Slavery at the Home of George Washington

George Washington inherited his first slave at the age of eleven,and he was the only founding father to free his slaves in his will. This highlyreadable selection of articles focuses on Washington's changing attitudes toward theinstitution of slavery and his everyday relationships with the slaves who shared hisMount Vernon estate. Along with his insightful introduction, editor Philip J.Schwarz has included James C. Rees's essay "Looking Back, Moving Forward:The Changing Interpretation of Slave Life on the Mount Vernon Estate,"Dennis J. Pogue's essay "Slave Lifeways at Mount Vernon: An ArchaeologicalPerspective," and Lorena S. Walsh's essay "Slavery and Agricultureat Mount Vernon," as well as essays by Jean B. Lee, Mary V. Thompson, andEdna Greene Medford.