George Washington played a very important role in promoting the widespread use of the mule in America. He decided to breed mules, which are the sterile offspring of a male donkey (jack) and a female horse (mare), because they were stronger, more sure-footed, ate less, and had more endurance than horses. After the Revolutionary War, Washington began to replace horses in the fields with mules. In less than 15 years Washington had 58 mules working at Mount Vernon. Today, mules help work fields at the George Washington: Pioneer Farmer site - much like an 18th-century tractor!

<NEXT>