Existing comment:
Personal Treasures:
Archaeological findings reveal that Mount Vernon slaves had buckles, combs, buttons, and even jewelry, which they used to enhance their appearances, ornament clothes, and groom their hair (often a Sunday activity). It is hard to imagine how occupants of this room kept personal possessions safe. The brick floors prevented their digging storage pits, often used in dirt-floored cabins. Perhaps they stored items in bags or baskets under their bunks.
What is Livery?
Are you surprised to see something that looks like a gentleman's coat in this room? Several of the male slaves who slept here worked in high-visibility positions -- in the Mansion as waiters and valets or as footmen attending the Washingtons' carriage. George Washington required these men to wear livery, a uniform popular for servants in European households. The reproduction coat shown here is based on Washington's orders for livery in the cream and red colors of his coat of arms.
Clothing Rations:
Enslaved men on George Washington's farms received a yearly allotment of basic clothing. Two coarse linen shirts, one pair of linen breeches, and one woolen jacket were expected to last twelve months, plus one pair of shoes, stockings, and woolen breeches for a winter. Because men at the Mansion House Farm worked at higher-status jobs and were closer to the Washington family, they likely received more; higher-equality, or more durable clothing, such as leather breeches for stable hands, blacksmiths, and other craftsmen. |