http://www.mountvernon.org/press/2001slaveryfact.asp

[email protected] Tue, 2 Jul 2002 20:51:21 EDT
Newsgroups	gmane.culture.literature.thomas-pynchon
Message-ID	<[email protected]>
--part1_17e.a81d8d4.2a53a489_boundary
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Language: en

Chronology of Slavery at Mount Vernon=20
1743, at the age of eleven, George Washington inherits 10 slaves.=20
1754, George Washington inherits eight slaves (four adults, four children)=20
from his brother=E2=80=99s estate. Washington moves to Mount Vernon.=20
1754, Washington purchases at least eight slaves.=20
1759, George Washington marries Martha Custis who initially brings to Mount=20
Vernon 11 slaves, increasing the population to 50.=20
1759-1772, Washington purchases at least 42 slaves.=20
1775-1787, during the Revolutionary War, George Washington resolves never to=
=20
buy or sell another slave. His slave population continues to grow naturally,=
=20
as he also refused to separate families.=20
1786, earliest completed census of Mount Vernon slaves is conducted and list=
s=20
216 men, women, and children with 105 belonging to George Washington and 111=
=20
belonging to the estate of Martha=E2=80=99s first husband, Daniel Parke Cust=
is.=20
1799, in July, Washington drafts a second inventory in preparation of freein=
g=20
his slaves in his will (Virginia law prevented George Washington from=20
emancipating the slaves belonging to the Custis estate). Listed were 316=20
slaves with 123 belonging to George Washington.=20
1799, in December, George Washington dies. 316 slaves were living at Mount=20
Vernon of whom approximately 42% were too young or too old to work, but were=
=20
provided for by the estate.=20
1801, in January, George Washington=E2=80=99s 123 slaves are freed. Detailed=
=20
instructions were left in his will for the care and support of the newly=20
freed people and records indicate that some lived on at Mount Vernon as=20
pensioners until the 1830=E2=80=99s.

Slavery at Mount Vernon=20
Mount Vernon slaves lived and worked in six locations: the five farms which=20
made up Washington=E2=80=99s 8,000-acre plantation and the grist mill, locat=
ed three=20
miles from the Mansion.=20
Many slaves were field hands with much of this labor done by women. Others=20
were skilled in trades such as carpentry, masonry, and blacksmithing. House=20
slaves included cooks, butlers, and personal valets and maids.=20

Washington and Slavery=20
George Washington was born into a society that accepted slavery.=20
After fighting for freedom in the Revolutionary War, Washington=E2=80=99s op=
inion of=20
slavery changed and he personally resolved never to buy or sell another=20
slave.=20
George Washington wrote to Lawrence Lewis in 1797; =E2=80=9CI wish my soul t=
hat the=20
legislature of this State could see a policy of gradual abolition of=20
slavery.=E2=80=9D=20
In his will, George Washington freed his slaves and left detailed=20
instructions for their care and support.=20

Slave Burial Ground at Mount Vernon=20
Located 50 yards southwest of George Washington=E2=80=99s tomb.=20
Known to have been a cemetery for slaves and free blacks who worked for the=20
Washington family.=20
Graves are unmarked; identities and numbers of those buried are largely=20
unknown. William Lee, George Washington=E2=80=99s personal servant during th=
e=20
Revolutionary War is known to be buried there. He was freed in 1801 and died=
=20
in 1828. West Ford (1784-1863), a prominent free black who worked at Mount=20
Vernon after Washington=E2=80=99s death as a manager and later assisted the=20=
Ladies=E2=80=99=20
Association with historical facts is thought to be buried there.   =20
   =20



--part1_17e.a81d8d4.2a53a489_boundary
Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Language: en

<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT  SIZE=3D2><B><U>Chronology of Slave=
ry at Mount Vernon</B></U>=20
<BR><B>1743</B>, at the age of eleven, George Washington inherits 10 slaves.=
=20
<BR><B>1754</B>, George Washington inherits eight slaves (four adults, four=20=
children) from his brother=E2=80=99s estate. Washington moves to Mount Verno=
n.=20
<BR><B>1754</B>, Washington purchases at least eight slaves.=20
<BR><B>1759</B>, George Washington marries Martha Custis who initially bring=
s to Mount Vernon 11 slaves, increasing the population to 50.=20
<BR><B>1759-1772</B>, Washington purchases at least 42 slaves.=20
<BR><B>1775-1787</B>, during the Revolutionary War, George Washington resolv=
es never to buy or sell another slave. His slave population continues to gro=
w naturally, as he also refused to separate families.=20
<BR><B>1786</B>, earliest completed census of Mount Vernon slaves is conduct=
ed and lists 216 men, women, and children with 105 belonging to George Washi=
ngton and 111 belonging to the estate of Martha=E2=80=99s first husband, Dan=
iel Parke Custis.=20
<BR><B>1799</B>, in July, Washington drafts a second inventory in preparatio=
n of freeing his slaves in his will (Virginia law prevented George Washingto=
n from emancipating the slaves belonging to the Custis estate). Listed were=20=
316 slaves with 123 belonging to George Washington.=20
<BR><B>1799</B>, in December, George Washington dies. 316 slaves were living=
 at Mount Vernon of whom approximately 42% were too young or too old to work=
, but were provided for by the estate.=20
<BR><B>1801</B>, in January, George Washington=E2=80=99s 123 slaves are free=
d. Detailed instructions were left in his will for the care and support of t=
he newly freed people and records indicate that some lived on at Mount Verno=
n as pensioners until the 1830=E2=80=99s.
<BR><B><U>
<BR>Slavery at Mount Vernon</B></U>=20
<BR>Mount Vernon slaves lived and worked in six locations: the five farms wh=
ich made up Washington=E2=80=99s 8,000-acre plantation and the grist mill, l=
ocated three miles from the Mansion.=20
<BR>Many slaves were field hands with much of this labor done by women. Othe=
rs were skilled in trades such as carpentry, masonry, and blacksmithing. Hou=
se slaves included cooks, butlers, and personal valets and maids.=20
<BR>
<BR><B><U>Washington and Slavery</B></U>=20
<BR>George Washington was born into a society that accepted slavery.=20
<BR>After fighting for freedom in the Revolutionary War, Washington=E2=80=
=99s opinion of slavery changed and he personally resolved never to buy or s=
ell another slave.=20
<BR>George Washington wrote to Lawrence Lewis in 1797; =E2=80=9CI wish my so=
ul that the legislature of this State could see a policy of gradual abolitio=
n of slavery.=E2=80=9D=20
<BR>In his will, George Washington freed his slaves and left detailed instru=
ctions for their care and support.=20
<BR>
<BR><B><U>Slave Burial Ground at Mount Vernon</B></U>=20
<BR>Located 50 yards southwest of George Washington=E2=80=99s tomb.=20
<BR>Known to have been a cemetery for slaves and free blacks who worked for=20=
the Washington family.=20
<BR>Graves are unmarked; identities and numbers of those buried are largely=20=
unknown. William Lee, George Washington=E2=80=99s personal servant during th=
e Revolutionary War is known to be buried there. He was freed in 1801 and di=
ed in 1828. West Ford (1784-1863), a prominent free black who worked at Moun=
t Vernon after Washington=E2=80=99s death as a manager and later assisted th=
e Ladies=E2=80=99 Association with historical facts is thought to be buried=20=
there.</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"=
Arial" LANG=3D"0">   =20
<BR>   =20
<BR>
<BR></FONT></HTML>

--part1_17e.a81d8d4.2a53a489_boundary--