Slave Memorial
Some of the most powerful moments at Mount Vernon were at the Slave Memorial and the Washington Tomb on our last morning.
| | The pictures above are of the Slave Memorial at George Washington's Mount Vernon estate. It is disappointing to some to hear that the Washingtons had 317 slaves, but with a little study and consideration, we are able to discern the metamorphosis of George Washington's beliefs about slavery. For the sake of space, I won't describe everything, but suffice it to say that the General did not believe that slave families should be split up and he freed as many of his slaves as he could following his own death and his wife's a couple of years later. No other founding father did so. |
Hearing about some of the slaves that lived at the estate and listening to the fife at the site of many of their unmarked graves is a truly moving part of the Teachers' Institute.
Old Tomb
The old tomb, where George Washington was first interred, is still on the property, but the bodies of the first president and his relatives were moved to the new tomb when it was built - as designated in George's will.
The New TombAfter we considered the lives of the slaves, our small group moved to the "new tomb", where we listened to a reading of a prayer that George shared for his country. I took the opportunity to silently pray at that moment, as well. To accent the moment, the group sang the Star Spangled Banner. Some of the bricks at the tomb have been engraved with people's names and initials. Upon closer observation, one finds the "signatures" of Civil War visitors to Washington's tomb - even one of Joshua Chamberlain. These carvings aren't out of disrespect, but are a way of signing the "guest book" so to speak. Sixteenth president Abraham Lincoln visited this place, as well - just four days before his assassination. | |
