Episode 4: “Living”

Kate, her husband Will, and their children lived and worked on Muddy Hole Farm. When her family suffered a tragedy, they drew strength from the kinship ties and friendships they shared with other members of Mount Vernon’s enslaved community. In this episode, we examine daily life, culture, and religious practices of the enslaved people at the plantation. We also explore how on-going archeological work at Mount Vernon helps us piece together the enslaved community’s lived experience and recover their voices when the written record falls silent.

Featuring:

• Dr. Brenda Stevenson, Hillary Rodham Clinton Endowed Chair in Women’s History, St. John’s College, Oxford University
• Dr. Eleanor Breen, City Archaeologist, City of Alexandria
• Dr. Kelley Fanto Deetz, Director of Collections and Visitor Engagement, Stratford Hall Plantation, and Director of Education and Historic Interpretation, Virginia’s Executive Mansion
• Mary V. Thompson, Research Historian, Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington
• Dr. Jason Boroughs, Research Archaeologist, George Washington’s Mount Vernon
• Dr. Marcus Nevius, Associate Professor of History and African Studies, University of Rhode Island
• Jessie MacLeod, Associate Curator, George Washington’s Mount Vernon

Full transcripts, show notes, and bibliographies available at www.georgewashingtonpodcast.com.