Learn About How the Enslaved Resisted Slavery
Discover how enslaved men and women at Mount Vernon defined their agency and the legacies they left behind.
Explore the Family Hub
9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Visit the Family Hub on the bowling green to learn more about the lives of enslaved people at Mount Vernon and what emancipation and resistance meant in 18th-century Virginia. Discover how enslaved men and women defined their agency and the legacies they left behind. There will be opportunities for both self and group reflection and self-expression through art.
Talk to Tudor Place Educators
June 19 (9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.)
Explore the life of John Luckett, who self-emancipated from Fairfax County, Virginia in 1862 and made his way into the District of Columbia after the Compensated Emancipation Act was signed. He would be hired as the gardener of Tudor Place, a role he held for 44 years. From 1862 to 1906, Mr. Luckett made a home for himself and his family in the south-west quadrant of D.C. near Capitol Hill and became part of a vibrant community.
Learn About the Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House
June 19-20 (9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.)
Hear from Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House staff to learn about how Woodlawn transformed from a plantation to an antislavery community in the decade leading up to the Civil War. Many of the free Black families who became landowners at Woodlawn in the 1850s were descendants of people who had been enslaved at Mount Vernon and had family ties to those who were enslaved by the Lewis family at Woodlawn. During the war, the community came together to form the Accotink Home Guard, an integrated militia unit that fought to defend their community from Confederate raiders.
Enjoy Music Performances
Listen to Colonial Music From Our Fifer
Step back in time with our Fifer while he plays the fife, flute, and drums in his program, Music of the Revolution, at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Hear Music of the African Diaspora
June 20-21 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.)
Join special guests SlamOne to discover how music can serve as a common language that connects generations and cultures.
SlamOne’s cultural and historical interpreters will present interactive drumming and music brought to the New World by enslaved Africans between 1619 and 1800 and will demonstrate how our current culture continues these musical traditions.
Take Tours and Witness a Commemoration Ceremony
Join a Specialty Tour
Join an Enslaved People of Mount Vernon Specialty Tour at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m. This program is included with admission. A free ticket is required to hold your place in line. Tours will start at the Mansion circle.
Go to a Special Commemoration Ceremony
Honor the lives of the enslaved at our African American Burial Ground Commemoration Ceremony at 11:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m., and 3:15 p.m.
See Spinning, Cooking & Blacksmith Demonstrations
Blacksmith Demonstrations
June 19-21 (9 a.m.-12 p.m.; 1 p.m.-5 p.m.)
In the historic area, see Mount Vernon staff demonstrate 18th-century blacksmithing techniques.
Cooking Demonstrations
June 19-21 (9 a.m.-1 p.m.)
Visit the replica slave cabin on the Farm to learn about recipes of the enslaved community at Mount Vernon.
Spinning Demonstrations
June 19-20 (9 a.m.-1 p.m.; 2 p.m.-5 p.m.)
Stop by the spinning house in the historic area to learn about enslaved and hired spinners and 18th-century spinning techniques.
Meet People From Washington's World
Watch Character Performances
Head to the Interpretive Center for special character performances that consider freedom and resistance through the eyes of the enslaved community. Meet Ona Judge, Peter Hardiman, and Hercules Posey.
Listen to Story Time
Hear a reading of A Spy Called James by Anne Rockwell & Floyd Cooper at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. This book tells the true story of the enslaved James Lafayette, who was a spy for George Washington’s army during the American Revolution.
Explore Artifacts & Animals
Visit the Archaeological Field School
June 19-20
Visit The Slave Memorial & African American Burial Ground to see Mount Vernon’s Archaeological Field School and learn about ongoing research on the enslaved people who lived here.
Attend Livestock Look & Learns
June 19-21
Hear from the Livestock staff about the many animals that lived at Mount Vernon in the 18th century.
- Horse Look & Learn: 10 a.m.-11 a.m.
- Oxen Look & Learn: 10:30 a.m.-11 a.m.
- Sheep Look & Learn: 11 a.m.-12 p.m.; 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
- Hog/Turkey Look & Learn: 1 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Visit Our Lives Bound Together: Slavery at Mount Vernon Exhibit
Learn about the 317 enslaved people who lived and worked at George Washington’s five farms, gristmill, and distillery within the quarters of the historic area.
Find out how enslaved people formed families, created tight-knit communities, earned money, and acquired personal possessions.
Discover recently-excavated archaeological artifacts that highlight the humanity and work of these men, women, and children.
Explore the legacy of George Washington’s decision in his will to free those enslaved to him—the only founding father to do so—and the ongoing efforts by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association and its vital community partners to research and share the lives of people enslaved at Mount Vernon.
Remembering the Enslaved People of Mount Vernon
