The Enslaved Workers of Mount Vernon and their Economic Lives

There is little known about the lives of the enslaved people who lived at Mount Vernon, but the work they did on the plantation was essential to George Washington’s success. Through the detailed records that Washington kept on his enslaved workers, historians have started to piece together the economic lives of the enslaved people at Mount Vernon. Of the five farms that made up the plantation, Mansion House Farm had the highest number of enslaved artisans, with the gristmill and distillery complex located on Dogue Run Farm holding the second highest number of enslaved artisans. The enslaved artisans that lived on these two farms were typically men, but it was not uncommon to see enslaved women there as well. On the other outlying farms, the population consisted mainly of women and children. Some historians argue that by having enslaved women do most of the monotonous and hard work of field labor, they paved the way for enslaved men to become skilled laborers.[1]

Not only were enslaved women doing the mundane tasks of field labor, occasionally some found themselves doing skilled labor such as textiles. The enslaved women often found themselves spinning miles of thread in order for a weaver to piece together into a bolt of cloth. Until the 19th century, weaving was generally associated with men, indentured, hired, and enslaved; however, it was also a job that the enslaved women were able to do. Historians think that the enslaved women would have learned these skills from family members, other plantation workers, or even through the mistress of the house.[2] Not only were there enslaved women weaving and spinning, but they were also sewing the fabric together to make clothing for the other enslaved people. One enslaved seamstress that Washington owned was a woman named Charlotte. After getting into a disagreement with Anthony Whiting, Washington’s farm manager, Whiting took a switch and struck her with it. When she was given more work to do, she refused it, and Whiting whipped her again. Washington wrote back to Whiting that, “Your treatment of Charlotte was very proper —and if she, or any other—of the Servants will not do their duty by fair means—or are impertinent, correction (as the only alternative) must be administered.”[3] So despite his changing views on slavery, he wasn’t against having his enslaved people punished. Washington's social and economic life depended on his enslaved people doing the work they were tasked to do. He feared that by one person not doing their work, others would see this example and do the same. If the enslaved refused to do their work, this would cost Washington a good majority of his income.

REFRENCES 

[1] Donnelly, Theresa, “George Washington’s Laboring Women: An Examination of the Work and the Lives of the Enslaved Female Workers at Mount Vernon’s Outlying Plantations” (Master’s Diss., ProQuest, 2014), 2.

[2] Seaman, Gloria Allen, “Threads of Bondage: Chesapeake Slave Women and Plantation Cloth Production, 1750-1850” (PhD Diss., ProQuest, 2000), 418-420.

[3] Washington, George, George Washington to Anthony Whiting 20 January 1793. Founders Online, National Archives, The Papers of George Washington Presidential Series, vol. 12, 16 January 1793.