th-century architecture, and the lively, walkable King Street Mile, the waterfront town offers a vivid glimpse into early American life.

• In January 1801, Thomas Jefferson spent the night in Alexandria while the presidential election remained undecided. Tied with Aaron Burr, Jefferson stopped after visiting Mount Vernon, where he paid condolences to Martha Washington following George Washington’s death. He stayed at Gadsby’s Tavern, then the most popular tavern in the region, paying $5.50 for the night.

• Jefferson ultimately prevailed and became the nation’s third president. Alexandria preserves this pivotal moment—one of many that connect the town directly to the Founding Fathers and the unfolding story of the early republic.

• City Tavern (Georgetown)
  A prominent social and political gathering place in the 1790s and early 1800s, frequented by Thomas Jefferson and his contemporaries. Today it is a historic site—not an operating tavern—located near 2nd and Walnut Streets. 

• Fountain Inn / Suter’s Tavern
  Another well-known Georgetown gathering spot. Jefferson famously praised the establishment, noting that “no man on the Atlantic coast can bring out a better bottle of Madeira or Sherry than old Suter.” The site connects visitors to the refined—and political—social culture of the era.
  Take a historical cocktail tour
   

• Gadsby’s Tavern (Alexandria)
  One of the most important taverns of the early republic. Jefferson stayed here during his travels, and it hosted inaugural-related events and gatherings of national leaders.
   

Why it matters to Lewis & Clark:

• Taverns were the informal planning rooms of the early United States—the places where exploration, diplomacy, and national ambition were debated over meals and drinks. In spaces like these, leaders discussed western expansion, foreign threats, trade routes, and funding for exploration. The ideas that shaped the Lewis and Clark Expedition were forged not only in government chambers, but also in taverns where policymakers, military officers, merchants, and surveyors exchanged information.

• Thomas Jefferson’s election as president made the Lewis and Clark Expedition possible. Had Aaron Burr prevailed instead, the course of westward exploration—and the nation’s future—may have unfolded very differently. Alexandria preserves this pivotal moment in the early republic, when leadership decisions shaped the path of discovery.
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