in cooperation with the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University. George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, open to the public since 1858, communicates the character and leadership of Washington to millions of Americans each year through a variety of interpretive programs on the Estate and in classrooms across the nation. Mount Vernon is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, founded in 1853, making it the oldest national preservation organization in the United States. The George Washington Book Prize is an important element of the Association's outreach program, which engages millions of teachers and students throughout the nation. Table of Past Winners Table of Past Finalists = winner References External links George Washington Book Prize C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens Washington College Home Page Marcus Rediker's home page Awards established in 2005 American non-fiction literary awards