Existing comment:
Spinning Room:
"Spinning should go forward with all possible dispatch, as we shall have nothing else to depend upon if these disputes [with England] continue..."
-- George Washington to manager Lund Washington, August 20, 1775.
Textile production was vital to achieving self-sufficiency at Mount Vernon. George Washington practiced selective breeding of sheep to produce better quality wool, grew flax and hemp for making linen cloth and rope, and experimented with cultivating cotton and silk. While slaves and hired weavers were able to produce basic textiles for plantation use, it was still necessary to import finer materials from England for the Washington's table and clothing. |