There were forty-five enslaved people living on Dogue Run Farm in 1799, the last year of George Washington's life.1 Twenty-seven of these individuals were enslaved by George Washington, with the remaining eighteen being enslaved by Martha Washington. There appear to have been eight family groups of enslaved individuals living at the farm in 1799. Of the twenty-four people listed as adults, four couples were able to live together at Dogue Run, while another six individuals were married to people living elsewhere. Twenty of the twenty-four adults (83.33%) had been living at Dogue Run since 1786.2 The specific information about each individual is is based largely on their appearances in George Washington's various papers, writings, and accounts.
Notes:
1."Washington’s Slave List, June 1799," Founders Online, National Archives.
2. [Diary entry: 18 February 1786], Founders Online, National Archives.
Bibliography:
Thompson, Mary V. “The Only Unavoidable Subject of Regret”: George Washington, Slavery, and the Enslaved Community at Mount Vernon. Charlottesville and London: University of Virginia Press, 2019.
Schoelwer, Susan P., ed. Lives Bound Together: Slavery at George Washington's Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon, VA: Mount Vernon Ladies Association, 2016.
