Slavery was a real part of our country’s history. How do you teach your child about something that they have not experienced and yet is important for them to know about?
When my husband, son and I visited Mount Vernon last weekend, we learned a little more about slavery from George Washington’s life. George Washington had slaves. Two of these slaves were Vina and Dolsey who did laundry for George Washington and his family and their guests.
They first boiled water in huge pots over a fire. They then put the laundry in the boiling water and hand-scrubbed the laundry with soap made from lye and animal fat.
Next they hung the laundry on racks to dry.
Finally, they heated irons in a fire to press the laundry.
The slaves worked at this six days a week.
Any comments?
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It’s hard to fathom the work that “civilization” required in the 18th century. Slavery, whatever one’s political, economic or religious views, was, like it or not, an important part of the part of the economic engine of the 18th and 19th centuries.
I would suggest that issues leading up to the Civil War were often more focused on economic and political concerns rather than moral or religious concerns. This may be politically incorrect, but I think that more pragmatic desires moved folk to resolve this issue.
Gladys, thanks for sharing.
Ben Baldus