Existing comment:
Slavery
The wealthy Peirce family contracted a majority of the estate chores and mill operations to others. The family also used slave labor from the late 1790s until 1862. Property records indicate that throughout the estate's history, four Peirce family members owned over 50 slaves. Unfortunately, little is known about the lives of the slaves or their specific duties. The passing of the District of Columbia Emancipation Act in 1862 finally freed the enslaved people on the estate. Peirce Shoemaker was compensated almost $6,000 by the Federal Government for the loss of his slave labor. |