What Were the Living Conditions of the Enslaved People at Mount Vernon?

The enslaved people at Mount Vernon lived in simple but hard-working homes near the big house where George Washington lived.

At Mount Vernon, the enslaved people lived in small houses or even just separate rooms near the main house, kind of like how some families live close to each other today. Some had whole families living together, and they shared food, work, and sometimes even chores with each other.

Most of them worked from sunrise to sunset on the plantation, farming, building things, or helping take care of animals. It was like having a full-time job every day, but without breaks or days off. Sometimes they got a little extra food or time off if they did especially good work.

They lived near fields and forests, so they could see the trees and hear birds every day, just like kids who live near parks can run around and play outside all the time.

Even though life was hard, they had a strong sense of family and community, which helped them keep going every day.