top of page

Slavery at Mount Vernon (Historical Marker)

GPS Coordinates: 38.7067185, -77.0888604

Slavery at Mount Vernon (Historical Marker)

Here follows the inscription written on this roadside historical marker:

Slavery at Mount Vernon
In 1799, this estate was home to a community of 317 enslaved men, women, and children who had no choice but to live here. Most of these enslaved people lived and worked on the four outlying farms as rural laborers. About one quarter of the population worked here on Mansion House Farm as skilled laborers, such as blacksmiths, carpenters, spinners, and seamstresses. In his will, Washington provided for the freedom of the 123 individuals he owned, effective upon Mrs. Washington's death. She freed them early, on January 1, 1801. The remaining 194 people, whether dower or rented slaves, remained enslaved after the deaths of General and Mrs. Washington.

More about this marker:
This marker replaces an earlier marker also called “Slavery at Mount Vernon” which was located where the "Slave Memorial" marker is now located.

Mount Vernon was the home of George Washington. It was also home to hundreds of enslaved men, women, and children who lived here under Washington’s control. He depended on their labor to build and maintain his household and plantation. They, in turn, found ways to survive in a world that denied their freedom. As a young man, Washington accepted slavery, but after the Revolutionary War, he began to question it.
Washington avoided the issue publicly, believing that bitter debates over slavery could tear apart the fragile nation. He made his most public antislavery statement after his death. In his will, Washington ordered that his enslaved workers be freed at his wife’s death. Unfortunately, this applied to fewer than half of the people in bondage at Mount Vernon. Those owned by the Custis estate were inherited by Martha Washington’s grandchildren after her death. Many Washington and Custis enslaved people had married and formed families together. For them, separation from loved ones tainted celebrations of newfound freedom.

bottom of page