GEORGE WASHINGTON'S MOUNT VERNON: Slave Memorial Commemoration

Slave Memorial Commemoration October 3 at 11 a.m. George Washington’s Mount Vernon joins Black Women United for Action in remembering the enslaved people who lived and worked at Mount Vernon with a program and wreath-laying ceremony at the Slave Memorial. Due to the COVID-19, we encourage you to tune in virtually to the ceremony this year.

The History of the Slave Memorial The Slave Memorial at Mount Vernon marks the site where both free and enslaved people were buried in the 18th and 19th centuries, without permanent identifying markers. The Memorial was designed by students attending the architectural school at Howard University. It was dedicated and opened to the public on September 21, 1983.

Slavery at Mount Vernon 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.

How Do We Learn the Stories of the Enslaved? Most enslaved people never had an opportunity to learn reading or writing, so they left few written records of their own. However, George Washington unwittingly wrote the biography of Mount Vernon’s enslaved community in the records and correspondence he left behind. We use his words, combined with archaeology and oral history with descendants, to piece together the stories of Mount Vernon’s enslaved community.

Lives Bound Together Visit Mount Vernon to explore our exhibit that examines the personal stories of the people enslaved at Mount Vernon while providing insight into George Washington’s evolving opposition to slavery. PLAN YOUR VISIT

Mount Vernon is owned and maintained in trust for the people of the United States by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union, a private, non-profit organization. We do not accept government funding and rely upon private contributions, admissions, and retail sales to help preserve George Washington’s home and legacy.

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George Washington's Mount Vernon 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway Mount Vernon, Virginia 22121 United States © 2020 George Washington's Mount Vernon. All rights reserved.